Penn State vs USC Grades
By Shane Lunnen
Penn State blew a fourth quarter lead in a wild Rose Bowl, falling to USC 52-49
The Nittany Lions played an unreal game against the USC Trojans and came up just short at the end, losing 52-49 on a last second field goal.
At the beginning of the game, it looked like the Lions were going to be run out of the building, as their first two drives ended in interceptions, and USC capitalized to a 13-0 lead. Penn State’s offense then exploded, with their next seven possessions ending in touchdowns, including a ridiculous four-consecutive offensive play sequence that all went for six.
The fourth quarter had been Penn State’s best all season, but they couldn’t get the score they needed to put it away. A late Trace McSorley interception set up USC’s game winning field goal.
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The loss certainly doesn’t take anything away from Penn State’s fantastic season, but it does put a damper on it. Nobody thought these Lions would end up in Pasadena and to slug it out with a high octane team like USC to the very end is nothing to be ashamed about.
Penn State will hopefully learn from this and come back next year fielding another great team. The future is certainly bright in Happy Valley.
Let’s take one last look at the Rose Bowl and hand out some grades.