Penn State Football Season Rewind: Nittany Lions Use Second Half to Roll Past Kent State

Penn State opened the 2016 season with a win over Kent State.

2016 turned out to be a remarkable season for Penn State. The Nittany Lions exceeded expectations and finished with 11 wins, including a Big Ten Championship and a berth in the Rose Bowl. With so much success, it makes since to relive every game of the season.

Welcome to VBR’s rewind of Penn State’s magical 2016 season.

The Nittany Lions opened the year with a home matchup against the Kent State Golden Flashes.

There was a lot of excitement entering the new season, as new offensive Joe Moorhead brought an up-tempo and exciting brand of football to Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions had star running back Saquon Barkley returning on an offense led by new quarterback Trace McSorley.

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For all the talk of a potent offense, things started slow for the Nittany Lions in the first game. They stalled on the first two drives of the game before starting to find a bit of a rhythm.

Kent State actually got on the board first with a field goal before a DaeSean touchdown gave the Nittany Lions the lead. Thanks to a missed two-point conversion by Penn State, the Golden Flashes were able to tie the game at six in the second quarter.

Barkley scored on a seven-yard run in the second quarter to once again build a lead. However, McSorley was sacked on the next offensive possession and fumbled the ball. Elcee Refuge pick it up for Kent State and scampered 20 yards to tie the game at 13.

A Tyler Davis field goal late in the quarter gave the home team a slim lead at the break in front of a surprised Beaver Stadium crowd.

After halftime, the Penn State defense locked down and didn’t allow another point the rest of the game. The defense even got involved in the scoring early in the second half. Amani Oruwariye intercepted a pass on Kent State’s first drive the half and took it back 30 yards for the score.

Penn State added another Davis field goal in the third quarter and a 30-yard pass from McSorley to tight end Mike Gesicki to finish off the Golden Flashes by a score of 33-13.

McSorley finished his first game as Penn State’s starting quarterback with 209 passing yards and two touchdowns. He also added 47 yards on the ground. Barkley led the team with 105 rushing yards and a touchdown. Chris Godwin was the leading receiver, pulling in seven receptions for 67 yards.

Linebacker Jason Cabinda had a huge game for the defense, racking up 11 total tackles, including five solo.

While things didn’t begin as expected in the first half, it was an overall solid performance by the Nittany Lions. The combination of early-season rust and new players in big positions likely led to the slow start.

Next: Three Penn State Recruits Who Could Play as True Freshmen in 2017

Still, Penn State started the 2016 season with a victory, and that’s the best way to open a brand new season.

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