Penn State Football: 2017 position grades vs Ohio State
Quarterbacks
His numbers weren’t overwhelming, but Trace McSorley did his job well enough for a win Saturday. The junior quarterback threw for 192 yards and two touchdowns on 17-of-29 passing and added 49 yards and another score on the ground. McSorley threw catchable balls for most of the afternoon and let his playmakers do the rest.
McSorley finally got his connection back with safety blanket tight end Mike Gesicki recording six catches for 57 yards. He also laid out a perfect touchdown pass away from the defense to DaeSean Hamilton. His second touchdown pass to DeAndre Thompkins wasn’t the prettiest, but he gave the veteran a chance and it rewarded him.
He did miss easy throws, and he was lucky the interception was overturned. That pass interference call looked sketchy at best. He didn’t look off the safety well enough, and it nearly cost him. He’s a gunslinger and most of the time he makes great decisions, but he’s been known to be reckless.
Running-wise, he made some nice plays on the ground and led the offense in rushing. His ability to create plays takes advantage of defenses doubling down on Barkley. If he can play like he did Saturday, in big games, he’ll give this team a chance in every contest.