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Penn State Football 2017 Season Rewind: Nittany Lions withstand comeback bid by Nebraska

By Barry Leonard Jr.

UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - NOVEMBER 18: Devine Ozigbo #22 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers scores a touchdown to give Nebraska the lead 10-7 against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the first quarter on November 18, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images)
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA - NOVEMBER 18: Devine Ozigbo #22 of the Nebraska Cornhuskers scores a touchdown to give Nebraska the lead 10-7 against the Penn State Nittany Lions during the first quarter on November 18, 2017 at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Brett Carlsen/Getty Images) /
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Penn State football appeared to be cruising to victory, but had to withstand a comeback to defeat Nebraska

Senior Day at Beaver Stadium was an emotional one for the players who were playing their final game in front of the home crowd. Thanks to close losses at Ohio State and Michigan State the season wouldn’t turn out as successful as expected, but there was still a chance to do some special things.

The Nebraska Cornhuskers, in the middle of a struggling season, were looking to ply the role of spoilers.

Playing in what turned out to be his final game at Beaver Stadium, running back Saquon Barkley had a memorable day against the Cornhuskers. He scrambled for a 65-yard touchdown on Penn State’s first drive of the game.

He added two more touchdowns in the first half and became Penn State’s all-time touchdown leader. Barkley had a monster first half, racking up the three scores and 208 of his 224 total yards. He saw limited reps in the second half to allow time for his backups to play.

Barkley finished with 158 yards rushing and 66 receiving yards.

Quarterback Trace McSorley ran for a nine-yard touchdown and tossed a pair of scores to tight end Mike Gesicki and wide receiver DeAndre Thompkins during the second quarter. McSorley added another touchdown pass to Gesicki in the fourth quarter to end the game with 325 passing yards and four total scores.

Nebraska managed 10 points in the first half, but Penn State stepped on the gas in the second quarter. The Nittany Lions scored four times to take a commanding 42-10 lead into the break.

Despite seeming to be out of the game, the Cornhuskers didn’t give up. They scored 14 points in the third quarter to inch closer.

With the game still in hand, head coach James Franklin decided to rest the majority of his starters, particularly on defense. Nebraska added three straight scores in the fourth quarter to make the final score 56-44.

The scoreboard appeared closer than the game really was, as Penn State’s defense was using second and third-string players for much of the second half. The Nittany Lions were dominant for much of the game and racked up 609 yards on offense.

Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee had a fantastic game, throwing for 399 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Stanley Morgan, Jr. made a game-high seven receptions for 185 yards and a touchdown.

Related Story: 2017 Season Rewind: Nittany Lions drop heartbreaker to Ohio State

Penn State was led on defense by senior linebacker Brandon Smith, who made the most of his last game in Happy Valley by recording 13 total tackles. Fellow senior linebacker Jason Cabinda had six tackles.

The win ensured that the Nittany Lions would remain unbeaten at home for the season. It also meant that a New Year’s Six bowl bid was still firmly in the cards.

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