Penn State survives Appalachian State in overtime

Week 1 didn’t play out the way many though it would, but Penn State was able to escape with a win. 

Everything went according to script on Penn State for Penn State on the first drive of the game. A seven-play drive that ended with a touchdown had the Beaver Stadium crowd feeling good. However, things went south in a hurry. The Nittany Lions were able to rebound, and seemed to be in control, before a disastrous fourth quartered to an eventual overtime win.

In front of a shocked Beaver Stadium crowd, Penn State had to use overtime to knock off Appalachian State, 45-38.

Amani Oruwariye came down with a clutch interception in overtime to end the game and prevent the major upset.

From the start of the game, Penn State appeared to be in control.

Trace McSorley, one of the best returning quarterbacks in the nation, looked like it to start the game. He completed his first pass of the game, a seven-yarder to Juwan Johnson, and capped the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run.

Unfortunately, Penn State was unable to cover the ensuing kickoff, and Appalachian State’s Darrynton Evans took it 100 yards to the house. The Mountaineers then forced a three-and-out and put together a 12-play drive that resulted in a go-ahead field goal.

The Nittany Lions added a Jake Pinegar field goal in the second quarter to tie the game at 10 before halftime.

James Franklin and his coaching staff must have lit a fire at halftime, because there was a different Penn State team on the field in the third quarter. Following a defensive stop, the Nittany Lions put together a very solid scoring drive that covered 65 yards in seven plays. McSorley ran 10 yards for his second touchdown of the day.

On the next drive, the Nittany Lions once again drove down the field. True freshman running back Ricky Slade was a mainstay on the drive and scored his first career touchdown on a 27-yard run.

However, Appalachian State wouldn’t go away. The Mountaineers put together a scoring drive to start the fourth quarter, pulling to within seven of the heavily favored Nittany Lions.

The Mountaineers went on to put up28 points in the fourth quarter,  21 of which were unanswered. A fortunate onside kick and great throws from quarterback Zac Thomas put the Nittany Lions on the brink of an upset loss.

Down seven, the Penn State offense orchestrated a clutch, seven-play drive that ended with a McSorley touchdown pass to wide receiver KJ Hamler. The drive included a fourth-down conversion and a 52-yard kickoff return by Hamler to set it up.

Just when it appeared Penn State would get a chance to head to overtime, Thomas completed a long pass and quickly put App State into Penn State territory. The Mountaineers had a chance to win the game in regulation, but were unable to convert on a 56-yard field goal.

In overtime, Penn State scored on its first possession after four runs by Miles Sanders. The win was then preserved by Ourwariye’s pick.

This game wasn’t a traditional Week 1 cupcake matchup for the Nittany Lions. Appalachian State played tough and the Nittany Lions were forced to keep their starters in for the entire game.

McSorley, who struggled at times throwing the ball, put up modest passing numbers (230 passing yards, one touchdown) but made up for it with his rushing, running for 53 yards and two scores.

The run game struggled to get going at first, but was eventually able to churn out 204 total rushing yards. . Miles Sanders finished with 19 carries for a career-high 96 yards.

Juwan Johnson, the new top receiver, despite putting up 67 yards on six catches, really struggled. He had several key drops and appeared to be out of sync with McSorley. Hamler had the best game among the wide receivers, hauling in four catches for 68 yards and a score.

On defense, linebacker Jan Johnson led the way with 11 total tackles. Safety Nick Scott pitched in nine tackles and a sack.

Appalachian State put up 451 total yards including 270 through the air from Thomas. The Mountaineers certainly were not intimidated by playing at Beaver Stadium and nearly ruined Penn State’s season.

While ugly at times and not what was expected, Penn State escaped with an important victory. The coaching staff will have plenty to look at and correct this week and moving forward. Hopefully, things will get cleaned up for next week’s big game at Pitt.