Penn State Football: Players of the game against Maryland

Penn State football played a great game in the regular season finale against Maryland. 

Saturday marked the end of the regular season for Penn State football, and the Nittany Lions ended the year in a great way. In difficult weather conditions, the fans that braved the elements to travel to Beaver Stadium a final time for the season were treated to some magnificent individual performances during Penn State’s 38-3 victory over the Terrapins.

The win gave the Nittany Lions nine on the year and kept them in the hunt to finish the year in the top-12 and claim a berth in a New Year’s Six bowl game.

As mentioned, the conditions for the game against Maryland were anything but favorable. Freezing temperatures, wind, and wintry precipitation forced the players to focus even more on what they had to do.

The win was of course an entire team victory, but certain players made themselves stand out for the Nittany Lions.

Offense – Trace McSorley, Quarterback

Playing in his final game at Beaver Stadium on Senior Day, Trace McSorley put on a show for the home crowd. The senior quarterback showed the skills that have made him the winningest quarterback in Penn State history.

McSorley used his legs in this game to do some damage, rushing the ball 11 times for 64 yards and two touchdowns. Still a bit hobbled by a right knee injury, McSorley powered through and played a big key in the victory.

He completed just half of his 22 pass attempts, but finished with 230 yards and a touchdown.

McSorley did as he’s done throughout his Penn State career — use a mix of running and throwing to be successful. It was a great performance and a great way to end the career of one of the best quarterbacks in Penn State history.

Honorable Mention: RB Miles Sanders, WR KJ Hamler

Defense – Kevin Givens, Defensive Tackle 

Maryland was held to just 259 total yards, including a measly 74 on the ground. It was a strong performance by the entire Penn State defense, especially against a Maryland team that scored over 50 points the previous week versus Ohio State.

It’s difficult to pick an overall player of the game since the defense played so well, but defensive tackle Kevin Givens gets the nod. He finished second on the team with four total tackles, but two of those were sacks.

Maryland had trouble getting much of anything going on offense, as there was constant pressure from the Penn State defense, particularly the defensive line.

Overall, Penn State racked up five sacks and 15 tackles for loss. It was a great day and a great performance from a group that improved as the season progressed.

Honorable Mention: DE Yetur Gross-Matos, LB Cam Brown