Penn State football had some standout performances in the Citrus Bowl
Tuesday marked a chance for Penn State football to pick up its third-straight 10-win season. Unfortunately, the Nittany Lions were unable to overcome some big, early mistakes and ultimately fell by three points to the Kentucky Wildcats.
Big miscues on special teams and questionable coaching decisions played a role in the Nittany Lions finding themselves down by 20 points heading into the fourth quarter. While 17 unanswered points in the final frame pulled Penn State closer, it wasn’t enough in the end.
The result was disappointing and put an end to a 2018 season that saw the Nittany Lions fall short of some lofty preseason expectations.
Although it was a tough loss for Penn State, there were some players that stood out. Who made the list as our Players of the Game?
Offense – Trace McSorley, Quarterback
In his final game with the Nittany Lions, Penn State’s all-time winningest quarterback fought as hard as he could to try and propel his team to one final victory. While he came up short, McSorley’s performance needs to be honored.
The senior quarterback looked rusty at the start and had a pedestrian first half. He did, however, throw a touchdown pass to tight end Nick Bowers to pull the Nittany Lions to within three points in the second quarter.
McSorley didn’t start the second half due to an injury that was reportedly a broken foot. Whatever the injury was, McSorley came back into the game and gutted out a performance that nearly became legendary.
In the fourth quarter, McSorley ran for a touchdown and threw another to tight end Pat Freiermuth. He also led a drive into Kentucky territory late in the fourth quarter that ultimately stalled and resulted in just a field goal.
For the game, McSorley threw for 246 and two scores, while running for 75 yards and a touchdown. The numbers were not fantastic, but McSorley proved that he’s the clear leader of the team and did everything in his power to lead the comeback effort.
Honorable Mention: TE Nick Bowers, TE Pat Freiermuth
Defense – Micah Parsons, Linebacker
It was a tough end to what was an overall good day for the Penn State defense. The Nittany Lions held Kentucky to just three offensive points in the first half, but will be remembered for failing to stop the Wildcats’ rushing attack late in the game. Kentucky converted two third downs on its final drive that put the game away and kept the ball away from Penn State’s offense.
Penn State’s defense was worn down late in the game due to the rushing of Benny Snell, Kentucky’s all-time leading rusher.
The numbers for Penn State on defense were still good, as Kentucky put up just 287 yards, but 176 came on the ground.
True freshman Micah Parsons stood out for the Nittany Lions on defense. He led the team with 11 total tackles and was making plays all over the field. He had some missteps early in the game, but quickly rebounded to be the most dominate player on Penn State’s defense.
Parsons showed why he was one of the most highly recruited players in the 2018 class. Look for him to be even more dominant when next season comes around.
Honorable Mention: S Garrett Taylor, DE Shareef Miller