Penn State Football James Franklin pumped up about Trace McSorley’s first NFL TD pass

Penn State Football coach was fired up to see his former quarterback, Trace McSorley, toss his first career touchdown pass for the Baltimore Ravens in Wednesday’s loss to the Steelers

Penn State head football coach James Franklin has seen Trace McSorley pull off some late-game heroics.

Whether it was a second-half comeback against Wisconsin to win the 2016 Big Ten Championship, orchestrate a game-winning come from behind drive in Kinnick Stadium to remain unbeaten in 2017, or persevere in a shootout against Washington in the 2018 Fiesta Bowl, McSorley in a lot of ways proved during his time in a Nittany Lions uniform that he’s a winner.

In the ultra-rare Wednesday afternoon game between the Baltimore Ravens and their bitter rival, the unbeaten Pittsburgh Steelers, McSorley very nearly did it again, coming on in relief of an injured Robert Griffin III.

While Baltimore’s comeback bid fell short, McSorley did throw his first career NFL touchdown pass, a 70-yard catch and run by Hollywood Brown in the fourth quarter.

Franklin was told of McSorley’s touchdown moments before speaking to reporters following Wednesday’s practice.

"“It’s just like I told the Ravens, it’s just like I told everybody else — he’s one of those guys that’s going to find a way,” Franklin said, via Lions247."

During his time in Happy Valley, McSorley set the school record for passing yards (9,899), passing touchdowns (77), rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (30), and wins (34). While the program has fallen on hard times, dropping the first five games of this season, Franklin says that McSorley made a point to reach out and try to lift his former coach’s spirits during a difficult year.

"“Trace said some things about overcoming adversity — talking about in those years that we won, and won in the Big Ten Championship, it was a few plays,” Franklin said. “We found ways to make a few more plays than our opponents, and that’s what we need to do on Saturday.”"