Penn State Nittany Lions

Trace McSorley Leads Penn State Comeback in Big Ten Championship

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Penn State pulled of a stunning comeback in the Big Ten Championship. 

After appearing to be dead in the water, Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley led the Nittany Lions on an amazing second-half comeback to defeat the Wisconsin Badgers 38-31 in the Big Ten Championship.

It was a typical Penn State game, as the Nittany Lions really struggled in the first half. Down 21 points, they did manage to score a big touchdown at the end of the half to cut the deficit to 14. Fortunately, the Nittany Lions came out firing on all cylinders in the second half.

After a defensive stop to start the half, McSorley connected with Saeed Blacknall on a 70-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the drive. The Nittany Lions stuck again in the third quarter when Saquon Barkley punched it in from one yard out.

After allowing the Badgers to score a filed goal, Penn State scored again on a touchdown pass from McSorley to Barkley. That ended up being all the Nittany Lions would need to hang on.

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McSorley set a Big Ten Championship record with 384 yards and four touchdowns. He made plays when needed in the second half and used his big receivers to exploit the smaller Wisconsin defensive backs.

DaeSean Hamilton led the Nittany Lions with eight receptions. Saeed Blacknall had a career-high 155 yards and two touchdowns. Tight end Mike Gesicki, who’s had a fantastic season, hauled in three catches for 58 yards and an acrobatic touchdown.

Star running back Saquon Barkley struggled to find some running room for the most part, but still managed to finish with 83 yards. He accounted for two touchdowns, one on the ground and one through the air.

The Penn State defense really struggled to stop the Wisconsin rushing attack, especially early. The Badgers were able to rack up 241 yards, including 164 from Corey Clement.

However, when the defense needed to make plays in the second half, it was able to come through. Brandon Bell once again led the team with 13 total tackles, including a sack. Safety Marcus Allen added 11 total tackles.

Penn State didn’t quit in this one and showed the heart that’s helped the team to win nine consecutive games. It’s now up to the committed to decide if the Nittany Lions are worthy of a spot in the College Football Playoff.

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