Badgers let Big Ten title slip away
Nittany Lions’ big plays erase 21-point deficit
Indianapolis — The Big Ten title? Gone. A trip to the Rose Bowl? Gone. Wisconsin’s magical season under second-year coach Paul Chryst?
That took a huge hit Saturday night at Lucas Oil Stadium as No. 7 Penn State buried No. 6 UW under a barrage of big plays to wipe out a 21-point deficit en route to a 38-31 victory in the Big Ten championship game.
UW’s proud defense was stellar early but eventually proved to be no match for Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley and his stable of weapons in front of a crowd of 65,018.
The Badgers (10-3) appear to be headed to the Cotton Bowl and a date with No. 17 Western Michigan (13-0) on Jan. 2 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
McSorley completed 22 of 31 passes for 384 yards and four touchdowns. Two Penn State receivers had more than 100 yards, and tailback Saquon Barkley added 83 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
“What I do know is, we just won the toughest conference in college football. We’ve won nine straight,” Penn State coach James Franklin said about whether his team belongs in the four-team College Football Playoff. “They say you’re allowed to overcome early setbacks. We’ve done that. It is on you now, the committee.”
Penn State’s offense entered the game with 80 plays of 20 yards or longer — 57 pass plays and 23 runs. The Nittany Lions hit UW with six big plays for a total of 228 yards, five passes and one run.
UW entered the game having allowed only 40 plays of 20 yards or longer, including 31 pass plays.
The Nittany Lions, who came in having outscored opponents by a combined 280-105 after halftime, outscored UW, 24-3, in the second half to improve to 11-2.
“Penn State forces you to defend the whole field, not just the run game, not just the passing game,” Chryst said before the game. “We’ve got to do a great job of playing individual assignment football, but then ultimately team football.
“Once the ball declares, we have to get as many hats to it as we can.”
UW failed to do that for most of the night.
Redshirt senior Bart Houston started at quarterback in place of Alex Hornibrook, who had started the previous nine games.
Houston completed 6 of 10 passes for 66 yards and UW rushed 26 times for 164 yards (6.3-yard average) and three touchdowns in building a 28-14 halftime lead. He finished 16 of 21 for 174 yards.
Tailback Corey Clement scored on a 67-yard run and finished with 164 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries. UW was sharp early. The defense gave up 7 yards to Barkley on the first play from scrimmage but nothing on the next two plays for a three-and-out.
The Badgers took over at their 19 after the punt and marched down the field in 14 plays for a quick 7-0 lead.
Austin Ramesh capped the eight-minute drive with a 1yard run.
Houston converted two crucial third-down plays. He hit tight end Troy Fumagalli for 6 yards to the UW 41 on third and 5 and hit Jazz Peavy for 24 yards to the 3 on third and 12.
After another three and out by Penn State, the Badgers struck again. This time with stunning ease and quickness.
Clement gained 5 yards on the first play of the drive to the UW 33. Clement got the ball on the next play and started between the tackles but then exploded around left end. He raced down the sideline behind the extended block of wide receiver Quintez Cephus for a 67-yard score with 3:06 left.
Penn State’s offense finally arrived on the Nittany Lions’ third possession and they cut UW’s lead in half.
McSorley capped the 75yard march with a 33-yard pass to tight end Mike Gesicki, who went up over nickel cornerback Lubern Figaro in the end zone with 1:10 left in the first quarter.
UW’s defense joined in the scoring fun with 9:42 left in the first half to help UW take a 21-7 lead.
Penn State faced third and 1 from its 31 when the McSorley lined up in the shotgun. The snap was high and the ball bounced off his right hand and down the field.
McSorley tried to gather in the ball but missed it. When linebacker Vince Biegel hit McSorley the ball bounced up into the air and into the arms of linebacker Ryan Connelly, who rumbled 12 yards for the touchdown.
Penn State coach James Franklin then appeared to panic on the Nittany Lions’ next possession, with his team trailing, 21-7.
Penn State faced fourth and 2 from its 42 when Franklin eschewed the punt and went for the first down.
McSorley was flushed by Biegel and threw incomplete.
UW needed only five plays to reach the end zone for a 28-7 lead but need a hustle play from tight end Zander Neuville to keep the drive alive.
Clement gained 6 yards to the Penn State 21 but lost the ball. Penn State had the first shot at it but Neuville somehow came out of the pile with the ball at the Nittany Lions’ 16.
Dare Ogunbowale did the rest, with runs of 9 and 7 yards to help push UW’s lead to 21 points with 5:15 left in the half.
UW’s defense recorded another fourth-down stop, this time at the Nittany Lions 43 on T.J. Watt’s strip and fumble recovery.
The Badgers went three and out, however, and Penn State got back into the game with a 90-yard touchdown drive.
McSorley had third-down pass plays of 18 and 12 yards to keep the drive alive and then hit Saeed Blacknall for a 40yard touchdown with 58 seconds left.
Fugaro had a chance to bring Blacknall down at the UW 31 but whiffed and Blacknall strolled into the end zone to help cut the deficit to 28-14.
That marked the start of a stunning turnaround by Penn State and an equally stunning collapse by UW.
UW’s double-digit lead disappeared in the less than five minutes in the third quarter.
A promising drive stalled at the Penn State 30 and Andrew Endicott missed right on a 48yard field-goal attempt with 11:09 left.
On the next play, McSorley hit Blacknall for a 70-yard touchdown to help cut the deficit to 28-21.
Penn State forced a punt and took over at its 37 with 7:39 left in the quarter and drove through UW’s defense with ease.
Barkley started the drive with a 16-yard run, McSorley had completions of 14, 17 and 7 yards and Barkley capped the eight-play drive with a 1-yard run
When Tyler Davis added the extra point, the game was tied with 4:22 left in the quarter. UW needed to respond and did – with a field goal.
The Badgers drove from their 25 to the Penn State 10 before stalling.
Houston missed Fumagalli wide open over the middle for what would have been a touchdown. Two plays later, Endicott made a 23-yard field goal to give UW a 31-28 lead 16 seconds left in the quarter. That lead didn’t last long. McSorley hit Hamilton for 38 yards to the UW 43 on the first play of the drive, to end the quarter.
Three plays later, McSorley threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Barkley, who got behind Watt, with 13:41 left.
Penn State had its first lead, at 35-31, and the Badgers were reeling.
UW’s offense continued to sputter and the Nittany Lions took advantage to pad the lead to 38-31 on a 24-yard field goal by Davis with 5:14 left.
UW had the Nittany Lions stopped when McSorley threw incomplete on third down, but linebacker Leon Jacobs was called for roughing the passer with 9:02 left. That gave Penn State a first down at the UW 45 and the Nittany Lions were able to move into field-goal range.
Houston took the field with 5:14 left and the ball at his 25.
UW drove to a fourth and 1 at the Penn State 24 and took a timeout with 1:05 remaining.
Clement got the call and tried the right side but was tripped up and fell short at the 24. Penn State ball. Penn State title. UW meltdown complete.