STAGE IS SET
After disposing of Spartans, Lions gearing up for unbeaten Minnesota
EAST LANSING, Mich. — Penn State exorcised several Spartans demons Saturday, beating Michigan State 28-7 to set up the first of two possible undefeated showdowns in November. Here’s the breakdown.
How it happened: A rainy afternoon in East Lansing began nervously as KJ Hamler fumbled the opening kickoff, a play on which Penn State also was called for holding. But linebacker Jesse Luketa saved the moment by recovering the fumble, and the
Lions recalibrated.
Quarterback Sean Clifford navigated the weather expertly, throwing three first-half touchdowns (two to Pat Freiermuth) as the Lions took a 21-0 lead. Clifford then hit Freiermuth again in the third quarter for the exclamation point on a dominant day.
Clifford mostly was exceptional, going 12-for-17 in the first half alone. He preceded his first touchdown pass to Freiermuth with a third-down conversion throw to Hamler on which he deftly avoided an oncoming rush. Clifford also took a shot to the shoulder on a second-quarter run but shook it off and converted a two-point run six plays later.
Penn State’s defense certainly lamented dropping several third-quarter interceptions, including two on Michigan State’s first scoring series. Spartans quarterback Brian Lewerke also connected with Cody White on a 49-yard pass that set up a touchdown.
Clifford made one mistake, floating an interception into deep coverage in the third quarter, but his defense bailed him out of that spot as freshman cornerback Marquis Wilson intercepted Lewerke’s next pass. Position coach Terry Smith said Wilson has the best hands on the team.
Speaking of Lewerke, he did not bring the mojo of his past two games against Penn State. The senior, who led game-winning drives in the previous two meetings, completed just 16 of 32 passes and was pulled in the fourth quarter.
The big play: Penn State’s offense returned to the field on fourth-and-1 in the second quarter, ostensibly trying to goad Michigan State into jumping offsides (which it had done earlier). But Penn State snapped the ball at Michigan State’s 45-yard line, and running back Journey Brown just converted the run, boring behind center Michal Menet for 1 yard.
The Lions led 14-0 at the time, and a possession change also could have uprooted the momentum, particularly since Michigan State got the ball to start the third quarter. Instead, Clifford hit Hamler for a 25-yard touchdown pass (Hamler inexplicably found a gap in the Spartans’ zone), and Penn State took a 21-0 lead into halftime.
Who came through: Earlier this year, Big Ten analyst Matt Millen called Freiermuth the “best young tight end in the country.” The sophomore from Massachusetts varied his touchdowns by beating safety coverage, rolling with Clifford on an option pass and bulling through two defenders into the end zone.
Freiermuth has 15 touchdown receptions, tying Mike Gesicki for Penn State’s career record among tight ends. Freiermuth has played 21 career games. He became the first Penn State tight end (and seventh player overall) to catch three touchdown passes in one game.
Defensive end Jayson Oweh bludgeoned Lewerke’s blind side for two strip-sacks. One ended the first half, while the other produced a thirdquarter fumble that Penn State recovered.
Receiver Dan Chisena might have dropped a potential touchdown in the first half, but he made up for it by recovering a fumbled punt in the second. That led to Freiermuth’s third touchdown reception.
Defensive end Shaka Toney preserved the first-half shutout by blocking a field goal — with his helmet.
What we learned: Penn State set up an intriguing, and thoroughly unexpected, matchup of unbeaten teams Nov. 9 at Minneapolis. The Lions (8-0) visit Minnesota, which also improved to 8-0 with a blowout win at home over Maryland. Both teams are off next week.
Two weeks after that game, Penn State visits Ohio State for a game that likely will decide the Big Ten East title.
The Lions lost two cornerbacks to injuries. Starter John Reid was hurt in the first half and did not return. His replacement, freshman Trent Gordon, also was injured and didn’t return.
Freshman running back Noah Cain, who made his first career start, spent much of the second half bundled under a jacket on the bench. It was unclear whether he had sustained an injury.
Penn State remained committed to throwing the ball in the second half, despite the big lead and worsening rain. That led to a pair of Michigan State sacks.
Hamler had a return for a touchdown called back for the second consecutive week. He scored on a wild punt return in the fourth quarter, though the play was called back because the Lions were flagged for running into the kicker.
Penn State was called twice for taunting in the fourth quarter, with the second flag getting defensive lineman Antonio Shelton ejected.