Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Sanders, McSorley shine as No. 10 Penn State hammers Illinois 63-24
Miles Sanders burst through the hole, bounced off a defender trying to grab his ankles and sped up the right side for the go-ahead touchdown.
That’s when No. 10 Penn State started to hit its stride, too.
Sanders set career highs by rushing for 200 yards and three touchdowns, Trace McSorley threw for three TDs and ran for a personal-best 92 yards, and the Nittany Lions scored 35 points in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 63-24 victory over Illinois on Friday night.
Penn State (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) scored the final 42 points after Illinois went up by three early in the third quarter, breaking it open after getting all it could handle from a team showing signs of a turnaround in coach Lovie Smith’s third season.
Illinois (2-2, 0-1) opened the second half with a 75yard touchdown drive. Sanders answered with a 48-yard scoring run , and Penn State put this one away with two TDs in the opening minute of the fourth. It was the Nittany Lions’ third straight game with more than 50 points.
“I don’t think we’ve played a complete game,” said coach James Franklin, in his fifth season. “I don’t know if we’ve played many complete games since we’ve been here. I think we are getting better. There’s certain plays, there’s certain series, there’s certain quarters that we’re not happy. I’ve watched a little bit of the NFL. It seems it’s the same way at that level.”
McSorley threw a 16-yard TD to Juwan Johnson on the first play of the quarter. Jan Johnson intercepted Illinois’ M.J. Rivers, and McSorley hit KJ Hamler with a 21-yarder on the next play, making it 42-24.
Sanders easily surpassed his previous highs of 118 yards and two TDs. He had 113 yards and two scores in the first half alone.
McSorley showed why he is a Heisman Trophy hopeful, eclipsing his previous rushing high of 81 yards against Maryland in 2016. The senior also completed 12 of 19 passes for 160 yards with an interception.
Ricky Slade added a 61yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter, and the Nittany Lions racked up 591 yards.
“I think we’re close,” McSorley said. “Obviously, you’re putting up 63 points and not playing full, complete games — you’re close to that. When we talk about a complete game, it’s having the success for the full four quarters.”
Rivers, a true freshman, was 17 of 28 for 149 yards, a touchdown and an interception in his second start with AJ Bush nursing a hamstring injury.
Reggie Corbin ran for 87 yards. Mike Epstein finished with 73 after backto-back 100-yard rushing games.
“I think we can all see what kind of a team we can be,” Smith said. “We have a lot of potential. Right now, we’re playing with our backup quarterback. Hopefully with the bye week, AJ (Bush) will be ready to go.”