Lions land first blow in rivalry
New Big Ten enemy can’t finish the job
PISCATAWAY, N.J. — Penalties, a practically nonexistent rushing game, trouble scoring touchdowns in the red zone — Penn State has had the same problems all season and did again against Rutgers. And just like the first two games, none of it mattered in the end. Penn State defeated Rutgers, 13-10, Saturday night, slowly but somehow erasing a 10-0 deficit in the second half. Rutgers (2-1, 0-1) probably should have won its inaugural Big Ten Conference game. With 3:02 left, Penn State (3-0, 1-0) needed to go 80 yards for a touchdown if it wanted the opportunity to win. And going 80 yards had been difficult for the offense the entire game. Penn State only gained a total of 102 yards in the first half. But on the first play of
the drive, quarterback Christian Hackenberg connected with Geno Lewis, who then shed multiple tacklers for a 53-yard gain. Penn State was in business. But then the penalty problem struck. Hackenberg found tight end Jesse James for a 20-yard touchdown pass. Just like on a crucial play on Penn State’s previous possession, an offensive lineman, this time center Angelo Mangiro, was called for holding. Unlike the last time, Penn State recovered. Lewis caught a 23-yard pass from Hackenberg. On second-andgoal from the 5, Bill Belton rushed in for the winning touchdown. This was the first Big Ten game between East Coast schools. The electricity was palpable and tinged with a New York-New Jersey feel. Fans of Penn State and Rutgers piled aboard the 45-minute train ride from Manhattan toward Piscataway. Several Penn State fans talked loudly of blowing out Rutgers and how the larger concentration of Penn State fans coming from Manhattan rather than the New Jersey suburbs spoke of better success for Penn State alumni. Outside the stadium, Rutgers fans chanted for their school and against Penn State — often using profanities. Inside, they booed the Penn State players as they returned to their locker room after stretching, and again when they took the field. The noise quickly died down once the game began. Neither team could develop much of a flow offensively, particularly Penn State. Penn State’s first-half drives: seven plays for 33 yards, three plays for minus- 4, three plays for 5, seven plays for 12 yards, six plays for 6, seven plays for 32 yards and one play for minus-2. Rutgers’ defensive front blitzed often, picking up three sacks in the first half, holding Penn State to 23 rushing yards on 16 carries. The closest the Nittany Lions came to scoring was late in the first quarter. After Adrian Amos secured Penn State’s second interception of the game, the Nittany Lions started with the ball on Rutgers’ side of the field. Three consecutive completions brought Penn State to the Rutgers 12. A holding penalty, an incomplete pass and two short rushes followed, and Sam Ficken attempted 34-yard field goal. It was blocked by Kemoko Turay. Rutgers’ Leonte Caroo blocked a Chris Gulla punt in the second quarter, too. Penn State did get a non-blocked field goal off in the third quarter. Ficken made a 32-yarder with 3:45 left that cut Rutgers’ lead to 10-3. The Nittany Lions ended with just 66 yards rushing on 32 carries, had five penalties for 40 yards and did little with five takeaways. It all contributed to an ugly game worthy of any Big Ten joke you would want to insert — and another victory for Penn State.