Bittersweet victory for offense
Nittany Lions couldn’t score late to put game away
Penn State’s fourth-quarter, goal-line stand likely will be the lasting memory from its 17-10 win Saturday against Pitt.
But even after that squandered chance, the Panthers still could have tied it on the last play of the game but a heave to the end zone fell harmlessly to the turf.
After the game, Penn State’s players were unanimous in saying they were all happy to come away with a win.
Still, the Nittany Lions offensive players couldn’t help but feel they could have put the game out of reach long before that point.
“I think we could have capitalized as an offense way more,” said redshirt sophomore wideout KJ
ot of shots we missed, a lot of plays we missed. You know, so we’ve just gotta get better at that.
“... We go over a lot of those in practice. Me and [Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford] Cliff throw extra after practice. We’ve just gotta hit ’em. That’s all I can say. We missed them today, we’ve just gotta hit them.”
“I need to get better,” Clifford added. “I missed my shots today, and that’s on me. It’s not on anybody else. I need to have an enhanced focus during the week on shots. I think that you get used to hitting big plays. I mean, I wouldn’t say that during the week I lost focus on that, but I think that I got a little comfortable, and I just need to focus up. I think that explosive passes, I’m putting that on myself, honestly. Nobody else. I need to get better.”
The self-critiques seem a bit harsh in a win, but the fact of the matter is that in a low-scoring game like Saturday’s, any points Penn State could have scored might have changed the game’s complexion.
That was especially true of the Nittany Lions’ later possessions.
Penn State scored the game-winning touchdown at the end of a 13-play, 88yard drive in the third quarter. Noah Cain trucked into the end zone from 13 yards for what would be the last points of the game.
The Nittany Lions got the ball three more times and, despite getting a first down to start each possession, they all ended in punts.
The first stalled out on a third-and-7, when Penn State opted to run the ball up the middle with running back Ricky Slade, who got stuffed for a loss of 1 yard.
The next ended when running back Devyn Ford fell just short of the firstdown marker on a thirdand-2.
Penn State’s final offensive drive, immediately after Pitt missed its field goal to cap its failed goal-line opportunity, the Nittany Lions took over with 4:54 left on the clock.
On third down, Clifford dropped back and threw deep again, but the ball sailed over the heads of Hamler and receiver Jahan Dotson, who were both in the area.
When the Panthers offense trotted back onto the
field, they had 1:56 left, a timeout remaining and one final chance to extend the game.
Coach James Franklin said he felt he should have used Cain at running back for that trip down the field, since the grind-it-out, physical running needed in that situation fits his game. Other than that, Franklin simply pointed out that he liked the third-down call and said it should have worked had everyone been on the same page.
“The third-own call, we weren’t successful because one guy ran the wrong play,” Franklin said. “It’s hard to be successful when you’ve got one guy that thought it was a different call. We thought that we were going to get a big play in that situation and got stopped, but we have to be clean, there’s no doubt about it.”
What’s important to remember is that, though the offense didn’t put the nail in Pitt’s coffin, the Nittany Lions won anyway.
It’s much easier for Clifford, Hamler and the rest of the offensive players to point out the spots in which they can improve when the mistakes come with a victory.
For that, Penn State can be thankful for the chance to improve before the next game while still undefeated (3-0).
“You’ve just gotta lean on the rest of your team,” Clifford said. “That’s why this is a team game. I don’t think that I played up to the standard all the time. We left a lot of shots out there, as I said before, and that’s on me. I’m gonna take that ownership. But it’s a team game. Our defense made plays, our running backs made plays, our offensive line played great. Across the board, we won the game, and that’s what matters.”