Penn State vs. Rutgers Recap

PISCATAWAY, N.J.-- It was another ugly win for Penn State but like always, a win is a win. Christian Hackenberg showed again that he can be "Mr. Clutch" for Penn State late in games. Running back and New Jersey native Bill Belton scored the game-winning touchdown with 1:13 left. It was also the teams first lead of the game. “It was not pretty,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. Ryan Keiser capped off a five interception night for the Nittany Lion defense on Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova to seal the deal. Hackenberg threw for 309 yards, a school record seventh time, and came up big when he had to. He connected with receiver Geno Lewis for a catch and run of 53 yards down to the Rutgers 27 yard line. He found Lewis (6 catches, 109 yards) again for a 23 yard gain down to the 6 where Belton would score two plays later. If you just saw the stats and didn't see the final score you might have thought Penn State would have scored more than 13 points. The Nittany Lions offense couldn't capitalize on the interceptions but scored when it mattered. They struggled to get the running game going again only having 64 yards on the ground. The defense got stops when they had to as the offense struggled to get anything going until late. It might only be three games into the season but defensive tackle Anthony Zettel is making his case for Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. The junior has 7 tackles for loss and 3 sacks through the first 3 games and is leading a defense that has yet to allow 300 yards in a game. 

It was a big week for coach James Franklin and his team as the NCAA lifted the postseason ban they handed down two summers ago. It's not like the team didn't have anything to play for before that but now with postseason ban lifted and the Big Ten up for grabs, the Nittany Lions look to make their mark on the conference and make their way to Indianapolis for the Big Ten Championship. The team also gets back up to 85 scholarships starting next year. The future is bright for Franklin and he looks to continue to build a winning program in Happy Valley. 

Penn State returns to Beaver Stadium next Saturday when they welcome Massachusetts. Kickoff is set for 4PM on the Big Ten Network.