Well, I certainly didn’t see this one coming.
Penn State took care of business under the lights on Saturday night, knocking off Michigan, 41-31. It was a huge win for the Nittany Lions, as their season was on the brink. A loss would’ve knocked Penn State back to .500. Instead, the Lions find themselves sitting at 5-3 overall, 2-2 in the Big Ten. What was truly impressive was the play of walk-on Matt McGloin, who lit up the Wolverines. In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll take a look at Penn State’s quarterback situation and look ahead to this week’s contest with Northwestern.
Let’s begin with the quarterback situation.
QB Controversy?
Matt McGloin wasn’t perfect on Saturday night, but he managed the game well. He completed 17-of-28 passes for 250 yards, tossed one touchdown and didn’t throw any picks. It certainly wasn’t a flawless performance, but it was pretty darn good.
After the game, McGloin said that the atmosphere aided in the victory.
“I didn’t really force the ball tonight,” McGloin said. “Everybody played really well. The fans were into it and the sideline was into it, and we played well because of it.”
Quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno was impressed with McGloin’s effort.
“He’s a smart football player. I didn’t have any doubts. A lot of other people did; I got a lot of emails and suggestions from other people this week about what we should do,” Paterno said. “I didn’t answer them because I knew we had him.”
McGloin took over as the starter because Rob Bolden sustained a concussion in the Lions’ win over Minnesota. So who is the starter going into this week’s clash with Northwestern? That’s a very good question. Coach Joe Paterno wouldn’t name a starter, but the younger Paterno said the job is Bolden’s when he’s healthy enough to return to the lineup.
It says here to go with the hot hand this week, and there’s no one hotter than McGloin. The team appears to play differently for him. I’d keep playing him until he cools. There’s no telling how long that will be. With Paterno gunning for his 400th victory this week, he needs his best option.
Shockingly, that’s Matt McGloin.
Two Minute Drill: Michigan
Game ball to … Evan Royster
Penn State’s new all-time leading rusher carried the ball 29 times for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He now sits alone at the top of the list with 3,518 yards in his Penn State career.
What Was He Thinking? … Rich Rodriguez
Why didn’t the Michigan coach blitz McGloin more? Who knows? The Wolverines could have rattled the former walk-on. Instead, they let him sit back and pick Michigan’s D apart.
Numerology … 381
Michigan QB Denard Robinson accounted for nearly 400 yards in total offense. He carried the ball 27 times for 191 yards and three touchdowns. Throwing the ball, he completed 11-of-23 for 190 yards and one TD.
Play of the Game … Collin Wagner’s run on a fake field goal salted the win away for the Nittany Lions. A very good call at a very good time.
The Countdown
5. Michael Mauti — The PSU linebacker led the team with 10 tackles. It wasn’t a great night for the Nittany Lion D, but Mauti was definitely the standout.
4. Collin Wagner — The State College Area High School product connected on both field goal attempts, hitting from 32 and 42 yards out.
3. The wideouts — McGloin spread the wealth on Saturday night. He completed three passes to Derek Moye, Brett Brackett, Joe Suhey and Graham Zug. By not zeroing on one target, he kept Michigan off balance all night.
2. Joe Paterno — The iconic coach inched closer to the magic 400 number. The win over the Wolverines was his 399th career win. One more win makes the Lions bowl eligible.
1. Matt McGloin — No one (including yours truly) expected the former walk-on to have a big night, but that’s exactly what he did. He gave the Lions a spark as they played their best game of the season.
Next Up … Northwestern
The Wildcats come into the game with an impressive 6-2 mark, but they will be without their starting QB and are coming off a 20-17 squeaker over a lousy Indiana team. It should be a good game and when the clock reaches all zeroes, Paterno will have his 400th win.
Gantdaily.com prediction: Penn State 38, Northwestern 24.
Chris Morelli is an award-winning writer/editor who lives in Centre County and covers Penn State athletics. He is also a regular on “Sports Central,” which airs on ESPN Radio in Altoona and State College. E-mail him at morellionlion@gmail.com. Also, be sure to check out Morelli OnLion on Facebook!
