It’s often said that all good things must come to an end.
For former walk-on Matt McGloin, the good things came to an end on Saturday in Columbus. The quarterback self-destructed in Penn State’s 38-14 loss to Ohio State. The loss dropped the Nittany Lions to 6-4 overall and 3-3 in the conference.
In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll take a look back at exactly how the Buckeyes picked apart McGloin and undressed the Nittany Lions in the lopsided loss. We’ll also look ahead to this week’s trip to FedEx Field where the Lions will take on the downtrodden Indiana Hoosiers.
Let’s start with the lopsided loss in Columbus.
Crushed in Columbus
After the first half of Saturday’s game, things looked good for Penn State. The Nittany Lions were up, 14-3, and walk-on QB Matt McGloin was outplaying former No. 1 recruit Terrelle Pryor. However, in the second half, reality would set in and the Lions would come crashing back to earth.
In the first half, McGloin picked apart the Buckeyes. Over the first 30 minutes, he completed 13-of-18 for 141 yards and a pair of scores. On Penn State’s first scoring drive, McGloin was nearly flawless, completing three consecutive passes to Justin Brown, including a 23-yard scoring strike when he caught the Buckeyes coming on a blitz.
“I saw it coming the whole way,” said McGloin, the former West Scranton product. “I saw pretty much everything they were going to do in the first half.”
But for as well as McGloin was seeing things in the first half, he wasn’t seeing things clearly at all in the second half.
He threw a key interception to Ohio State’s Devon Torrence that was returned 34 yards for a score that totally swung the momentum of the game. After that, the wheels came off for McGloin and the Nittany Lions. He completed just two passes in the second half. Once the Buckeyes had the lead, they never took their foot off the gas pedal. They also never took their foot off McGloin’s throat.
“I just wasn’t able to get a flow going,” McGloin said following a second half which produced no points for the Nittany Lions. “I didn’t feel comfortable out there at times. It showed.”
McGloin should cure his ills this week when the Lions will play in front of a home-like crowd at FedEx Field. Of course, there’s no guarantee that McGloin will be the starter come Saturday.
“I’ve got to look at the film and evaluate where we’re at first,” said quarterbacks coach Jay Paterno. “We’ll talk about that this week.”
However, he gives the Lions their best chance to win, so the job should remain his, despite the debacle on Saturday.
Two-Minute Drill: Ohio State
Game Ball To … The Ohio State University defense
After not showing up in the first half, the Buckeye defense stepped up in the second half to throttle the Lions. One the ground, the Lions were held to 42 yards on 11 carries. As mentioned, they also did a nice job shutting down McGloin.
What Was He Thinking? … Joe Paterno
Were not quite sure what JoePa told the troops at halftime, but he may want to work on his motivational speeches. The Nittany Lions looked like a completely different team in the second half, which was not a good thing.
Numerology … 314
Ohio State racked up 314 yards on the ground in the game on Saturday. The Buckeyes shredded the Nittany Lions. Dan Herron led the charge, rolling up 190 yards on the ground.
Play of the Game … Torrence’s 34-yard interception return was perfectly timed and swung momentum to Ohio State’s side of the field. He jumped the route perfectly and it was off to the races.
The Countdow
5. Terrelle Pryor – The Ohio State star QB didn’t start well, but he finished strong to lead the Buckeyes to the win. He rushed for 49 yards on nine carries and completed 8-of-13 for 139 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He was intercepted just once.
4. Dane Sanzenbacher – The Ohio State wideout caught just one pass, but he made it count. He pulled in a deflection for a 58-yard score.
3. Nate Stupar – The PSU linebacker racked up seven tackles against the Buckeyes. It was one of the few bright spots for the Lion defense.
2. Evan Royster – The Penn State running back struggled to get his legs going, racking up just 49 yards on 16 carries, a paltry 3.1 yards per carry.
1. Jim Tressel – The sweater vest got his team revved up in the second half and the Buckeyes came out ready to play. There was a lot on the line for the Bucks on Saturday. In the second half, they played like it.
Next Up: Indiana
The Hoosiers are smarting after being on the receiving end of an 83-20 beating at the hands of Wisconsin. Penn State should have no problem bouncing back, especially at FedEx Field. We’re guessing the majority of those in attendance will be Penn State fans. While it won’t be a home game, it certainly should feel like one. Penn State won’t win by 63 points, but it will win handily.
Gantdaily.com prediction: Penn State 35, Indiana 13.
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!
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