The regular season didn’t end the way Penn State expected.
The Nittany Lions fell behind 21-3 on Saturday against Michigan State at Beaver Stadium and could not make up the ground in a 28-22 Senior Day loss that wasn’t as close as the score might indicate. Michigan State had a lot riding on the game and Sparty played like it, winning in Beaver Stadium for the first time during the Paterno Era.
In today’s edition of Morelli OnLion, we’ll take a look back at the loss to the Spartans and look ahead to Penn State’s potential bowl matchups.
Let’s start with the loss to the Spartans.
Spanked by Sparty
In a loss that typified Penn State’s 2010 season, the Nittany Lions dug a big hole and couldn’t climb out in a six-point loss to the Spartans. Penn State made a myriad of mistakes in the loss, including eight penalties and an interception.
“I don’t think it cost us the game, but it certainly had an impact on it,” said Penn State coach Joe Paterno. “But every time you complain about something like that, you take away from the other guy.”
And Penn State fans shouldn’t complain about the officiating because it didn’t cost the Lions, who finished the season at 7-5 overall.
The game looked like a rerun of the Iowa and Alabama games, quite frankly. Penn State dug itself a huge hole. This team wasn’t built to come back and that was the case all season long. Even quarterback Matt McGloin recognized the fact that Penn State self-destructed.
“We basically shot ourselves in the foot in the first half,” McGloin said. “And against a team like Michigan State, you can’t do that, obviously, because they’re going to take advantage of it.”
Penn State will need to clean up its act as it prepares for a bowl game. In the month prior to the bowl game, the Lions need to work on eliminating the stupid mistakes, namely penalties and turnovers or the bowl game will turn out much like the five losses during the regular season.
Two-Minute Drill: Michigan State
Game Ball To … Edwin Baker
The Michigan State running back racked up big yards against the Penn State defense, racking up 118 yards on 26 carries. He opened the scoring with a 7-yard touchdown run. His longest run of the afternoon went for 16 yards but he helped the Spartans control the clock at crucial points during the game.
What Was He Thinking? … Penn State coach Joe Paterno
Once again, Paterno didn’t have his troops ready for battle and they were outclassed right out of the gate. Although the final deficit was just six points, those who watched the game know that the score was not indicative of the fact that Penn State trailed by double figures for most of the game. The fact that Penn State comes out flat time and time again shows that they’re not ready for prime time.
Numerology … 34:03
Michigan State possessed the ball for nearly 35 minutes. The Spartans ran the ball effectively, rushing the ball for 39 times for 163 yards. That kept the ball out of the hands of McGloin and the PSU offense. Even when the Lions had the ball, though, they struggled to find the end zone.
The Countdown
5. Evan Royster – On Senior Day, Penn State’s star running back rolled up 85 yards on 14 carries, good for 6.1 yards per carry. He did a nice job when he got the ball. Unfortunately, he didn’t get nearly enough carries to knock off the Spartans.
4. Matt McGloin – The former walk-on QB completed 23-of-44 for 312 yards and a pair of touchdowns. His one interception was not costly, though, as Penn State got the ball right back. McGloin can take solace in the fact that he pretty much salvaged the Nittany Lions’ season. When they were 3-3, he rescued them from a potential sub-.500 season.
3. Kirk Cousins – The MSU signal caller did a nice job managing the game, completing 17-of-22 for 152 yards and a pair of TDs. His touchdown passes went to B.J. Cunningham for 8 and 24 yards, respectively. Most importantly, he didn’t turn the ball over.
2. Mark D’Antonio – What a season it has been for the Michigan State head coach. If not for a head-scratching loss to Iowa, the Spartans would be right in the thick of things for the BCS national championship. Instead, the Spartans will have to settle for a New Year’s Day bowl bid, most likely the Capital One Bowl.
1. Edwin Baker – The MSU running back chewed up the PSU defense to the tune of 118 yards on 28 carries. He did a nice job of dissecting the Nits and finding the holes where there weren’t any.
Next Up: Bowl Game
After dropping two of their final three games, the Nittany Lions will wait and see where they will go bowling. They will find out their fate on Sunday when all the bowl bids are announced. The Lions are likely headed to a New Year’s Day contest. We’re guessing that it will be the Outback Bowl versus South Carolina. The Gamecocks have been a solid squad and they matchup pretty well with the Lions. If the Lions don’t find themselves in Tampa, they’ll probably be looking at a bid to the Gator Bowl. We’ll take a closer look at Penn State’s bowl matchup in next week’s edition of Morelli OnLion.
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!