STATE COLLEGE — Several Penn State players said they’ve never seen anything quite like their locker room Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
Intravenous lines were everywhere, either connected to arms or strewn on the floor.
A flu or virus was continuing its path through the Nittany Lions before their Senior Day game against Rutgers.
“I don’t know how many there were, but there were a lot,” senior defender Jonathan Sutherland said. “It was like being in a hospital. Our guys are tough.”
Penn State shut out Rutgers 28-0 despite playing without 21 stricken players, including offensive tackle Rasheed Walker and linebacker Curtis Jacobs. Fourteen additional Lions played with some effects of the flu or virus. The illness was not related to COVID-19.
Quarterback Sean Clifford and offensive tackle Caedan Wallace started, left the game in the first half and did not return.
“I’ve been doing this for 26 years, 12 years as a head coach,” Penn State’s James Franklin said. “I’m very proud of that locker room. We faced as much adversity in this game as I’ve been around.
“Thursday it looked like a hospital ward in there. There were IVs everywhere. Friday was the same way.”
Star wide receiver Jahan Dotson said he had to leave practice Wednesday because he was sick. He didn’t decide until Friday night that he was going to play against the Scarlet Knights.
“It’s a testament to this team,” Dotson said. “We have a lot of guys who like to fight for each other. We knew that there was going to be a next-man-up mentality.
“Honestly, we didn’t have a quarterback all week. We didn’t know who was going to be playing quarterback. We stuck together.”
Clifford left late in the first quarter and was replaced by Christian Veilleux, who passed for 235 yards and three touchdowns in his first appearance in a college football game. Veilleux’s status was uncertain until Saturday morning.
Defense shines: Penn State’s defense posted its second shutout against a Big Ten opponent, the first time that’s happened.
The Lions, who beat Indiana 24-0 in September, held Rutgers to 160 total yards and 2.7 yards per play. For the season, they’re limiting opponents to 15.5 points and 334.3 total yards per game.
“We played on their side (of the field) all day and gave our offense great field position,” safety Jaquan Brisker said. “Once we stopped the run, we knew how our secondary was compared to their offense, passing-wise. We liked our chances once we did that.”
Shuffle on the line: Penn State had a lot of moving parts on the offensive line Saturday.
Starting left tackle Rasheed Walker was out with the flu or virus and did not play; center Mike Miranda did not play for an unspecified reason; and right tackle Caedan Wallace started and left in the first half because of illness.
That left freshman Landon Tengwall at left tackle, Eric Wilson at left guard, Juice Scruggs at center, Anthony Whigan at right guard and Bryce Effner at right tackle for most of the afternoon.
“I thought they battled in there,” Franklin said. “Greg (Rutgers coach Greg Schiano) is a really good defensive coach. They do a great job on the defensive side of the ball. They were pressuring us. I thought our guys battled.”
Punting duel: Penn State’s Jordan Stout and Rutgers’ Adam Korsak are two of the best punters in the country and showed it Saturday.
Stout averaged 42.9 yards on eight punts, including six that were downed inside the Rutgers 20-yard line.
Korsak punted 10 times and averaged 44.4 yards, including a 74-yarder in the third quarter. Four of his punts were downed inside the Penn State 20.
“I was just trying to do my job,” Stout said. “I was trying to go out there and pin them inside the 5 and I did that a few times (twice). It was awesome coming out here and doing the best I could.”
Source: Berkshire mont
Be First to Comment