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STATE COLLEGE − Few, if any, Penn State players had an inkling of what a win over Maryland meant before they took the field. Those watching from a distance realized it as soon as the game kicked off.
Penn State, for the first time since 2016, is headed to the Big Ten Championship Game. It’s 44-7 win over Maryland − aided by Michigan’s upset win over No. 2 Ohio State − vaulted Penn State to second place in the standings and a shot at its first Big Ten title in eight years.
But almost none of the Nittany Lions realized they’d secured a spot the Big Ten Championship until after the game. Many of them were too keyed into Maryland to notice − or care.
“We were actually getting ready for the game, so I couldn’t really watch it,” Jaylen Reed said. “I think it was like 40 seconds left, and it was like 13-10. Michigan just kicked the field goal. I watched the last drive, and that’s all I saw.”
Circumstances aside, Penn State’s win was one worthy of its reward. Three sacks in the first quarter might have stuck out had Penn State not tallied six come game’s end. Maryland quarterback M.J. Morris lost more yards on sacks than his team netted in the entire third quarter.
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The Lions forced seven punts. Aside from a Maryland touchdown 14 seconds into the game off a lost fumble − a turnover the Lions defense repaid five times over − Penn State let Abdul Carter air out the Terrapins offense and rack up two sacks himself − bringing his total to 10 this year.
Carter, however, still wants improvement. Not just for himself, but a defense-wide development. The Lions’ spot is all but guaranteed, but the junior doesn’t want a win over a team that ended the year in a five-game tailspin to inspire undue confidence.
“We just…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-wins-vs-maryland-034314995.html
Author : York Daily Record
Publish date : 2024-12-01 03:43:00
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