If I had a nickel for every time a Penn State linebacker had a pick-six in a playoff game against SMU, I’d only have two nickels. That’s not a lot, but it’s weird that it happened twice…
On December 21, 2024, Penn State and SMU met on a frigid Central Pennsylvania afternoon at Beaver Stadium in the College Football Playoff first round. It was the CFP debut for both teams.
Dominic DeLuca started the scoring with a pick-six in the first quarter to give Penn State a 7-0 lead. With the Mustangs facing a 3rd and long early in the second quarter, Tony Rojas intercepted SMU quarterback Kevin Jennings and weaved through traffic for a 59-yard touchdown return:
Penn State’s second pick-six of the game helped galvanize the offense, which had been sluggish up to that point. The Nittany Lions expanded their lead to 28-0 by halftime and cruised to a 38-10 win to advance to the quarterfinals.
Only 59 more days until Penn State’s season opener against Nevada!
Source link : https://www.blackshoediaries.com/2025/7/2/24460329/penn-state-nittany-lions-football-tony-rojas-college-football-playoff-smu
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Publish date : 2025-07-02 12:07:00
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