Penn State (6-4, 2-4 Big Ten) used an action-packed second half to top Temple (5-5, 3-3 AAC) in its 31st consecutive win over the Owls. With this victory, the Nittany Lions are bowl eligible.
Penn State kicker Sam Ficken tallied six points in the opening 30 minutes, one from the 29-yard line in the first and one from the 50-yard line in the second quarter. With those two kicks, Ficken tied for second place on Penn State’s all-time career field goal list. He is one of only three players to make 50 field goals in Nittany Lion history.
Temple kicker Austin Jones ended the first quarter with a field goal to tie the score going into the second quarter to end a largely uninteresting first half.
The third quarter exploded to make up for the lack of action in the first half. In just 1:44, both teams exploded offensively, combining for a total of three touchdowns and 191 yards.
The first ten minutes of the quarter were not kind to either team. Both universities made mistakes that hindered the flow of the game and kept them from finding a groove. It wasn’t until the 6:50 mark that Penn State picked apart the Temple defense, giving running back Bill Belton a 37-yard rush before Akeel Lynch finished the drive with a 38-yard run and scored the first touchdown of the afternoon. Ficken converted the extra point to give Penn State the six-point edge.
The Penn State defense refused to be outdone when senior safety Adrian Amos picked off Temple quarterback P.J. Walker’s pass and returned it for 33 yards, setting up an 8-yard drive by Belton to push the lead to 14 for the Nittany Lions.
Temple retaliated on the next play when wide receiver Jalen Fitzpatrick collected Walker’s pass and ran for 75 yards in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to catch up to the Nittany Lions. Despite Penn State freshman cornerback Christian Campbell’s first career interception with just over two minutes to play in the third, the quarter ended with a score of 20-13.
Just 1:03 into the fourth quarter, freshman cornerback Grant Haley intercepted a weak pass by Walker and returned for 30 yards for a touchdown. Ficken converted the extra point to levy the score at 27-13 before collecting a 21-yard field goal after Walker fumbled on the snap and a heroic recovery by Penn State defensive tackle Austin Johnson.
Ficken finalized the game’s score at 30 after a successful 21-yard field goal.
On the team’s win, head coach James Franklin praised his team’s perseverance and togetherness while expressing his excitement about being able to go to the postseason.
“We’re excited about being 1-0 and excited about being able to stay together as a family.”
Penn State travels to Illinois next weekend and looks to extend their winning streak to three games.
Photo credit: GoPSUSports.com
