Ad Disclosure
Final Score: Penn State 66 Maryland 3
Quick recap
As one can tell by the score of the game, from start to finish, it was all Penn State when the Nittany Lions took on the Maryland Terrapins on Saturday.
There was really nothing Maryland could do to stop Penn State’s dominance. The Nittany Lions’ muscle-flexing performance started when back-up Tommy Stevens ran for a 21 yard score to open up the scoring and it ended when he scored on a six yard run.
Now, Penn State’s defense was dominant as well. It held Maryland to only 303 yards and only 22:29 minutes of possession.
I seriously cannot understate how dominant Penn State was on Saturday.
Key play: Tommy Stevens 21 yard touchdown run
Seriously, I cannot under sale Stevens opening score.
He took a hand off from starting quarterback Trace McSorley on a jet sweep and then faked the reversal to running back Saquon Barkley. Due to that fake, Stevens went untouched down the sideline for the touchdown.
That score set the tone for the entire game.
Stat of the game: Tommy Stevens’ 12 carries for 113 yards and three touchdowns
Should we just call this the Tommy Stevens game? Because we should.
Yes, Stevens is a back-up, but Stevens is a stud in waiting. And he showed that today on the ground.
The back-up ran for 113 yards and three scores on 12 carries. That gave him an average of 9.4 yards per carry. Having that type of performance, when you have a running back like Saquon Barkley is always helpful.
What it means
This means the Nittany Lions finished the season at 10-2. Now, this may not have been the finish Penn State faithfuls wanted but it still is good. Depending on how the rest of the college football landscape shapes up, the Nittany Lions could be playing in a New Year Six bowl game once again this year.
Now, for the Terrapins, the dreadful season is finally over. Maryland was decimated by injury, and that reflected in its 4-8 record. If I was a Terrapin fan though, I would pray for everyone to get healthy and expect a better next season.