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Daequan Hardy ignites Penn State with punt-return TD vs. UMass

Paul Harvey

By Paul Harvey

Published:

Daequan Hardy sent a spark through Penn State against UMass as the Nittany Lions try to get the offense to wake up in Week 7.

To start the game, Penn State has been a bit sluggish on the offensive side of the ball. The offense was moving on the opening drive of the game, but a fumble from Harrison Wallace III turned the ball over to the Minutemen. On the next drive, Penn State stalled out with quarterback Drew Allar sacked on 3rd-and-long.

Fortunately, the Penn State defense has been stout to start the game, and UMass has already punted 3 times in 3 possessions. Hardy made sure one of those punts made an impact.

After fielding the ball on his own 45-yard line, Hardy weaved in and out of traffic all the way back for a 55-yard touchdown. It is the first return touchdown of Hardy’s career and gives Penn State the 7-0 lead as the first quarter draws to a close.

We’ll see how Penn State responds in the second quarter, but it has been far from an efficient start for the program. The good news is Hardy’s punt return gives the program an early lead to work with.

Paul Harvey

Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.