Relive the Top 10 Moments of Penn State Football 2016-17
Not ready for Penn State Football to be over? We aren’t either. Although there were way more memorable moments in this past magical season than we can count, let’s relive the top 10 together.
Thanks for hanging out with Lions Pride for this historic season!
- When Penn State defeated Minnesota in overtime. Who can forget this tense game? At halftime, it was 13-3 in Minnesota’s favor, and fans were beginning to grumble that it seemed like this season would already head downhill after a loss to Pitt and a less-than-satisfying win against Kent State. The boys came back in the second half a new team, starting the second-half-team tradition, and defeated the Gophers 29-26.
- When Penn State defeated Maryland at home on homecoming. We really couldn’t have asked for anything more. After two years of either losing by one point (2014) or winning by one point (2015), a solid win of 38-14 put any “rivalry” rumors to rest.
- When Penn State defeated then No. 2 Ohio State, 24-21 in front of a 107k strong whiteout crowd. Grant Haley (Atlanta, Ga.) blocked a final field goal attempt by the Buckeyes and ran the ball in for the winning touchdown. The electricity of the crowd and the adrenaline of the team was an environment like no other in Beaver Stadium.
- When Penn State was ranked for the first time in years. Remember when Penn State rang in at No. 24 on the AP Poll after defeating Ohio State? We sure do! Penn State became relevant again and was cast in a positive light.
- When Penn State stunned the Iowa Hawkeyes with a dominant 41-14 rout. Iowa has always been a formidable opponent in the Big Ten, and many fans were concerned about this game. Quarterback Trace McSorley (Ashburn, Va.) was never worried, though, and kept the points coming all night long.
- When Offensive Coordinator Joe Moorhead showed his creativity with this flea-flicker play between McSorley and Saquon Barkley (Coplay, Pa.) This type of unorthodox play was just the type the Nittany Lions needed to gain an edge and win this game.
- When your Nittany Lions defeated Michigan State 45-12 to win the Big Ten East. After a rough start, Penn State showed its dominance in the second half and comfortable secured the Big Ten East title as well as the Land Grant Trophy.
- When Penn State made a historic comeback to defeat Wisconsin and win the Big Ten Championship for the first time since 2008. Penn State was down 28-7 near the half, and Wisconsin fans were already rejoicing. Your Nittany Lions knew it was not the end, and rallied to overcome a 21-point deficit and win 38-31. This was the largest comeback made by Penn State since 2010.
- When No. 5 Penn State made it to the Rose Bowl against No. 9 University of Southern California. Penn State did us mighty proud at the Rose Bowl, and a few botched final plays allowed USC to close in with a 52-49 win, the highest scoring Rose Bowl in history. It was also the most-watched bowl game this season. The energy, passion, and dedication of Nittany Nation made the game special, win or lose.
- When Penn State became a top program again. Penn State has already secured multiple highly-recruited prospects for upcoming recruiting classes. This emotional press conference just about says it all.
Thanks for hanging out with Lions Pride for this historic season!
