STATE COLLEGE, Pa. _ All the attention was on Penn State's new hurry-up offense in the opening game of the 2016 season, but the Nittany Lions defense played a key roll in their 33-13 victory over Kent State on Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
Playing its opening game at home for the first time since 2012, Penn State (1-0) picked up three turnovers, one a 30-yard interception return for a touchdown by sophomore cornerback Amani Oruwariye early in the third quarter. A fumble recovery and return by free safety Marcus Allen set up Saquon Barkley's 7-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
The defense shut out the Golden Flashes (0-1) in the second half, limiting them to 117 total yards.
Penn State looked like a team that installed a new offense. The Nittany Lions gained just 354 yards of total offense. Barkley, who rushed for 1,076 yards last year, picked up 105 yards in 22 carries plus the touchdown.
Redshirt sophomore Trace McSorley, making his first career start at quarterback, completed 16 of 31 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns _ a 5-yard pass to DaeSean Hamilton in the first quarter and a 30-yarder to Mike Gesicki with 1 minute, 53 seconds to play. He also rushed 14 times for 47 yards. Tyler Davis added two field goals.
Davis' first field goal of the game, a 29-yard kick, broke a 13-13 tie with 1:47 left in the first half. The Nittany Lions extended their lead on the third play from scrimmage in the third quarter, when Oruwariye jumped the route on a pass intended for tight end Brice Fackler, intercepted, and returned the ball 30 yards for a touchdown just 55 seconds into the period.
Penn State drove deep into Kent State territory on its two possessions of the third quarter. The Nittany Lions went for a first down on fourth and 1 from the 8, but McSorley fumbled in carrying out a fake and was tackled short.
Later, with the help of a 43-yard pass from McSorley to DeAndre Thompkins, the Lions had a first and goal at the 5 but were backed up by a holding penalty on an apparent 5-yard TD run by Barkley. The drive stalled at the 10 and Davis kicked a 28-yard field goal to make it 26-13.
Penn State grabbed the momentum early in the second quarter thanks to a fine individual effort by Allen, who made the hit on Myles Washington that caused a fumble, then recovered the loose ball and returned it to the Kent State 13.
From there, Barkley carried the ball twice-gaining six yards on the first attempt and then sweeping right and diving for the pylon to compete a 7-yard touchdown run, giving the Nittany Lions a 13-6 lead.
The Penn State defense forced Kent State to go three and out on its next offensive possession, charging up the crowd, and took over after a punt on its own 31. However, on first down, McSorley fumbled as he was sacked by defensive lineman Terence Waugh. Elcee Refuge picked up the fumble at the 20 and ran it in, tying the game with 6:12 left in the first half.
The Nittany Lions began their next drive at the 39, getting an early 21-yard completion from McSorley to Saeed Blacknall. Later, on a third and 2 from the Kent State 14, McSorley went into a slide and was hit helmet-to-helmet by linebacker James Alexander.
A targeting penalty was assessed against Alexander, who was ejected, and Penn State had a first and goal from the 6. But the Nittany Lions went nowhere and took the lead on Tyler Davis' 29-yard field goal.
The Golden Flashes, who hadn't scored a point in two previous trips to Beaver Stadium, got a 26-yard field goal by Shane Hynes their second possession of the game. Penn State answered with a nine-play, 79-yard drive highlighted by McSorley's 26-yard pass to Chris Godwin.
The Nittany Lions worked their way to the 4, from where McSorley hit Hamilton on a slant pattern for the touchdown. However, coach James Franklin decided to go for the two-point conversion, and McSorley was stopped short of the goal line, making the score 6-3.
Kent State appeared ready to push over a touchdown, getting a 28-yard gain by Kavious Price on the first play of the second quarter that gave the visitors first and goal at the 6. But on second down, quarterback Justin Agner grabbed Allen's face mask on a sweep to the right, resulting in a 15-yard penalty, and the Golden Flashes also picked up a false-start penalty. They did salvage three points on Hynes' 43-yard field goal that tied the game at 6.
