STATE COLLEGE, Pa. _ Penn State came out sluggish in its return home after two heartbreaking losses on the road, but Trace McSorley made sure his team did not encounter another frustrating day.
McSorley threw for two touchdowns, ran for another and set up a pair of Saquon Barkley touchdowns with his arm Saturday to lift the 17th-ranked Nittany Lions to a 35-6 victory over Rutgers before a homecoming crowd of 107,531 at Beaver Stadium.
After losing to Ohio State and Michigan State by a combined four points and seeing their playoff possibilities all but vanish, the Lions (8-2, 5-2) failed to field the opening kickoff after an unexpected bounce. The Scarlet Knights (4-6, 3-4) recovered and kicked the first of two field goals that gave them a 6-0 lead early in the second quarter.
But McSorley took over on the drive after the second field goal, hitting Mike Gesicki for 19 yards and DaeSean Hamilton for 25 to set up his own 20-yard run for the touchdown, and the Lions never trailed again.
McSorley connected for touchdown passes of 22 yards to Hamilton just before halftime and 16 yards to Gesicki in the fourth quarter. He completed 16 passes in 21 attempts for 214 yards and the two scores, while rushing 13 times for 44 yards and one TD.
Barkley, who rushed for minus-3 yards in the first half and finished with 35 yards on the ground in 14 carries, went over for third-quarter touchdowns from 1 yard and 4 yards out.
The Penn State defense limited the Scarlet Knights after its team trailed 6-0. Rutgers made its sixth first down of the game on the fourth play of the second quarter, but didn't pick up its seventh until just under 6 minutes remained in the fourth quarter.
The Scarlet Knights gained only 31 yards of total offense on seven straight possessions between the second and fourth quarters. They were outgained 304-200 in the game, managing just 79 yards in the second half. Quarterback Gio Rescigno completed only seven of 20 passes for 43 yards.
Penn State received the opening kickoff. Barkley sprinted up intending to field the kickoff on a bounce, but the ball bounced sideways and the Scarlet Knights' Lawrence Stevens recovered at the Nittany Lions 21. Rutgers ran three plays before Andrew Harte kicked a 33-yard field goal.
The Scarlet Knights scored again on their third possession, aided by Gus Edwards' 18-yard run. Harte capped the drive with a 25-yard field goal less than four minutes into the second quarter.
Penn State came back and led 14-6 at the half following McSorley's scoring run and his TD pass to Hamilton. The latter drive included completions of 17 and 10 yards to Johnson and a pass interference penalty against Rutgers.
The Nittany Lions recovered Rutgers' fumble of the second-half kickoff but could not score. They did score on the next two possessions.
They drove 55 yards for their third score with a hook-and-lateral play that excited the crowd. Hamilton took a short pass from McSorley and then lateraled to Barkley, who hurdled one tackler and got to the 1, completing a 14-yard play. Barkley went over left guard for the TD two plays later.
Rutgers went for a fake punt on its next drive but Penn State's Brandon Smith smelled it out and made the tackle short of the first down. The Lions took over at the Scarlet Knights 46 and scored in four plays, with McSorley finding Johnson for gains of 25 and 9 yards. Barkley capped the drive with a 4-yard run.
The McSorley-to-Gesicki touchdown in the fourth quarter was the ninth and final play of a 62-yard drive.
