Penn State overcame the obstacles of unexpected absences combined with a rough second quarter to defeat Michigan State, 39-24, at Beaver Stadium on Saturday.
Getting the win ensured that the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic season wouldn't match the 1918 influenza year without a home victory. The Nittany Lions have won at least one game at Beaver Stadium every year since going 0-1-1 at home in the 1918 season.
The final score makes the third consecutive win appear more straightforward than it was. Spartans quarterback Payton Thorne and running back Jordon Simmons looked like All-Americans instead of first-time starters in the second quarter.
Perhaps having Jayson Oweh on the defensive line would've helped tackle the bruising 6-foot, 225-pound Simmons or apply pressure to Thorne. But Oweh did not play, despite warming up in pads before the game.
Having Devyn Ford in the Penn State backfield might have helped the offense settle down when the Spartans were flipping the score and going up 21-10 in the first half. But just like Oweh, Ford did not play despite warming up in pregame.
Instead it was quarterback Sean Clifford using his legs early, running for a 31-yard touchdown to put the Nittany Lions up 10-7 with 3:44 left in the first quarter.
But the Spartans took advantage of Simmons setting up the play-action pass on three consecutive touchdown drives of 70, 87, and 51 yards to go up 21-10 at halftime.
Saturday's halftime score felt like a precursor to pain for the Nittany Lions. It was the sixth time they headed into the locker room down by double digits. The Nittany Lions lost those other five games.
But Jahan Dotson wasn't going out a loser in what might his last game at Beaver Stadium. Dotson, on his way to registering 105 yards receiving on eight catches along with an 81-yard punt return, opened up space for freshman Parker Washington to shine.
Washington had an 8-yard catch for a touchdown from Clifford on the first drive of the second half. During the five-game losing streak, the Nittany Lions probably wouldn't have gotten the needed touchdown. Saturday wasn't easy, but they figured out how to get it done without individual star players. Washington finished with two touchdowns on four catches for 95 yards.
They got creative when they needed to throw the Spartans off. Will Levis hadn't attempted a pass in weeks despite playing regularly to spell Clifford, and Levis ran the ball 15 times for 36 yards. But his three completions for 54 yards kept drives going as the Nittany Lions scored 29 points in the second half. Levis didn't get his rushing yards the easy way. He ran up the middle and took a lot of hits. Every yard was necessary.
The defense dominated the Spartans with 10 tackles for loss. Other than the ill-fated second quarter, the Spartans only managed a third-quarter field goal. Shane Simmons filled the gap left by Oweh with 1 1/2 sacks and two tackles for loss.
The sound of the victory bell reverberated throughout the empty Beaver Stadium. It was the first time the bell blasted since Nov. 30, 2019. Seniors rang the bell. Several of them took victory laps. Defensive ends Antonio Shelton and Shaka Toney laid down in the grass to bask in the moment on a sunny December day in University Park.
Nobody knows when or where the Nittany Lions will play next. And three wins won't erase five losses. However, the emotion from the success was real. The Nittany Lions hope to find out what's next soon, but they'll savor the victory on Saturday.
