Penn State Football: 3 takeaways from win over Iowa

1. Trace McSorley redeems himself

This may have been Trace McSorley’s worst game as a Nittany Lion. After leading a shaky offense in Penn State’s Week 2 victory over Pitt in the team’s home opener, Penn State’s offense looked absolutely anemic for much of week 4.

Whether it be because of miscommunication or the deafening volume of Iowa’s Kinnick Stadium, McSolry was missing wide open receivers at an alarming rate. It did not help that he had several passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. The Hawkeye’s defense batted down five balls at the line of scrimmage, including a critical one on third and goal with seven seconds remaining in regulation.

The Nittany Lion’s offensive didn’t exactly help his cause. Penn State gave up four sacks on the evening. The offensive line was responsible for numerous holding calls that stunted promising drives. None of that mattered as with only 4 seconds to go, McSorely did something that he failed to do against USC in last season’s Rose Bowl: he closed the game.

Next: Projecting the Top 25 entering Week 5

McSorley threw a bullet to Juwan Johnson in the endzone to seal a 21-to-19 victory for the Nittany Lions, preserving the hope of an undefeated season. After putting up an incredibly stressful performance for much of the evening, McSorley finally came through when his team needed him most.