It was by far not Trace McSorley‘s best day as a Nittany Lion. However, it was a gutsy performance from the senior leader and that’s why he earned a Blitz Sticker.
McSorley finished the day completing 11 for 25 for 167 yards with two scores and an interception. Early in the second quarter, he hurt his knee and had to leave for most of the rest of the first half. The stats were not great, but his two scores came when the Lions needed them most.
McSorley’s lone touchdown throw came at the end of a disastrous first quarter for the Lions where Iowa built a 12-0 lead. McSorley led the team on a five-minute 85-yard drive, punctuated by his 18 yard touchdown pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth. On Penn State’s first drive of the second half, McSorley re-entered the game after his injury. On the fourth play of the drive, he burst through the line on a third down and took it 51 yards to the house. The Lions broke the tie to take a lead they would never surrender.
The knee injury appeared bad, but McSorley is a gamer. He only missed a couple of series, where backup Tommy Stevens filled in nicely. McSorley’s grit and determination were on full display against Iowa.