DALLAS — Case Keenum wanted the Houston band to share in his joy after the Cougars’ win over Penn State in the TicketCity Bowl. The senior quarterback ran into the Cotton Bowl Stadium stands, grabbed a pair of sticks and started banging away at a few snare drums. Then he climbed a ladder and began motioning his arms as though he were conducting the band as it played the Cougars’ fight song.
It wasn’t the best directing he did Monday afternoon.
Keenum added a few more records to a season already full of them, throwing for 532 yards and three touchdowns as the Cougars jumped on the Nittany Lions with a big first quarter and kept the pressure on in a 30-14 romp before an announced 46,817.
Keenum, who already owned NCAA records for career total offense, touchdown passes, completions and 300-yard games, set a bowl record with 227 passing yards in the first quarter and finished 45 of 69, coming one completion short of a bowl record. He became the ninth player to throw for at least 500 yards in a bowl game.
“It was just an awesome game,” said the fifth-year senior. “I’ll remember this forever. I know all the guys in there will. Couldn’t think of a better way to go out.”
No quarterback had ever completed more passes in a game against Penn State and only Ty Detmer, who threw for 576 yards in a 50-39 loss to Penn State in the 1989 Holiday Bowl, has piled up more passing yards against a Penn State team.
“He has a good arm, he can put the ball where he wants, he’s very smart and he’s an excellent quarterback,” said senior linebacker Nate Stupar, who led the Nittany Lions with 12 tackles.
The best Stupar has ever faced? “Passing wise, NFL-style quarterback … yeah, he’s the best,” Stupar said.
The Nittany Lions (9-4), who lost for the third time in four games after Joe Paterno was fired on Nov. 9, had entered the game with the nation’s fifth-ranked pass defense and had allowed a total of 506 yards passing in their previous four games. They gave up 600 total yards Monday.
Keenum, whose season high was 534 yards in a win over Rice, went straight to work on the game’s opening drive, avoiding the rush to find wide receiver Patrick Edwards for a 39-yard gain on third down, then beating safety Malcolm Willis with a perfectly thrown deep strike to Edwards (10 catches, 228 yards) for a 40-yard touchdown just 1:52 into the first quarter.
He drove the Cougars (13-1) to a field goal on the next series, then found receiver Justin Johnson (12 catches, 148 yards) for an 8-yard touchdown pass on the fourth series of the game.
Meanwhile, Penn State’s offense, playing without injured quarterback Matt McGloin, struggled to move the ball against a stacked Houston defensive front. The Nittany Lions went three plays and out on all four of their first-quarter possessions and didn’t pick up a first down until Rob Bolden completed his first pass of the afternoon — a 12-yard pass to tight end Kevin Haplea — early in the second quarter.
“We just couldn’t sustain any drives,” Penn State interim head coach Tom Bradley said. “I was surprised by that.”
Penn State finally got a spark when Justin Brown grabbed a Richie Leone punt at his own 7-yard line and weaved his way all the way down the left sideline into the end zone. Replays showed Brown had stepped out of bounds at his own 33-yard line (and again later on in the return) but the Nittany Lions were able to build on the rare momentum. One play after taking a sack, Bolden dropped back and fired a deep pass to streaking wide receiver Devon Smith, who dove to haul in the pass for a 43-yard gain to the Houston 20. Four plays later, running back Stephfon Green, who led Penn State with 63 yards on 15 carries, took a direct shotgun snap and went in from six yards out to the make the score 17-7 with 5:02 left in the half.
The Cougar offense, however, hadn’t needed much time to answer all season and didn’t after Tyron Carrier returned the ensuing kickoff 39 yards to midfield. Keenum quickly drove the Cougars inside the Penn State 20 before a penalty, a dropped pass and a nice breakup by cornerback D’Anton Lynn of Keenum’s fourth-down pass to Edwards stalled the drive at the 25.
Again, the Nittany Lions went three-and- out, and this time the Cougars would make them pay. Keenum hit a wide-open Edwards (who had 200 yards receiving in the first half) in stride 10 yards behind the defense for a 75-yard touchdown with 1:43 left in the half.
“The 75-yarder just broke our back,” Bradley said.
The Nittany Lions settled down in the second half, holding the Cougars to 187 yards and a pair of Matt Logan field goals.
“It was making sure we could stop the quick game. We played a little different coverage in the second half just to shut that down,” said defensive line coach Larry Johnson, who made the defensive play calls along with linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden. “But we knew going in it takes a half to get used to playing a fast offense.”
The 17-point deficit turned out to be too much to overcome, however, for an offense that never found a rhythm. Bolden was 7 of 26 for 137 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. Freshman Bill Belton gave the Nittany Lions a spark in the Wildcat offense with 38 yards on six carries, but the Nittany Lions converted only six of 18 third downs. Senior wide receiver Derek Moye was held without a catch and sophomore tailback Silas Redd was held to 55 yards on 14 carries.
“It was tough to get all 11 guys on board each play,” left tackle Quinn Barham said. “That was a problem early in the season, too.”
It was the last game for more than 20 Penn State seniors and in all likelihood the last game at Penn State for Bradley and the rest of the coaching staff. Changes are in store for the returning Nittany Lions, who kept competing after a disastrous start to the game and two months filled with off-field distractions.
“We knew we played hard and played with our hearts,” Stupar said. “I know no one didn’t give their all. I’m proud of our team.”
Jeff Rice can be reached at 231-4609.
