Penn State football countdown to kickoff: 23 days
We’re counting down the days until kickoff. So, every day, we’ll try to make that time tick by just a little faster by also counting down the top 30 moments of James Franklin’s tenure so far. Up next — with 23 days left — is the No. 23 moment since Franklin took the head-coaching job.
No. 23 moment: Penn State beats Temple to become bowl-eligible
Penn State’s postseason ban was dropped by the NCAA on Sept. 8, 2014 — and it took the Nittany Lions 68 days to capitalize on that good news.
On Nov. 15, 2014, the Nittany Lions became bowl eligible after taking down Temple 30-13 at Beaver Stadium in bruising fashion, as their backfield carried them to that bowl-clinching sixth win.
Akeel Lynch gained 130 yards on 18 carries, while Bill Belton had 92 yards on 19 attempts. Both backs found the end zone, and in all, Penn State rushed for 254 yards.
However, it wasn’t a blowout by any means. Penn State only led Temple 6-3 at halftime.
But as Penn State’s running game started to heat up in the third quarter, so did its secondary. The Nittany Lions picked off Temple quarterback Phillip Walker four times in the second half.
In the third quarter, the first pick was snared by Adrian Amos, who returned it 33 yards to Temple’s 8-yard line and set up Belton’s touchdown run on the next play.
Christian Campbell recorded his first career interception later in the period, and fellow freshman Grant Haley snagged one early in the fourth — taking it 30 yards to the house for a touchdown.
With six minutes to go in regulation, Jesse Della Valle iced the win with a circus interception that later made SportsCenter’s Top-10.
Before the season, Penn State wasn’t supposed to be eligible for the postseason until 2016.
But the Nittany Lions took advantage of the NCAA’s reversal — and Franklin led a bowl-eligible team off the field at Beaver Stadium sooner than expected.
John McGonigal: 814-231-4630, @jmcgonigal9
This story was originally published August 10, 2017 at 1:46 AM with the headline "Penn State football countdown to kickoff: 23 days."