Penn State QB Trace McSorley suffers lower-leg injury against Iowa but returns to game

Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley suffered a lower-leg injury against Iowa in the second quarter but returned to the game two offensive series later.

The nature of the injury is not yet known — although Dr. David J. Chao, a former NFL head team doctor, theorized that it could possibly be a right knee MCL sprain, which would impair lateral movement. Regardless, it hasn’t seemed to impact the Penn State quarterback much.

He sprinted for a 51-yard touchdown early in the third quarter, causing the press box to shake as the crowd erupted.

Early in the second quarter, however, Beaver Stadium fell silent when McSorley grabbed his right leg after being taken down for a 5-yard loss on a third-and-7 play. He stayed down for a minute or two while several trainers tended to his leg.

Backup Tommy Stevens filled in for him for two series before McSorley returned and completed 1-of-3 passes for 7 yards on his first drive back. Stevens returned later in the quarter, when McSorley headed to the tunnel with about a minute left in the first half. But McSorley has been on the field ever since.

It’s the first time McSorley had missed time with an injury since a few plays at Indiana in 2016. McSorley was actually asked earlier this week how he managed to stay healthy for such a long portion of his career.

Here’s what he said:

This story was originally published October 27, 2018 at 4:58 PM.