Here’s why QB Trace McSorley knows he’ll run Saturday, despite any lingering injury

Trace McSorley didn’t want to talk about any lingering pain from Saturday’s injury. He declined to discuss his mobility, and he couldn’t offer a clear answer about a potential knee brace either.

But he knows, if Penn State wants to beat Michigan on Saturday, what he has to do. He has to overcome any issues with that right knee; he has to run. Whether it’s RPOs, designed runs or improvisation, McSorley knows his legs are one of the keys to the game.

“If there’s one thing that’s shown up as a pattern to possibly hurt (Michigan), it’s been an athletic quarterback, someone who can take advantage of running lanes because they play so much man and they’re aggressive,” McSorley said Wednesday afternoon. “So that’s definitely something I’m going to have to do.”

James Franklin’s policy to not discuss injuries meant there was a lot of “no comment” moments during interviews this week. Franklin refused to discuss the extent of McSorley’s injury, or how it might affect him, during his weekly press conference. And several times Wednesday, McSorley would cut himself short and say, “I’m just going to leave it at that.”

How does he feel? “Feeling good. Just going through treatment, that sort of thing. I’m just going to leave it at that.” Will he wear a brace? “We’re just kind of going day by day seeing what’s the best fit for me this week, so I’m going to kind of leave it at that.”

McSorley is not 100 percent this week. That much is certain. But, beyond that, the extent of McSorley’s injury is simply speculation. One former NFL doctor theorized on Twitter that McSorley suffered a sprained MCL in his right knee, which limits lateral mobility. Depending on the severity, a worst-case scenario sprain could take about six weeks to fully heal.

But, again, nothing’s certain regarding the injury. The only certainty is that McSorley is going to play.

“That’s who I am, and it’s who I’ve always been,” he said. “And I’m not changing or anything like that.”

McSorley has earned a reputation over the last three years as a gritty and tough quarterback, one who’s missed just a handful of plays over thousands of snaps. Count him out at your own peril. On Saturday, after missing two series when an Iowa defender caught him from behind, McSorley made one ABC commentator eat his words.

As play-by-play man Steve Levy announced that, “Iowa’s defense knows ... that McSorley can’t run, let’s say, the way he did a week ago,” the Penn State signal-caller took off for a 51-yard touchdown run. The timing was impeccable.

McSorley was seen limping just a half-hour before, when he peeled himself off the turf and initially needed help off the field before shooing the trainers away. His teammates never doubted he’d return to the game.

“Once I saw Trace walk up and walk off the field, all the guys on the sideline were like, ‘Oh, he’s coming back. He’ll be fine,’” linebacker Cam Brown said Tuesday. “Trace, he’s a gutsy guy.”

He’ll have to be in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines boast the nation’s best total defense (220 ypg) and the sixth-best scoring defense (14.4 ppg). No team has scored more than 24 points on the Wolverines.

But McSorley is right about the Wolverines’ pattern against dual-threat quarterbacks. In four of their last six losses, the Wolverines have faced quarterbacks who boast legs as strong as their arms: Notre Dame (Brandon Wimbush led all Irish rushers with 59 yards), Ohio State (Dwayne Haskins and J.T. Barrett combined for 90 yards), Michigan State (Brian Lewerke had a team-high 61 yards) and — finally — Penn State.

Last season, Penn State’s current redshirt senior ran for 76 yards and three touchdowns against the Wolverines.

Throughout this week, and even the weeks before, McSorley said he’s paid close attention to his body for this very reason. On his weekly days off on Monday, he still comes in to lift and work out any soreness. He’s invested more in nutrition and hydration. He’ll get treatment even if he feels great.

He’s been hit hard before — “Big Ten championship; second play of the game TJ Watt smoked me,” he remembered — but he’s never stayed down for long. He’s a tough quarterback — and that’s something he takes a lot of pride in.

“It’s one of those things; that’s kind of how I view myself,” he said. “And when you can tell that other people kind of see you in that light, you know you’re doing something right.”

This story was originally published October 31, 2018 at 2:25 PM.