How did Penn State seal the win against Maryland? Here’s the turning point

Penn State still has an outside shot at a New Year’s Six bowl but, more importantly, it did its job Saturday. The Nittany Lions’ 38-3 win over Maryland was never really in doubt.

But just because it was a big win doesn’t mean the game was without a turning point. Penn State’s defense stiffened early, but we’ve seen the defense crack late before. The difference this time? Trace McSorley and the offense wouldn’t be denied.

Let’s set it up: Early in the third quarter, Penn State led 17-3 and the game was still in doubt with more than 27 minutes left to play. The Nittany Lions’ defense had just forced a three-and-out, and Penn State had taken over on its own 14.

With the way the defense was playing, the team really just needed one more touchdown to let fans rest easy and the seniors make a statement. And, spoiler alert, it got that with relative ease. Call the whole drive the turning point, or just the touchdown play; either way, you’re not wrong.

Here’s what happened. On Penn State’s first play of the second half, McSorley went backward when he completed it behind the line of scrimmage to KJ Hamler. Teammate Jahan Dotson missed a block, and Hamler was stuffed for a 2-yard loss — but it was the last play of the drive that’d go backward.

Dotson atoned for his mistake with a nice 22-yard catch on the very next play. And after that? It was the Miles Sanders & Ricky Slade Show.

Offensive coordinator Ricky Rahne dialed up seven straight runs — with each going for between 5 and 12 yards. After the sixth run, when Sanders picked up 7 yards and was forced to leave the game after a hit to the head (Maryland’s Tre Watson was ejected for targeting), Slade scampered in for an 8-yard touchdown on the next play to complete the 86-yard TD drive and push the lead to 24-3.

That was the drive that changed the face of this game, and it was that nondescript touchdown that put it over the top.

It wasn’t the flashiest of drives, or the most dazzling of plays, but it gave Penn State comfortable cushion against a Maryland offense that hadn’t found the end zone to that point.

That secured the win for the Nittany Lions. That run-happy drive and touchdown was the turning point.