Here are 3 takeaways from Penn State football’s 31-14 victory over Maryland
Penn State managed to pull out a close game against Maryland, but it wasn’t without its close calls.
The Nittany Lions defeated the Terrapins 31-14 with the game being locked in a 14-14 tie with 14:56 left in the fourth quarter. Penn State answered the call with an 86-yard touchdown reception by Jahan Dotson less than a minute later and they put the Terrapins out of their misery with an 87-yard interception return for a touchdown to cap off the victory.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s victory over Maryland.
Jahan Dotson is a first-round wide receiver
That was a given before this game, but Dotson solidified it on Saturday. Penn State jumped on the board in the first quarter with Dotson’s 38-yard touchdown reception to give the Nittany Lions a 7-0 lead with 7:55 remaining in the quarter. He beat Maryland safety Nick Cross with a sharp slant n’ go route, leaving him wide open in the end zone. His second touchdown was in the third quarter to cap off a 14-play, 95-yard drive that lasted 5:43. Dotson caught Sean Clifford’s pass at the highest point to haul in the 21-yard touchdown reception.
Then, Dotson struck once more in the fourth with another score. The drive began at the Penn State 22-yard line and Clifford was sacked for a loss of eight yards by Maryland defensive end Greg Rose. Dotson immediately took a house call with an 86-yard touchdown reception to give Penn State a 21-14 lead to break the tie. On Maryland’s 40-yard line with less than eight minutes to go in the game and on third down, Dotson caught a slant for a 45-yard gain to put the ball at the Maryland 11, setting up a 24-yard field goal for Jordan Stout and a 24-14 lead with 6:33 left in the game. Dotson finished with 11 catches on 15 targets for 242 receiving yards and three touchdowns. He was the offense.
Dotson now has given himself the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of former Penn State wide receivers Kenny Jackson (1984), Bryant Johnson (2003) and O.J. McDuffie (1993) as the only Nittany Lion pass-catchers to be drafted in the first round.
Maryland and Penn State is a real rivalry
Both Maryland and Penn State fans seemed to be in the giving mood prior to the game. Fans joined each other for food, drinks and other games. But when they filed into the stadium, the mood immediately changed. Arguments in the stands ensued, along with profanity-laced chants to the players. In the past, Maryland fans would be pushed out of their own stadium. They’d leave with just a few minutes burned off of the clock in the third quarter.
But on Saturday, they hung in there for the majority of the game.
On the field, it wasn’t much different. Maryland offensive tackle Jaelyn Duncan got into it with Penn State defenders and blocked past the whistle. Nttany Lions defensive tackle Fred Hansard leveled Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa while the former was on the sideline and out of the play. Many of the players were going back and forth, with multiple Penn State players hailing from Maryland.
Whilea Ji’Ayir Brown 87-yard interception return for a touchdown essentially ended the game, it doesn’t tell the whole story of the game. The teams were locked in at 7-6 at the half. Penn State led just 14-6 at the end of third quarter. Maryland even tied the game with a Tagovailoa 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Corey Dyches and a game-tying two-point conversion to knot things up at 14-14. If it wasn’t for Dotson and Brown’s finale, this game would’ve been tighter.
The recruiting battle between James Franklin and Mike Locksley has now turned into a true on-field rivalry.
Why not go for it?
The Nittany Lions were in no rush to push the ball down the field with their last possession in the first half. They had 1:15 left on the clock and had just allowed an 8-play, 86-yard drive that resulted in a 2-yard touchdown rush by Maryland running back Challen Faamatau. Penn State just refused to attack downfield and ran the ball multiple times to end the half, but called a timeout first and took a knee. It made no sense, but if they win, they win.
This story was originally published November 6, 2021 at 7:31 PM.
