Watch: Penn State head coach James Franklin recaps 35-16 win vs. Michigan State
Penn State put a bow on a successful season Saturday night, defeating Michigan State on Senior Day, 35-16. The Nittany Lions didn’t quiet dominate the way some expected them to, allowing the Spartans to stick around late in the game, but they put the game out of reach with about five minutes to play, as Sean Clifford threw a screen pass to Nick Singleton on 4th and 1 that went for a score. An interception on the following drive then led to another touchdown to put the game away for good.
Clifford finished the game with an impressive stat line, completing 19 of 24 passes for 202 yards and four touchdowns. Tight end Theo Johnson caught two touchdowns on the day, one of which was thrown by wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith in the second quarter. Lambert-Smith then caught the final score with 3:56 left to play.
Highs & Lows: Penn State pushes through lull, routs Michigan State
In addition to his touchdown reception, Singleton totaled 71 yards on the ground and finished the season as Penn State’s leading rusher with 941 yards. On the night though, he was actually second in rushing, as classmate Kaytron Allen led the team with 21 carries for 82 yards on the night. Allen finished the regular season with 830 yards and nine scores.
On the defensive side of the ball, another senior playing in his final game at home, Ji’Ayir Brown, also had a strong performance, leading the team with seven tackles. He also forced a fumble and had a quarterback hurry. The Nittany Lions totaled six tackles for loss in the game, led by freshman linebacker Abdul Carter who had two of them, one of which was a sack. Adisa Isaac also had a sack.
Penn State will now wait a week to learn which bowl they’ll finish their season in. Sitting just outside the Top 10, there’s a strong case to be made that the Lions deserve to play in a New Year’s Six Bowl.
