Penn State vs. Pitt is back!

The interception though, proved to be costly as it snuffed out the Lions’ chance to tie or win the game.

Resiliency- Pitt took the ball 99 yards on its opening drive to the end zone and Penn State never could recover. Specifically, the front seven for the Nittany Lions needs to hold up against a veteran Pitt offensive line and free up linebackers Nyeem Wartman-White, Jason Cabinda and Brandon Bell to make plays on Conner. The jury is still out on new coordinator Joe Moorhead’s offense, but that is understandable after just one game. And it wasn’t just one guy doing all the damage – eight players combined for 341 yards on the ground.

Once they reach ACC play, they will have to deal with UNC, a Brad Kaaya led Hurricanes’ attack that put up 70 points in week one and DeShaun Watson and the Clemson Tigers’ offense, definitely an opportunity for some turbulent waters. Quadree Henderson ran for 58 yards via the jet sweep in the first half, however, Penn State stuffed out the jet sweep in the second half. Quarterback Nate Peterman showed some mobility by rushing for 52 yards, and even safety Jordan Whitehead managed 28 yards on a single carry. As a team, they averaged 6.1 yards per rush.

Henderson was an all-around beast on the field, generating production in all types of ways. Conner led Pittsburgh with 117 rushing yards on 22 carries and added four catches for 29 yards.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions return home to face Temple next weekend. Corey Clement ran for two scores before leaving with an injury, Jazz Peavy had two touchdown catches and host Wisconsin stuffed Akron 54-10.

That was the game, minus Pitt taking some knees. It was more than an 8-minute drive and the Panthers only threw the ball one time, a 10-yard gain to tight end Scott Orndoff. Those 11 completions included more than a few screens and shovel passes.

Without NFL-bound receiver Tyler Boyd, the Panthers’ offense relies on its rugged ground game.

But corners Haley, Campbell, Reid and Oruwariye helped limit running plays when they could.

Pitt was able to string together big drives without the passing game by staying out of third-and-long situations.

Early on, though, it appeared the game might not reach such a nerve-inducing point, as the Panthers picked up where they began at the start of the millenium when they pushed around their long-time rivals. They settled for a field goal instead. Quarterback Trace McSorley, who threw a game-ending interception in the endzone, was seen consoling his favorite target. State’s receivers exposed some gaping holes in Pitt’s secondary, getting preposterously wide open on several plays. The Cowboys lost on a last-second Hail Mary to Central Michigan.

“That’s why I’m here, rooting my blue and gold on, my Pitt Panthers”, Walker said. “So don’t just talk to me, talk to them, too”. Fortunately, the mistakes didn’t cost them the game this afternoon.

Special Teams: Even. Both teams are in the middle of the pack of special teams efficiency ratings. I hate to use hyperbole, but that was one of the best football games I’ve ever covered.

All week long, Penn State refused to call this a rivalry. He is the first Big Ten player since Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon scored 30 points vs. Bowling Green in 2014. Do this early and often enough, and Pitt would be facing a significant uphill climb.

There’s also the increased emphasis on scheduling one marquee opponent among the three nonconference games, a need Penn State presumably has filled through 2025 with home-and-home series with Virginia Tech, West Virginia and Auburn.

But Penn State couldn’t recover from the early struggles.

Fans said they are ready and can’t wait for Saturday to get here.