– by Adesina O. Koiki
A Lot of Sports Talk editor-in-chief
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STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA — No, there was not any confetti raining down to the field to commemorate a Penn State postseason victory … only cold temperatures and a stiff, biting wind. But after a number of much-documented letdowns in games where the lights shone brightest, the Nittany Lions can brag just a little as they hope they generated enough momentum to produce another defensive masterclass on the eve of the New Year.
Linebackers Dominic DeLuca and Tony Rojas returned interceptions for touchdowns in the first quarter as part of a dominant defensive effort for No. 6 Penn State as they rolled over eleventh-seed SMU 38-10 in the newly-formatted College Football Playoff First Round game inside Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Running back Kaytron Allen ran for two scores and backfield make Nick Singleton added another for the Nittany Lions, one which gave Penn State a 28-0 advantage. The duo ran for 160 yards combined.
Despite the overall success during his tenure in Happy Valley, Penn State head coach James Franklin continues to be hounded by critics and fans alike about his long track record of coming up short in big games, a list that included the Nittany Lions’ loss in the Big Ten Championship Game two weeks ago against Oregon in Indianapolis. In other years, that loss would have ended any hopes of winning a national championship, but in the brand-spanking new expanded postseason format, one with 12 teams instead of the four that hallmarked the first years of the College Football Playoff, redemption came in the form of the first step of a national championship tournament instead of a one-off New Year’s Day game.
Penn State responded alright, particularly on the defensive end with three interceptions and holding the high-powered Mustangs to their fewest amount of points and yards (253) in a game this season.
*Editor’s note: Above the byline is the photo gallery from Saturday afternoon’s game, with photos taken by ALOST staff photographer Scott Rausenberger. After clicking on a photo to enlarge the picture, press the left and right arrow buttons on either side of the caption to scroll through the rest of the pictures that appear on the first page, Also, click on the numbers and/or arrow appearing immediately below the picture grid to load the next set of photos. There are 15 pictures in total.
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