Looking Back (Oct. 25) | Penn State 13, Ohio State 6
One of the most storied rivalries in college football added another installment to its list of hard-fought battles over the years.
In Saturday's contest between the No. 10-ranked Buckeyes and third-ranked Nittany Lions, the Lions prevailed by a touchdown, icing the game with an interception in their own territory. The pick, which came with 1:07 left in regulation, was an apt cap to a game that was characterized by tight defensive play on both sides.
The score heading into the fourth quarter was 6-3 in favor of the Ohio State, with no touchdowns scored. The Lions then turned on the jets, scoring a touchdown and a field goal late in the game to seize the lead, which they would protect through staunch buckle-down defense in the game's final stages.
Neither team netted over 300 yards of total offense, a testament to the gritty nature of the rivalry. The Nittany Lions are averaging 460 yards of offense-per-game, including their latest 281 yard output versus Ohio State. The Buckeyes stepped up their defensive game to alleviate the pressure on their comparatively weak offense, which produces only 318 yards-per-game on average. Ultimately, the team from Columbus, Ohio actually out-gained the Lions' 281 yards by going for 287 of their own.
However, the final score stood in favor of the Lions. After a fumble recovery gave the squad great field position in Buckeye territory, the Penn State offense broke through, scoring a touchdown with 7:07 left in the game. A later field goal and second turnover in the quarter ensured that Penn State would remain among the top-three ranked teams in the nation.
Looking Ahead (Oct. 25) | Field Hockey at Trinity
After eight hard-fought NESCAC wins, including two in overtime against nationally-ranked top 10 teams at Middlebury on Oct. 11 and Trinity on Saturday, Tufts will take on Bowdoin this weekend in a fight for sole possession of first place in the league.
The Polar Bears, after riding an undefeated regular season to the NCAA title in 2007, dropped their first contest since 2006 in a 2-0 affair with Trinity on Oct. 18. But if Bowdoin tops the Jumbos this weekend and manages to crawl back into a tie for first place, the No. 1 seed in the NESCAC Tournament will go to the Polar Bears because of their win in the head-to-head matchup between the two teams.
On the other hand, if Tufts is able to stave off Bowdoin Saturday, it will be guaranteed the No. 1 seed and with it the home field advantage for the duration of the playoffs.
But securing the No. 1 seed certainly won't be easy. After being blanked by the Bantams, the Bowdoin offense came storming back against a helpless 5-8 Colby Mule team, delivering an 8-1 thrashing. Unsurprisingly, Bowdoin's charge was led by senior captain and 2007 NESCAC Player of the Year Lindsay McNamara, whose four-goal show pushed her to the 25-tally mark for the second time in her career.
