The knock on James Franklin during his time at Penn State has been his teams coming up small in the biggest games. Not anymore. In front of a raucous whiteout crowd Saturday night at Beaver Stadium, the unranked Nittany Lions upset No. 2 Ohio State, 24-21. The Nittany Lions overcame a 21-7 fourth-quarter deficit to complete the comeback. The winning score came on a blocked field goal returned 60 yards for a touchdown by cornerback Grant Haley. Ohio State was looking to extend its lead to 24-17 with under five minutes to go, but safety Marcus Allen blocked the kick and Haley took it the distance for a highlight-reel touchdown. From there, the Penn State defense put constant pressure on Buckeyes star quarterback J.T. Barrett, twice coming up with sacks as Barrett looked to lead a tying or winning drive in the final minutes. Things looked bleak for the Nittany Lions entering the fourth quarter. PSU went three-and-out on its first three second-half drives, one of which ended in a safety when the long snap went over punter Blake Gillikin’s head for a safety. But the Penn State defense, which had starting linebackers Jason Cabinda and Brandon Bell back from…
Continue Reading: Blocked field goal helps Penn State shock No. 2 Ohio State
