- Game Photos
- Penn State-Michigan State Notes and Records
- Penn State Coaches' Quotes
- Penn State Player Post-Game Quotes
- Michigan State Head Coach John L. Smith Post-Game Quotes
- Michigan State Player Post-Game Quotes
- Updated Season Statistics
- Box Score
- Full Statistics (.PDF)
- Short Statistics (.PDF)
- Senior Day Sidebar: Lion and Drum Major Bid Farewell
| Tony Hunt carried 29 times for 130 yards in the win. |
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; November 18, 2006 ?C Michigan State rolled into Happy Valley determined to spoil Penn State??s holiday bowl plans.
An opportunistic Spartans defense forced four turnovers, but the Nittany Lions were able to overcome an early deficit to capture a 17-13 win in front of 108,607 fans on Senior Day at Beaver Stadium.
??I feel we were fortunate to drop the ball four times and still win,?? said Galen Hall, Penn State offensive coordinator, after the game. ??It is a testament to our defense.??
That defense was once again led by Butkus Award candidate Paul Posluszny (Aliquippa, Pa.), who topped the Penn State tackle chart with eight stops in his final Beaver Stadium performance.
??Playing college football, especially in Beaver Stadium, is something I will always cherish,?? said Posluszny after the game. ??Jack Ham is immortal, so for him to say I was the best-ever linebacker here is unbelievable.??
On offense, senior Tony Hunt (Alexandria, Va.) eclipsed the 100-yard mark for the seventh time this season with a 130-yard effort and Anthony Morelli (Pittsburgh, Pa.) threw for 220 yards and two touchdowns on 17 completions, eclipsing Wally Richardson??s single-season completion record.
The win secured the Land Grant Trophy for Penn State for the third consecutive year. The series was renewed when the Nittany Lions joined the Big Ten in 1993 and the trophy was established for the winner of what has been each school??s annual season finale.
The award honors the schools?? unique place in history as the two pioneer land-grant institutions in the United States. Founded ten days apart in 1855, Michigan State and Penn State were prototypes after which the land-grant system was patterned. Each institution brought to American education new dimensions of service and outreach in addition to education and research.
Michigan State had the first chance to score today but Brett Swenson missed a 35-yard field goal attempt at the midpoint of the first quarter.
| Paul Posluszny had eight tackles and two pass breakups in his final Beaver Stadium performance. |
Four uncharacteristic miscues by the Nittany Lions gave the Spartans a halftime lead. Morelli fumbled deep in Penn State territory and Michigan State used the short field to score the game??s first points; Brian Hoyer hit Kerry Reed for an 11-yard touchdown and a 7-0 lead. A Hunt fumble led to a 45-yard field goal by Swenson, which made the score 10-0 at the end of the first quarter.
Morelli fumbled a snap on the ensuing possession early in the second period, but the Penn State defense stopped a Spartan fourth down conversion to give the junior quarterback a chance to redeem himself.
Morelli rebounded to lead the Lions on a 12-play, 56-yard drive and capped the march with a 17-yard touchdown pass to tight end Andrew Quarless (Uniondale, N.Y.), the first touchdown reception for the true freshman. Morelli??s scoring strike at 8:40 of the second quarter made the score 10-7.
Another fumble by Hunt gave Michigan State prime field position again and the Spartans cashed in, getting a 29-yard field goal from Swenson to take a 13-7 lead into halftime.
Swenson missed another field goal, again from 35 yards, to open the third quarter; the Lions, refusing to be buried by the four turnovers, came alive and took control of the game.
Morelli drove the Lions 80 yards in just seven plays and connected with wideout Jordan Norwood (State College, Pa.) for a six yard touchdown to put Penn State ahead, 14-13, a lead the Lions would not relinquish.
| Andrew Quarless caught four passes for 87 yards and his first career touchdown. |
On the ensuing possession, Anthony Scirrotto (West Deptford, N.J.) blocked a punt but the Lions couldn??t turn great field position into points. Kevin Kelly (Langhorne, Pa.) missed a 37-yard field goal wide left, and Penn State clung to a one point lead going into the fourth quarter.
Kelly??s 45-yard field goal with 4:28 to play in the game gave Penn State a 17-13 lead and ended the scoring.
The Nittany Lions and Spartans first met in 1914 and Penn State now owns a slim 12-11-1 record over Michigan State, including 11 wins since joining the Big Ten.
The 2006 season is over for the 4-8 Spartans; the Lions, meanwhile, await an official postseason announcement, most likely from the Outback Bowl. First up though is Thanksgiving break ?C most of the players will head home on Monday or Tuesday, while coaches can begin in-home recruiting next Sunday.
After the game, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley focused on the play of Posluszny, who also pitched in two pass deflections and can add to his school record 364 tackles in the upcoming bowl game. ??Paul played one heck of a second half,?? Bradley said. ??He makes coaching fun. When he walked out of the tunnel, I told him I was going to miss him.??
Won't we all.