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- Penn State vs. Tennessee Post-Game Notes and Records
- Updated Season Statistics
- Box Score
- Full Statistics (.PDF)
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| Tony Davis made the play of the game, returning a fumble recovery 88 yards for the game-winning touchdown. |
TAMPA, Fla.; January 1, 2007 ?C Penn State??s starting defensive unit had only one change in the starting line-up all season. The continuity paid dividends.
The Nittany Lions produced two shutouts in the same year for the first time since 1996. The unit ?C led by the nation??s top defensive player, Bednarik Award winner Paul Posluszny (Aliquippa, Pa.) ?C allowed just 11 touchdowns over the final 11 games of the season. And in the season-ending Outback Bowl, defense broke the stalemate.
Midway through the fourth quarter, with the game locked in a 10-10 tie, Tony Davis (Warren, Ohio) picked up an Arian Foster fumble forced by Sean Lee (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and sprinted 88 yards for the game-winning touchdown.
On Tennessee??s ensuing possession, the defense forced a three-and-out and the offense salted away the game with a 10-play, 44 yard drive that chewed 5:46 of clock.
Tony Hunt (Alexandria, Va.) ?C who carried 31 times for 158 yards in his final game as a Nittany Lion ?C rushed seven times for 42 yards on the final march that produced an insurance 22-yard field goal, ended the scoring and made the final tally 20-10.
Volunteers head coach Phillip Fulmer was awed by Hunt??s performance. ??He is one of the more underrated backs I have seen,?? Fulmer said. ??He is a great football player. I don't know how many yards he ran for but they were hard yards.??
The win over Tennessee was Penn State??s first over a ranked foe this season and Anthony Morelli (Pittsburgh, Pa.) deserves as much credit for the victory as the overpowering Lions defense. He played poised, mistake-free football and completed 14 of 25 for 197 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions.
??He played a big time football game,?? Paterno said of the junior signal caller. ??He ran the show, even at the end when he killed the clock. He is a good football player.??
Morelli looked sharp on the game??s opening drive, completing all three passes he attempted, but an early scoring chance went awry. Kevin Kelly (Langhorne, Pa.) pushed his 45-yard field goal attempt wide left.
| Tony Hunt capped his career in style, gaining 158 physical yards, the second-highest total by a Nittany Lion in a bowl game. |
Tennessee grabbed the lead when James Wilhoit hit a 44-yard field goal. The Volunteers led, 3-0, at the end of the first quarter.
Early in the second period, defense got Penn State even. The Vols botched a reverse toss and the loose ball was covered up by Jim Shaw. Seven yards and seven plays later, the takeaway led to a 34-yard Kelly field goal and a 3-3 tie.
Later in the period, Morelli led an eight-play, 92-yard drive and connected with Andrew Quarless (Uniondale, N.Y.) on play-action for a 3-yard touchdown that put the Nittany Lions ahead, 10-3.
??It was fun,?? Morelli said. ??I was able to slow the game down. We have playmakers on our team, we just hadn't been showing it.??
Tennessee answered immediately, however. LaMarcus Coker ran through a backfield tackle, burst through the line and sprinted for a 42-yard touchdown. The first touchdown allowed by the Penn State defense in 11 quarters tied the game, 10-10.
Kelly had a chance to give Penn State a halftime lead, but missed a 54-yard field goal wide left as time expired in the second quarter.
The game remained knotted, 10-10, for the entire third quarter. Anthony Scirrotto (West Deptford, N.J.) intercepted Erik Ainge late in the period, but the Lions couldn??t convert the turnover into points.
Penn State carried momentum into the fourth quarter and had another chance to take the lead with 11 minutes remaining, but Kelly??s 50-yard field goal was blocked. Two minutes later, Davis??s heroics provided the winning margin.
| A jubilant Anthony Scirrotto made eight tackles, broke up two passes and intercepted a pass. |
Today??s game was the first meeting of the teams since the 1994 Citrus Bowl; Penn State now leads the series, 3-2. The Nittany Lions are 3-0 in Outback Bowl appearances, beating Auburn (43-14) in the 1996 contest and Kentucky (26-14) in 1999.
Penn State leads all Big Ten Conference teams in bowl victories, appearances and winning percentage.
Joe Paterno is the all-time leader in bowl wins (22-10-1 record) and appearances (33) and is tied for third with a 67.2 winning percentage among coaches with at least 11 bowl visits.
??You guys make a great steak,?? Paterno joked to Outback representatives after the game. ??We ran into a great Tennessee team today but that fumble really turned things around.??
The Nittany Lions open the 2007 season on Sept. 1 at Beaver Stadium against Florida International.