Oct. 23, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., -- The huge sack in the end zone recorded by junior defensive tackle Jared Odrick (Lebanon) in Penn State's 46-17 win over Michigan was the overwhelming winner of this week's Pontiac Game Changing Performance.
The critical third quarter play that gave Penn State its first lead earned 52 percent of the votes from Nittany Nation and college football fans among the four plays that were nominated. A touchdown by Georgia Tech in its win over Clemson was a distant second with 25 percent.
The announcement was made at halftime of tonight's ESPN's Thursday Night Football game. With Odrick's selection as the recipient of the Pontiac Game Changing Performance, Pontiac with contribute $5,000 to Penn State's general scholarship fund.
With the game tied at 17-17 late in the third quarter and the Wolverines backed-up near the raucous Penn State student section, defensive end Maurice Evans (Brooklyn, N.Y.) pressured quarterback Nick Sheridan in the end zone. Odrick dropped Sheridan for a safety, giving Penn State its first lead at 19-17 and sending the Homecoming crowd of 110,017 into delirium.
The play sparked a 27-0 outburst over the final 19:39 of the contest, as the Nittany Lions improved to 8-0 overall and 4-0 in Big Ten play.
The safety was Penn State's first since All-America linebacker Dan Connor also recorded a sack in the end zone vs. Illinois in 2006.
Odrick was among the standouts for the Penn State defense in the convincing win over the Wolverines, as he made a career-high six tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss (minus-eight yards). A starter in the last seven games, the former Lebanon High School All-American has 20 tackles, with 4.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks and three pass break-ups this season.
Penn State has been selected for the Pontiac Game Changing Performance three times in the past four seasons. Senior Derrick Williams (Greenbelt, Md.) was honored for his game-winning touchdown catch vs. Northwestern in 2005 and his punt return touchdown against Notre Dame in 2007.
Coach Joe Paterno's No. 3 Nittany Lions visit No. 10 Ohio State (7-1, 4-0) Saturday for an 8:00 p.m. clash. The winner will assume sole possession of first place in the Big Ten Conference. The contest is an ABC national telecast and will air on the Penn State Sports Network and www.GoPSUsports.com, the official website of Penn State Athletics.
ESPN's College Gameday Built By The Home Depot (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.) and ESPN Radio's College Gameday (12:00-7:00 p.m.) will originate from Columbus on Saturday.