tate College in a rematch of Templ
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tate College in a rematch of Templ
PITTSBURGH -- Pitt and Penn State spent the days leading up to the renewal of their once annual series in a semantic argument over whether theyre still rivals.The Nittany Lions tried to downplay the stakes, with coach James Franklin pointing out the current roster on both sides were toddlers the last time the two schools faced each other in 2000. The Panthers went the other way, with coach Pat Narduzzi bringing in the 1976 national championship team to give a pep talk on what facing Penn State used to -- and still could -- mean.Four quarters, nearly four hours and one well-timed interception by a fifth-year cornerback later, consider the debate over. Pitt-Penn State is still very much a thing.James Conner ran for 117 yards and a touchdown and caught another and senior Ryan Lewis picked off Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley in the end zone with just over a minute to play as the Panthers held on for a 42-39 victory on Saturday in front of the largest crowd to watch a sporting event in the citys history -- 69,983.I would say going to next year, theyre going to think its a rivalry now, said Pitt safety Jordan Whitehead.One that shouldnt lack for juice when the two teams meet at Beaver Stadium next fall. Penn State nearly made it all the way back from a 21-point deficit. The Nittany Lions had the ball at the Pitt 31 with less than 90 seconds to play when McSorley dropped back and lofted a rainbow toward the back of the end zone to no one in particularLewis, who spent four long years in the program before finally earning significant playing time this fall, cradled it in his arms for the first pick of his career.I was just reading the quarterback the whole time, Lewis. I saw it in the air and took it.And dealt Franklin another significant blow in a tenure that is still searching for traction. A year after losing on the road in Philadelphia to Temple -- next weeks opponent -- the Nittany Lions currently dont have bragging rights in any corner of the state after looking flat in the first half before getting back in it.The fact it was this close at the end of the game speaks volumes for us in the second half, Franklin said. But were going to have a hard time if we get ourselves into a 28-7 situation.Saquon Barkley almost singlehandedly brought the Nittany Lions (1-1) all the way back. The sophomore running back totaled five touchdowns (four rushing, one receiving), the most by a Penn State player since Ki-Jana Carter did it against Michigan State in 1994. Barkleys fifth score, a 2-yard dive with five minutes to play, drew the Nittany Lions within three.We started off slow, they punched us in the mouth first, Barkley said. We responded but weve just got to come out earlier and be ready to play earlier.SO CLOSEMoments before Lewis interception, McSorley threw a lob to wide-open DaeSean Hamilton, who was behind the Pitt defense and had nothing between himself and the go-ahead score. The ball smacked off Hamiltons hands and onto the turf instead.For us to get that close and not pull out a win is really upsetting, Hamilton said. It just comes down to crunch time, us battling back so far and to see the game slip away from me right there is the hardest part.THE TAKEAWAYPENN STATE: Barkley is a star in the making but the Nittany Lions curiously didnt get him the ball when it was deep in Pitt territory trailing by a touchdown early in the fourth quarter. Penn State settled for a field goal instead and will have a year to think about what might have been.PITT: First-year offensive coordinator Matt Canadas playbook is deep. A week after using a nondescript game plan to get past Villanova, Canada used a variety of jet sweeps, shovel passes and play-action to get the ball to his playmakers in space. The Panthers ran for 359 yards and held onto the ball for more than 35 minutes.UP NEXTPENN STATE: Welcomes the Owls to State College in a rematch of Temples one-sided 27-10 win last year. Penn State plans to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Joe Paternos first game as coach, a decision that has been met with stiff resistance in some areas, including the schools student newspaper.PITT: The Panthers head west on Saturday to take on No. 22 Oklahoma State (1-1) for the first time in program history. The Cowboys lost on a last-second Hail Mary to Central Michigan.---AP College Football site: www.collegefootball.ap.org Jordans Shoes From China . Boucher previously coached the Tampa Bay Lightning and had a 97-78-20 record over two-plus seasons. He was dismissed by the team last March after the Lightning struggled in the lockout-shortened season with a 13-18-1 record. Wholesale Jordans Free Shipping . After taking two big hits this week -- losing at home and dropping back-to-back games for the first time all season -- Indiana struck back by playing its most complete game of the year. http://www.clearancejordans.com/ . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season. Wholesale Jordans Paypal . McCarthy, a player who played some games in the second tier for Wigan at the start of this season, would go on to shine inside Evertons midfield, outplaying the man he was brought in to replace, on one of the grandest stages in English football. On Saturday, it was fitting that Manchester Uniteds most recent dagger into the chest was delivered by Frenchman Yohan Cabaye, a wonderfully gifted central midfielder who put on an outstanding effort for Newcastle at Old Trafford. Cheap Air Jordan . PETERSBURG, Fla. Coach Ricky Stuart will likely rest some of Canberras stars in their final game of the NRL regular season, if the Raiders cant improve their ladder position.If Cronulla defeat Melbourne in the minor premiership showdown on Saturday night, Canberra cant move above third in the NRL ladder, even if they defeat Wests Tigers in their round 26 clash.If that scenario ensues, Stuart told Triple M on Sunday he will look to give some of his players a break before the finals start.If I think its important to rest players for the bigger picture of the competition I will, Stuart said.But that will come down to our high performance staff and the individuals opinion as well.I have got a few blokes tthere that are a little bit busted and I certainly will use a week off to rest them if its needed.ddddddddddddAidan Sezer suffered a minor shoulder injury in Saturdays win over Manly and is one player Stuart would likely rest.Such a scenario would give the Tigers the chance to claim an unlikely finals berth after their come-from-behind win over the Warriors in Auckland on Sunday.However the Tigers need North Queensland to defeat Gold Coast on Saturday night in Townsville and then beat the Raiders at Leichhardt Oval on Sunday to earn the eighth finals spot. 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