Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg won’t return to the TaxSlayer Bowl with an apparent right shoulder injury.
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Turning serious, McClendon, Georgia’s interim head coach and Godwin’s position coach for this entire season, said he knows the Bulldogs have themselves another budding star in the making.
Hackenberg left Saturday’s game in the first half with a right shoulder sprain but the injury is not believed to be serious. Hackenberg, who has just announced his intentions to go pro, completed eight passes for 139 yards before exiting the game. The game could have taken an ugly turn, but Franklin is undoubtedly proud of the effort in the second half.
Penn State junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg will be entering the 2016 NFL Draft.
McSorley threw a pair of touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to make things interesting.
“I was just happy to play with my brothers, happy to give it my all today”, Johnson said. “It means the world to me”.
“My family and I felt like this was best for me”.
“I feel like it was a big experience”, McSorley said.
As best as anyone can tell, this is the first time any Georgia team has played a game without its head coach, offense coordinator and defensive coordinator.
“I was like ‘is it ever going to fall or do I need to jump up and get it, ‘” said Mitchell. “I want to thank Coach (Bill) O’Brien for bringing me here and his staff. There’s a lot of really good people on that staff. Tough to say, but I think without him I wouldn’t be here”.
His final pass, a 39-yard heave to a scrum of offensive and defensive players, fell harmlessly onto the EverBank Field turf, sealing the Bulldogs victory.
Penn State took over with 1:52 remaining and no timeouts. Penn State, with a backup quarterback, converted a fourth-and-12 for a touchdown to make the score 24-10 after the Bulldogs extended their lead to 17 and seemingly had the game in hand.
The Nittany Lions finished 7-6 for the second consecutive season, having lost their last four games.
The defense stifled Georgia, forcing back-to-back three-and-outs before McSorley would strike again with another fourth down conversion – a 16-yard strike to Lewis on fourth-and-8 to the Bulldogs’ 20 – that set up a leaping catch in the end zone by sophomore DaeSean Hamilton for a 20-yard touchdown two plays later. Penn State’s leading receiver on the day, Chris Godwin, also put on a fine display with his six catches for 133 yards. That touchdown came from Georgia’s new resident playmaker, freshman Terry Godwin.
Hackenberg will join fellow Fork Union Military Academy alumnus Cardale Jones of Ohio State as a potential first round quarterback pick in the draft that begins April 28.
“Honestly, it’s very humbling knowing the great players who have come through Penn State, the great receivers who have come through here”. McSorley then gathered himself and heaved the ball in the direction of four receivers at the goal line, but the pass failed to connect, and Penn State’s 2015 season ended on a down note.
With the loss, the final class to play for the late Joe Paterno has completed their Penn State career.
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Collins had touchdown runs of 22 yards and 13 yards in the first 17 minutes.
