Penn State Football: The 44 Seconds That Changed Saturday’s Game

It was a one-two punch nobody saw coming. One moment Penn State is ahead 21-16, the next, Ohio State is leading 30-21. It was a change of momentum that won the Buckeyes the game and knocked Penn State out of the running before it could even blink.

But what exactly happened?

To rewind, Penn State scored on fourth down from just a foot outside the end zone. It was Kaytron Allen’s second effort that put the Nittany Lions ahead 21-16 with 9:26 to go in regulation. Ohio State then received the ensuing kick. Standing deep in his own end of the field Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud completed a 21-yard pass to Marvin Harrison Jr, then a 13-yard pass to Emeka Egbuka.

Seconds later it was TreyVeyon Henderson — who Penn State kept in check nearly all afternoon — scampering almost untouched for a 41-yard touchdown, the clock hitting 8:51 as he crossed the line. Thirty-five seconds off the clock to take a 23-21 lead.

“Their belief, their confidence in each other, their confidence in their coaches,” Penn State safety Ji’Ayir Brown said after the game. “That never quit mentality and that comes with the belief in your coaching staff and belief in your players. They ran the same stuff in the first quarter that they ran in the fourth quarter and just believing that it’s going to work and eventually it worked for them.

“When you’re playing teams like that, what makes it different from the worst teams that I’ve played, they will execute, they will make plays. It’s talent versus talent. You can never put a team like that out; you can never beat them in three quarters and not beat them in four. That’s what it is about the great teams. They’re going to play all four quarters and they’re going to make their opponents play all four quarters as well.”

It’s a script that Penn State has become all too familiar with the past several seasons. Getting so close to beating Ohio State only to fall short as the Buckeyes flex their muscles in the final stages of regulation. It’s a difficult pill to swallow, to play so hard for so long, only to come up short because of a few small mistakes.

And for Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford, among four turnovers — of which the fault was his to varying degrees — his third of the game came just two plays following Ohio State’s score, a strip sack by defensive end standout J.T. Tuimoloau with 8:26 to go. Suddenly it was Ohio State’s ball again and the very next play Stroud found Cade Stover for a 24-yard touchdown pass.

Just like that a 21-16 lead turned to a 30-21 deficit. Ohio State held the ball for 44 seconds, scored 14 points and turned a potential upset into a game the Buckeyes would win with ease. Minutes later Tuimoloau recorded his second interaction of the day, a leaping takeaway for 14-yard pick-six to strike down any hope of a comeback with just 2:42 to go. In total, Ohio State scored 28 points in the fourth quarter, with 21 of those taking less than a minute off the clock.

“That’s what football is all about, one mistake or one error can cost you the game. You can play great all three quarters, four quarters and the last five minutes you can lose the game. You have to finish your food,” Brown added.

And the Buckeyes certainly did, leaving Beaver Stadium with a full stomach.