UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Every week he's been part of the gameplan, and Tommy Stevens said there hasn't been a game where he hasn't felt prepared to execute his role.
Of course his opportunities are limited, a sporadic play here or there as part of the two-quarterback package Joe Moorhead put in last season and expanded this past offseason to help get Stevens on the field or mop-up duty as warranted, but what Stevens shows when on the field has been impressive. Whether throwing passes or catching them, he's been dynamic, shifty and as tight end Mike Gesicki playfully called him last week, an "All-American decoy."
Stevens entered Saturday's game with 12:51 left, but also took snaps earlier as part of the two-quarterback package. He completed 2 of 3 passes for 21 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown to tight end Nick Bowers, the first reception of his career. Stevens also had five rushes for 31 yards, including a long of 20. Had he not stepped out of bounds, he would have had the highlight of the day on a dazzling touchdown run where he showed off his balance. It was another example of the types of plays that get fans excited about Stevens' potential, but also make them wonder why he's still here behind Trace McSorley and if he'll be in the same role next season, assuming McSorley returns for his senior season.
"This is part of the process," Stevens said. "I know that I'm here for a reason. I'm a big believer in faith and so sometimes I just think about I could play other places, yeah. But, I'm happy here and I got a lot of friends here, a great coaching staff and a very good team. I'm happy to be here. Overall, just happy to be a part of something bigger than me."
He's been praised all season for his positivity and willingness to stay up to speed on the gameplans each week. When he does get those opportunities, as sporadic as they may be, the Lions' sideline lights up when he makes a big play, proof that they see the work he's putting in behind the scenes and are glad to see him reap the rewards.
"He's accepted his role and he's sort of just playing how he should be playing," said receiver Juwan Johnson, who had a team-best 105 yards on five catches. "He's playing fast. He's playing physical and he's just using his body. He's having a lot of fun out there and I can see it."
The personnel grouping is called 10-T, the T of course for Tommy, and when it's called -- James Franklin said it's been in the game plan a lot this season, except maybe not for one game this season, as the coach pointed out a couple weeks ago -- Stevens gets ready to race in, usually taking Gesicki's place. That's of course why his friend likes to bust him for his versatility, though Gesicki praised Stevens all season, adding that if there's anybody he's going to give up his spot on the field for, it's his close friend.
"I thought it was funny," Stevens said of Gesicki calling him an "All-American decoy." "When I read it the first time I didn't know if I should be mad at him because I think he said it because overall I stole a couple of his touchdowns, but no, Mike's been really supportive of me. He's a really good role model for me to look at as far as work ethic. Mike works just as hard as anybody on this team and the things that he's gone through in the past and the type of player he is, he's awesome to watch."
Stevens told me he will wrap up his undergraduate degree this spring. That could make him eligible to be a graduate transfer and therefore to play elsewhere next season if he so chooses. While McSorley hasn't said one way or another if he'll be back next season -- and Stevens laughed and said no, he's not trying to push his good friend out the door -- it would seem likely McSorley would be back for his senior season based off his skill set and the weapons this offense will still have. That would mean waiting around for another year for Stevens, jogging on in the 10-T personnel all while working behind the scenes at an opportunity that maybe won't arise until his fifth year.
"I'm taking it day by day and preparing every day like I am the starter," Stevens said. "You never know. ... There's never been a week where I didn't feel prepared enough to play. I'm gong to continue to do that for as long as I play football. I'm happy with how I've been able to stay consistent in my approach and I've got to continue to do that and get better every day."
SECOND DOWN
What happened to the defense in the second half?
Brent Pry's defense gave up 34 points in the second half, 20 of which came in the fourth quarter. Nebraska quarterback Tanner Lee completed 26 of 41 passes for 399 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Stanley Morgan carved up Penn State's secondary for a career-high 185 yards receiving on five catches, including a long of 51 yards. The Huskers also added 67 yards on the ground.
"Defensively, I thought we played a really good game. I think late in the game, we had held them to very few yards rushing, but in the second half, obviously it just kind of leaves a bad taste in your mouth on offense and defense," Franklin said. "I didn’t think we played up to our standards there at the end. The fine line is, you second-guess yourself all the time, when do you put the twos in the game? You leave the ones in and people say you’re running up the score. You put the twos in and you give up 21 points late, or whatever it was. So, I’m still not completely sure when the right time is to make those changes."
It's tough to nitpick a performance like this given that Penn State had a commanding 42-10 lead at the half. They did get four sacks against the pocket passer, but they also didn't create any takeaways. Linebacker Jason Cabinda had a ball bounce off his hands in the first half. Given the messy conditions it was anything but an easy play, but one that the linebacker usually makes.
And, considering it was Nebraska's starters against the Lions' reserves on defense for at least a good portion of the second half, it serves as more of a measuring stick of where this group will have to go in the offseason. They'll need to replace linebackers Cabinda and Brandon Smith, cornerbacks Grant Haley and Christian Campbell, safeties Marcus Allen and Troy Apke, plus defensive tackles Parker Cothren and Curtis Cothran. That's eight of Saturday's starters gone next season, so this group will have some ground to make up and it showed late in the game.
Smith got the start at the Will linebacker spot yet again with Manny Bowen suspended for the second straight week. Penn State also worked in Cam Brown at the Will, putting him in for Smith at points.
Apke was ejected for targeting with under 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, a penalty that also means he has to sit out the first half of next week's regular season finale at Maryland. That will give either Nick Scott or Ayron Monroe the opportunity to make the start, a glimpse of the future back there with Apke and Allen both coming down the homestretch of their collegiate careers.
THIRD DOWN
Special teams was a lowlight.
Last week Franklin called them the most consistent unit this season and the Lions' special teams responded with their worst and most erratic showing of the season. Kicker Tyler Davis booted two kickoffs out of bounds, Blake Gillikin shanked a punt and Zech McPhearson was tagged with a fumble on a punt return after the ball bounced into him and was recovered by the Huskers.
What's more, Nebraska recovered an onside kick late in the game, too. Add all of that together and there will be quite a few teachable moments that special teams coordinator Charles Huff can deliver to the Lions during their Sunday corrections.
"The punt early in the game, they [mis-hit] a punt, we turn the ball over because of that. That didn’t start out the game the way we would like it to start," Franklin said. "I thought we were a little sloppy on special teams."
The Lions also didn't have key special teams contributor Irv Charles, who has become a weapon for them given his size and speed. Franklin said Charles wasn't available this week and the coach added that he will "leave it at that." So, it's unclear what Charles might have done or when he'll be back, but I didn't see him on the sidelines.
Brandon Polk was back as the kick returner instead of Barkley, a move Franklin said they made this week because Barkley "had some things we were working through during the week."
With Barkley's Heisman campaign slowing down after three below-average performances prior to the Nebraska game we'll have to see if he's back there again next weekend or not. Keep in mind it's not like they're trying to have him avoid injury risks, since Huff outlined earlier this season that the kick returner has the most cushy of gigs as far as contact goes during the course of a return. There isn't much difference between the banging Barkley takes as a back versus that in the return game, so call his absence back there a little odd.
FOURTH DOWN
It looked like the offense of old.
Trace McSorley was extending plays with his legs. Barkley wasn't bottled up all evening. The wide receivers were racking up YAC yards. The offensive line only surrendered two sacks. Gesicki was a big-time target who hauled in two touchdowns. By the end of the night, there were 609 yards of total offense and 56 points, the most points for the Lions in a conference game since they posted 63 at Illinois in 2005.
It was also a second week with a strong showing from redshirt sophomore receiver Juwan Johnson. Franklin said that when the season is over with, Johnson probably will end up having a better season than most realize. He is now starting to play with his size, using the 6-4 frame to impose his will against defenders. He's also elusive after the catch, another skill he showed.
The game also gave Miles Sanders a chance to get valuable extended reps late in the game, and based off what teammates had to say about Johnson and Sanders there are some potential stars coming though the Penn State pipeline. The last two games of the season will give those guys a chance to continue building for the future too.
Oh, but Barkley isn't gone yet as he cautioned. This 65-yard touchdown run to open the game jumpstarted the offense and also helped propel him to a special three-touchdown performance.
QUICK HITS
• Left tackle Ryan Bates and defensive end Ryan Buchholz both dressed, but neither played. Bates looked to be trying to get his footing during warmups, but then never repped with the offense. He stood on the sideline in pads and a winter hat all game. Buchholz warmed up but didn't see the field as Kevin Givens got the start yet again. Nether Bates nor Buchholz has played since the Ohio State game.
• It's been an up-and-down career for senior offensive tackle Andrew Nelson, who had season-ending knee injuries two years ago and again last season. Nelson hasn't been the same in his return and was banged up again this season. He hasn't played a snap since the Iowa game this season, but for a player who meant so much to this team, Nelson had a special moment as the clock ticked down on Saturday.
Nelson came on to take the final three snaps for the Lions' offense, a senior day send-off for the player who was an instrumental part of the ground game earlier in his career and is still one of the team's leaders. It was meaningless in the context of the game situation, but with senior battery mate Brendan Mahon out there with him again like they'd done countless times before, it was a bittersweet moment for the two.
• Tim Shaw served as the Lions' honorary captain and it was Mahon and Nelson who helped the former Penn State linebacker arrive at the 50-yard line for the coin toss. Shaw's battle with ALS is something the Lions were educated on earlier in their careers and Shaw has been around the team from time to time. One of the loudest roars from the crowd all game was when Shaw was introduced.
"We knew he was going to go out and do the coin toss and he told us he was probably going to need some help getting out there. Brendan Mahon and Andrew Nelson wanted to do that," Franklin said. "The guy has got a smile from ear to ear. The stadium erupts for him. He’s just a special guy and we could all learn a lot from Tim Shaw and how he’s handled unbelievable challenges and he’s done it with grace and he’s done it with dignity. He’s kind of shown the world how you handle difficult situations."