Penn State Nittany Lions @ Alabama Crimson Tide Football Recap

Alabama 24, Penn State 3

A freshman quarterback. On the road. Against the defending national champions. Against a defensive guru – Nick Saban – and his prized coordinator understudy – Kirby Smart.

Yeah, this was not going to end well for Joseph Vincent Paterno and his Penn State football club.

The Nittany Lions never had a chance in a dominant Alabama victory which affirmed the Crimson Tide’s place atop the national rankings in major college football.

Trent Richardson carried 22 times for 144 yards and a touchdown, and caught four passes for 46 yards.  Greg McElroy completed 16 of 24 passes for 229 yards and two touchdowns.

Freshman quarterback Robert Bolden struggled for Penn State, just as many people thought he would inside a newly-expanded Bryant-Denny Stadium. The ballyard was renovated over the spring and summer, enabling the even-bigger edifice to hold over 101,000 fans. The consistent and considerable din certainly came into play whenever Penn State’s offense entered Alabama’s final third of the field. The Lions and their first-year signal caller could simply never finish off a number of the decent drives they forged. They’d move the ball between the 30s but would then lose steam as Bama dug in its heels.

Bolden wound up throwing two interceptions in the game.  He finished with 144 yards, completing 13 of 29 passes.

Richardson, filling in for injured Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, rolled up 102 rushing yards in the first half to power Alabama on the offensive side of the ball. Richardson’s counterpart, PSU tailback Evan Royster, managed just 32 yards on nine carries for the Nittany Lions, a telling sign of how good Bama’s young defense performed in this prime-time showdown matching two of college football’s sexiest brand names.

The Tide took an early lead on McElroy’s 36-yard pass to Kevin Norwood.  A 14-yard strike from McElroy to Preston Dial on the first play of the second quarter gave Alabama a 14-0 lead and capped an overwhelming 97-yard drive. Alabama led 17-0 at halftime after a 31-yard Jeremy Shelley field goal with 3:54 left in the second quarter.

Richardson’s one-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter gave Alabama a 24-0 lead.  Penn State broke the shutout on a 36-yard field goal by Collin Wagner with 9:47 to play.

Alabama outgained Penn State, 409-283.  McElroy spread the ball to six different receivers.  Julio Jones caught four passes for 49 yards, and Darius Hanks caught three passes for 52 yards.

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