Penn State really did not have a chance on a day when Houston quarterback Case Keenum nearly set the record for most completions in a bowl game. The Nittany Lions could not muster enough offense to keep up in a 30-14 loss in the TicketCity Bowl in Dallas.
Keenum went 45-69 passing for 532 yards and three touchdowns on the day. The record he nearly broke had been 47 pass completions, which was set by Northwestern's Mike Kafka in the 2010 Outback Bowl. Patrick Edwards led the way receiving with 228 yards on nine catches.
While the Penn State football team may have been on a break, the stories out of State College sure have not. The Nittany Lions seem to have a new head coach every day. Matt McGloin got knocked out (literally) of the TicketCity Bowl. Amid the distractions, the team is now in Dallas for a January 2nd match-up with No. 19 Houston.
Penn State will be going to a bowl game, but it is not the bowl the team and fans had hoped for. The Nittany Lions will play on January 2 against Houston in the TicketCity Bowl in Dallas.
Penn State was passed over by three bowls, who instead took Iowa, Purdue and Ohio State--all teams that Penn State beat this season. However, the Nittany Lions will face a stiff test against Houston. The Cougars were posed for a BCS bowl until Southern Mississippi beat them last Saturday in the Conference USA Championship. Houston finished the season at 12-1, scoring 50.8 points per game.
The No. 16/15 Penn State women's basketball team hosts No. 14/13 North Carolina on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. as part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The 5-1 Lady Lions are facing their best opponent of the season so far when they take on the 5-0 Tar Heels.
Penn State's regular season came to an end in embarrassing fashion on Saturday, losing to Wisconsin (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) 45-7 in Madison. With the loss, the Nittany Lions (9-3, 6-2 Big Ten) will not play in the Big Ten Championship game, and dreams of a trip to the Rose Bowl are dashed.
Penn State is in Madison, Wisc., to take on the Badgers for a spot in the Big Ten Championship game. According to AccuWeather, it is going to be 50 degrees and cloudy at Camp Randall at game time. If you are not one of the Penn State fans that has made the trip to Wisconsin, follow Onward State and Statecollege.com for all your gameday needs.