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Hazleton Area falls in OT in district title game

It was another big day for Penn State, thanks to the big play.The Nittany Lions certainly pulled out enough of them to make a splash and score in a flash, hammering Iowa 41-14 on Saturday night.They started with a 19-yard touchdown pass to Saeed Blacknall. And if that didn&#8217;t get the crowd&#8217;s attention at Beaver Stadium, how about a dazzling 57-yard touchdown run by Saquon Barkley? Or Trace McSorley&#8217;s 43-yard dart on the run to Mike Gesicki, which set up a 1-yard score? Or McSorley hitting Barkley with a 44-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter?You get the idea. It all added up to a breezy victory over Iowa, a win that could move the Lions into the top 10 in the College Football Playoff rankings. For now, though, they were just happy to stay at the top of their game.OFFENSEThe Lions clicked for 599 yards worth of offense, bolstered by 359 rushing yards and a 211-yard all-purpose day from Saquon Barkley. It&#8217;d take some past Penn State teams two games to match that kind of production. Grade: AOFFENSIVE LINE: Lake-Lehman grad Connor McGovern is coming into his own as a freshman, and Paris Palmer at tackle hasn&#8217;t been so bad, either. The weak link of the team is suddenly very strong, even despite an injury to top performer Brendan Mahon, who left the game on the opening drive. Grade: AQUARTERBACK: McSorley is turning into a two-headed monster. He used a final, 44-yard touchdown pass just to go over 200 passing yards for the game, but only needed 11 completions to do it. Grade: A+RUNNING BACKS: Barkley the beast keeps breaking the backs of opposing defenses, He had 167 rushing yards and scored two explosive touchdowns &#8212; on a 57-yard run and a 44-yard catch. The high step into the end zone on his scoring reception looked a little small in a blowout win.And Barkley might want to watch his back. That backup quarterback Tommy Stevens gained 70 yards on five carries and looked pretty tough running 14 yards for Penn State&#8217;s final score on a jet sweep. Grade: AWIDE RECEIVERS: McSorley threw it and they caught it. Chris Godwin had a 45-yard grab, tight end Mike Gesicki hauled in a 43-yard pass, DeAndre Thompkins came up with a 25-yard catch and Saeed Blacknall pulled in a 19-yard scoring strike. Grade: ADEFENSEIowa had one touchdown, 10 first downs and was stuffed on four short-yardage plays until the Lions built a 41-7 lead midway through the fourth quarter. Now that&#8217;s dominance. Grade: ADEFENSIVE LINE: Evan Schwan and Curtis Cothran led a charge that suffocated the Hawkeyes, both on the ground and in the air. Grade: ALINEBACKERS: Jason Cabinda was a beast, especially stuffing Iowa&#8217;s run game in pivotal situations, and finished with eight tackles. Brandon Smith had a pretty solid night himself. Grade: ASECONDARY: Iowa quarterback C.J. Beathard had trouble cracking the 100-yard passing mark, mainly because the Lions wouldn&#8217;t let his receivers get open. Safety Troy Apke even came up with an interception. Grade: ASPECIAL TEAMS: Tyler Davis had a chip-shot field goal attempt partially-blocked, but it didn&#8217;t hurt in the end. He made two other field goals and Iowa&#8217;s return game wasn&#8217;t a factor. Grade: B-COACHING STAFF: James Franklin seems to have passed on his endless energy and enthusiasm to his football team. The Lions are out of the cage and following the plan of their leader. Joe Moorhead&#8217;s offense looks unstoppable right now. Grade: A<style>
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<div class="neCaption">Penn State's Mike Gesicki (88) lifts quarterback Trace McSorley (9) in the air after he scored a touchdown against Iowa during the first half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Chris Knight)</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/web1_AP1631105806060620161160542647-1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Penn State's Mike Gesicki (88) lifts quarterback Trace McSorley (9) in the air after he scored a touchdown against Iowa during the first half of an NCAA college football game in State College, Pa., Saturday, Nov. 5, 2016. (AP Photo/Chris Knight)</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Paul Sokoloskipsokoloski@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Paul Sokoloski at 570-991-6392 or on Twitter @TLPaulSokoloski</shirttailMeta></div>

PSU report card: Big plays help Nittany Lions smash Iowa