Penn State needed a spark. Midway through the 2016 Big Ten championship game, the Nittany Lions trailed Wisconsin 28–14. They had lost two first-half fumbles, were stuffed on a pair of fourth-down attempts and had gained three yards rushing. Not only that, but the Badgers were using a secondary alignment, Cover 3, that then offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead and his staff did not expect. Passing plays attacking such a coverage weren’t even on Moorhead’s play call sheet that week. That all changed during halftime.
“The offensive staff was sitting around,” recalls Moorhead, now the head coach at Mississippi State.