With just over a minute left in the third quarter and the score tied at 10, junior defensive lineman Sharif Finch changed the game.
The 257-pound Henrico, Virginia-native cut off an outside pass from Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg, and took the interception back to the Nittany Lion’s two-yard line, electrifying the sold-out crowd at Lincoln Financial Field. It set up junior quarterback P.J. Walker’s one-yard rushing touchdown, the go-ahead score that led the Owls to a 27–10 victory.
The game didn’t start off the way the Owls wanted.
On Penn State’s first offensive play from scrimmage, Nittany Lions’ freshman wide receiver Brandon Polk took the handoff and busted outside on a sweep, racing down the right sideline for a 33-yard run.