Where was Brett Favre when you needed him?
All Michael Haynes needed was half a sack to set Penn State's single-season record, but unlike Favre, Damon Dowdell didn't fall down when the Nittany Lions defensive tackle got near. Instead, he either let his linemen drag Haynes down or, in the most bothersome case for Haynes, took an intentional grounding penalty.
On the Spartans' second drive of the game, Haynes had Dowdell wrapped up but the new quarterback sent the ball flying into the turf. For perhaps the first time all season, a Lion was disturbed by the amount of flags the referees sent flying. At least he didn't pretend he wasn't paying attention to his sack count.
"I did, I'm not going to lie," Haynes said. "I'm like, 'It's only two sacks, you can get two sacks no problem,' and as the game unfolded I was like, 'I got to be able to get it now,' but then I was getting the holding calls and I was like, 'You got to be kidding me.' "
Because of that half-sack, Haynes kept jogging out onto the field long after the rest of the starters retired to the bench, until defensive line coach Larry Johnson Sr. pulled him to prevent him from getting injured.
If nothing else, the non-stop holding let his linemates take a few parting shots at their smiling friend.
"I was messing with him the whole game, telling him, 'Stop messing around and get the sack' ... but he'll have to get it in the bowl game," defensive tackle Anthony Adams said.
Day to remember
-- Offense: WR Bryant Johnson. You thought LJ -- please, too easy. Bryant showed why he got all the hype early in the year, hauling in a 41-yard touchdown catch and burning the Spartans coverage unit, taking a punt 81 yards for the first TD return of his career.
-- Defense: Safety Shawn Mayer. After dropping 10 Spartans Saturday, Mayer finishes the season as the Big Ten leader in tackles. Another strong performance by the senior that helped contain the best receiver in the country.
Day to forget
-- Offense: MSU QB Aaron Alexander. He went 0-2 in deep relief and got booed by the student section after running out of bounds to stop the clock with less than a minute to play. At least he laughed about it.
-- Defense: Michigan State. We understand the trials and tribulations the Spartans underwent this season. Let's just say we extend our condolences.
Statistically Speaking
Michigan State receiver Charles Rogers broke his own single-season receiving record ... and Larry Johnson did a bunch of stuff too.
Did you notice?
In a possible move to upstage the Lions, the Spartans ran out of the tunnel the same time as Penn State ... The inexplicable "We heart SportsCenter" banner -- the game wasn't on ESPN, so were they talking about the bar? ... The Nittany Lion getting bum-rushed by the cheerleaders after replacing his head before the second quarter ... The Blue Band inexplicably repeating its Disney routine. Is the Mouse paying these people or are they merely sucking up and
selling out to ABC's corporate overlords?
Finally...
Who would have guessed Anthony Adams would have been the first
senior to cry? And where was the Land Grant Trophy after the Lions' rout? Leaving the only question to be, just how many yards will LJ get in the bowl game?
