The little things lurking in Beaver Stadium Saturday seemed to bite Penn State unexpectedly and often, but it was a big man that took a big chomp out of the Nittany Lions.
Boston College defensive lineman Tom Martin's first-quarter interception of Penn State quarterback Zack Mills' screen pass, which the 6-foot-4, 270-pound tackle then returned 25 yards to the Penn State one-yard line, was arguably the straw that broke the Lions' back in a 27-14 Boston College victory.
It gave the Eagles, who were already ahead by 14, an easy one-yard touchdown plunge and a 21-0 grasp on a game that was quickly slipping away from Penn State.
It was a play that Boston College coach Tom O'Brien says happens all the time in practice.
"That was a huge play in the football game," O'Brien said. "Tommy Martin has intercepted more passes than any defensive tackle I've been around. He did it last year and he's done it this year. He didn't run it as far last year, but he was disappointed he didn't get in. He wanted the touchdown."
After the game, Mills said the play called for an offensive lineman to deliver a cut block -- a play on which an offensive player dives at the legs of the defender he is attempting to block in an effort to knock down -- or "cut" -- the player at his knees. The blocker missed, and Martin remained up and able to snare the pass.
Boston College tailback Horace Dodd polished off Martin's work and polished off Penn State in the process, diving over the pile for a one-yard touchdown that gave the Eagles a 21-point lead.
After the game, Martin's fellow tackle Tim Bulman talked about the Eagles' perpetual presence in the Penn State backfield.
"We were just doing what we do best and that's taking out the ball," Bulman said. "We're penetrators -- that's what we're taught to do."
Day to Remember
Offense: Austin Scott. The freshman phenom continues to shine in limited action, rushing 10 times for 60 yards and his first collegiate touchdown on Saturday. After struggling against a stacked defense in the first half, Scott exploded for 50 yards on seven carries in the second half. Two games into the 2003 campaign, Scott leads the Lions in rushing yardage after gaining 129 yards on 22 carries.
Defense: Jeremy Kapinos. The lone bright spot for a defense that surrendered 206 yards and 21 points almost before anyone could say "blowout," Kapinos broke the freshman record for punting average in a game. His 48.7 average yards-per-punt was the fourth-highest single-game total in Penn State history.
Day to Forget
Offense: Offensive line. Quarterback Zack Mills was peering out the ear hole of his helmet so many times it looked like he was trying to make a fashion statement. The Eagles' front seven nested in the Lions' backfield and stuffed the Penn State ground attack, which managed just 26 yards rushing in the first half.
Defense: Defensive line. How do you spell steamroller? H-O-F-F-M-A-N. Eagles' guards Augie Hoffman and Chris Snee plowed through the Penn State line and created holes for running back Derrick Knight's 156-yard rushing effort. The Lions recorded just one sack and allowed quarterback Quinton Porter to scramble for 27 yards on three carries.
Did You Notice?
How laughable the new Penn State men's basketball ads are? Coach Ed DeChellis' first pre-season task should be making sure something like this stops soon ... Former WCW wrestler Jerry Saggs, a.k.a Nasty Boy Bryan Knobbs, standing in the South End zone at the end of the game ... The size of the student section in the fourth quarter? With the game well out of hand, many of the students in the south end zone were still there cheering for Kira Shaw. Classy move.
Extra Point
If the Penn State football players had as much fight in them as they apparently do after the games, would Saturday's contest with Boston College have gone differently?
