Bench impresses in collegiate debut

Just a few days ago, Matt McGloin jokingly retweeted a picture of Steven Bench -- taken by offensive lineman Adam Gress -- sleeping on the football team’s bus before they arrived in Virginia.
McGloin commented on the picture: “[I] remember my first road game.”
Bench will probably remember his first road game for other reasons.
A true freshman, Bench entered Penn State’s game against Virginia on Saturday in a less-than-ideal situation. McGloin had just injured his throwing elbow after he was knocked down. He received treatment on the field, which meant the redshirt senior would step off for at least one play.
Bench joined the huddle on 4th-and-4 with the ball on Virginia’s 33-yard line  -- well outside of struggling kicker Sam Ficken’s range. Penn State, which converted 3-of-4 fourth down chances Saturday -- including a fake punt from its own 42 -- decided that Bench was his best option at the time.
“He came in like a pro,” guard John Urschel said. “No jitters or anything. When you’re a true freshman taking your first snaps on the road, it can be a nerve-wracking thing, but he handled himself fantastically.”
Wide receiver Alex Kenney added that Bench managed the huddle well, speaking up against a vociferous Cavalier crowd.
However, it was anything but a fairy tale first snap for Bench. He was sacked for a 2-yard loss, turning the ball over on downs.
McGloin played one more drive in the second quarter after his injury, but he ultimately went to locker room early.
On the Nittany Lions’ last possession of the half, Bench rejoined the fray. He led Penn State downfield 45 yards with a pair of completions to sophomore wide receiver Allen Robinson and a couple of gutsy scrambles. On one, Bench bolted straight into a pack of defenders without any intention of sliding. He wanted every last yard.
“I didn’t get to see too much of him,” McGloin said. “I only heard a couple of plays. But from what I heard, he did an OK job. Steve is a quick learner, and unfortunately I couldn’t be out there in the second quarter to try to give him some tips or anything like that.”
Bench nearly connected with Robinson for a third completion in the end zone toward the end of the half, but the ball fell through Robinson’s hands. With no timeouts left and the clock winding down, O’Brien rushed his field goal unit onto the field, but it couldn’t get the kick off in time.
Bench came in for Penn State’s first two offensive plays in the third quarter before McGloin took over. He finished the afternoon 2-for-7 with 12 yards in the air and 20 on the ground.
“He is doing a heck of a job and that’s why I went with Bench as the No. 2 quarterback,” O’Brien said. “I thought he did some good things, especially at the end of the first half. He’s never really ever run a two-minute drive before, he’s done a couple in practice, and overall I think he did a heck of a job.”
Paul Jones has dropped below Bench on the depth chart after two weeks of the season. O’Brien said he may utilize Jones as a tight end in the future.
Jones may be older than Bench, but before Saturday neither had taken a single college snap. O’Brien went with the younger hand, and starting quarterback McGloin feels confident having the true freshman behind him.
“God forbid I ever go down again, I know he’ll be ready to step in and do a good job,” McGloin said.
To email reporter: dmn5112@psu.edu