After Penn State’s opening game against West Virginia, the metaphorical and literal clouds have lifted.
The Lions held a narrow 13-6 advantage late in the second half, with ominous clouds looming overhead.
With just 32 seconds remaining and the ball on their own 27-yard line, a simple kneel was expected to close out the half before the approaching storm hit.
But then, something electrifying happened.
Drew Allar unleashed a stunning 55-yard pass to Omari Evans, reaching the West Virginia 18-yard line. To the referees’ dismay, they missed a slight push-off by Evans amid the storm’s approach.
On the very next play, Allar connected with Harrison Wallace III on a perfectly executed fade route to the corner of the end zone, increasing the Lions’ lead to 20-6 just before the storm finally broke. The teams then endured a 2-hour and 19-minute delay in the locker room.
Once the storm had passed, the Lions resumed play with clear skies.
The weather cleared, and the Lions continued their dominant performance, securing a 34-12 victory over the determined Mountaineers.
I must confess that I had my doubts about this game. Initially, I predicted a closer score of 28-24 and was among the more pessimistic analysts.
The day before the game, I was convinced that the Lions might lose and face a challenging season ahead in their playoff quest.
Now, however, the outlook seems much brighter.
Considering this weekend’s results, it appears the Lions might not face a serious challenge again until October 12, when they travel to face USC on the West Coast.
While upsets are always a possibility in college football, and surprises can happen on any given Saturday, the Lions have navigated through this early season storm.
With clear skies ahead, the future looks promising for Penn State as they head into the next month of their schedule.