Kick Six (Penn State)

The Kick Six was a blocked field goal by the Penn State Nittany Lions football against the Ohio State Buckeyes, resulting in a 71-yard return touchdown in the final minutes of a 2016 rivalry game between the two teams in Happy Valley. The play led Penn State to beat Ohio State for the first time in five years, with a final score of 24–21.[2] It is regarded as the best play in Penn State football history, and ignited the program's current status as a national powerhouse.[3]

2016 Ohio State–Penn State football game
Ohio State Buckeyes Penn State Nittany Lions (6–0) (4–2) 21 24 Head coach:  Urban Meyer Head coach:  James Franklin AP Coaches 2 2 AP Coaches NR NR
1 2 3 4 Total Ohio State 0 12 9 0 21 Penn State 0 7 0 17 24
Date	October 22, 2016
Season	2016
Stadium	Beaver Stadium
Location	State College, Pennsylvania
Attendance	107,280
United States TV coverage
Network	ABC[1]
Nielsen ratings	8.2

The Game

Penn State was only a 3.5-point home underdog in this matchup, despite not being ranked in the AP poll. Much of this was attributed to this game being a White Out in State College, and the Buckeyes scraping by Wisconsin in an overtime road win the week before. Penn State was on a winning streak since falling to then-No. 4 Michigan in early September, while Ohio State was undefeated.[4]

The game was initially very low scoring; neither team was able to get points on the board in the first quarter. By the beginning of the second quarter, however, Ohio State answered with two Tyler Durbin field goals and a Marcus Baugh touchdown, making the Buckeyes have a 12–0 lead. However, in the final seconds of the second quarter, a pass by Trace McSorley to Chris Godwin in the endzone made Penn State "completely change the dynamics of the game."[5][6]

The third quarter saw Ohio State pick up another touchdown (by Curtis Samuel) and a high snap on a punt resulting in a safety. However, the Buckeyes remained scoreless throughout the fourth quarter. This was while Trace McSorley scored a touchdown with a successful conversion, as well as a 34-yard field goal by Tyler Davis.[7]

The Play

With just over four minutes remaining in regulation time and the score 21–17 Ohio State, the Buckeyes were within field goal range but were held to a fourth down at the 31-yard line. Tyler Durbin looked to make Ohio State score for the first time in the quarter with a 45-yard field goal. Speculators were highly anticipating the kick to be good, making the final score 24–17 Ohio State, as Durbin was described to be "super reliable from inside of 40." [8]

However, the kick was blocked by safety Marcus Allen and knocked to cornerback Grant Haley, who sped past Durbin and another Buckeye, running 71 yards for a Penn State touchdown, making the final score of the game 24–21 Penn State.[9]

Interesting Facts

• James Franklin's first win over a ranked opponent
• Penn State's first ranked win since the 4-overtime upset of Michigan in 2013
• Penn State's first win over their archrival, Ohio State, since 2011[10]
• The Nittany Lions' first home win over their archrival since 2005 (the first White Out Game)
• Penn State's first win over a top-5 team since 1996
• Ohio State's first road loss under Urban Meyer[11]
• The fourth quarter was the first full quarter Ohio State was shut out since 2011
• Longest regulation Big Ten game at the time, lasting over 4 hours, and extending past midnight

Aftermath

In the stadium

The crowd at Beaver Stadium was stunned by the play, as it gave the Nittany Lions the first lead in the waning seconds of the game. Immediately upon Haley's touchdown, spectators stormed the field as Zombie Nation's Kernkraft 400 played from the stadium's loudspeakers. Head Coach James Franklin stated that he was "very happy for our kids" to experience a White Out win, the first win over Ohio State in eight years.

Celebratory riots

One controversial event that occurred immediately following the game was a celebratory riot in Downtown State College, centered along Beaver Avenue. Approximately 10,000 fans, primarily Penn State students blocked several roads and wreaked havoc, such as breaking light posts and putting sofas on fire. Centre County Police were assisted by the Pennsylvania State police, who came in riot gear to break up the riot. Total damages were estimated to be $17,000,[12] and 13 individuals were charged as a result of not following orders.[13]

See also

• Ohio State–Penn State football rivalry

References

1. "Penn State vs. Ohio State: Television Coverage, Announcers, Live Stream". October 21, 2016.
2. Press, The Associated (October 23, 2016). "Penn State Topples Ohio State After Blocked Field-Goal Attempt" – via NYTimes.com.
3. Bodani, Frank. "Ranked: These 10 Penn State football plays resonate the loudest in the past 25 years". The York Daily Record.
4. "No match for Michigan: Penn State is wiped out at scrimmage in a 49-10 loss ... and James Franklin is now 0-7 against The Big Three". pennlive. September 25, 2016.
5. "Penn State-Ohio State, a different look: 5 under-the-radar moments that shaped the Lions' upset". pennlive. October 25, 2016.
6. "Chris Godwin - Football". Penn State University Athletics.
7. "Ohio State vs. Penn State - Game Summary - October 22, 2016 - ESPN". ESPN.com.
8. "Penn State Wrestlers Troll Ohio State With Blocked Kick Re-Enactment". Onward State. February 9, 2019.
9. "It's the 3-year anniversary of Penn State's blocked kick six leading to an upset of Ohio State". pennlive. October 22, 2019.
10. https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/ncaa/penn-state-football-nittany-lions-upset-no-2-ohio-state-24-21
11. https://www.daytondailynews.com/sports/ranking-the-losses-the-urban-meyer-era-ohio-state-most-surprising-least/CL41IETG1ke8HQCsIMA2AM/
13. lehighvalleylive.com, Tony Rhodin | For (November 15, 2016). "13 charged in Penn State riot after Ohio State game". lehighvalleylive.