College Sports

Snell runs wild, No. 16 Kentucky holds off No. 13 Penn State

Posted January 01, 2019 6:00 am

By FRED GOODALL

Penn State safety Nick Scott (4) stops Kentucky running back Benny Snell Jr. (26) after a short gain during the first half of the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Associated Press

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) - Benny Snell Jr. ran for 144 yards and two touchdowns to become Kentucky's career rushing leader and help the 16th-ranked Wildcats wrap up their best season in more than four decades with a 27-24 victory over No. 13 Penn State in the Citrus Bowl on Tuesday.

Snell scored on runs of 2 and 12 yards in the second half, then carried for a couple of crucial first downs to help Kentucky (10-3) run out the clock after Penn State's Trace McSorley trimmed a 27-7 deficit to three points despite playing with a foot injury.

McSorley threw for 246 yards and two touchdowns, and the Nittany Lions' career passing and wins leader also rushed for a team-high 75 yards on 19 attempts.

Lynn Bowden Jr. scored on a 58-yard punt return for Kentucky, and Southeastern Conference defensive player of the year Josh Allen had three of the Wildcats' six sacks.

Penn State (9-4) trailed 27-7 entering the fourth quarter, but McSorley's wasn't finished. His 1-yard TD run capped a 75-yard drive, and he followed with an 18-yard TD pass to Pat Friermuth to cut Kentucky's lead to six.

The Nittany Lions marched to the Kentucky 14 on their next possession to pull to within 27-24 with 4:12 left.

Thanks to Snell, a junior who already has declared for the NFL draft, McSorley didn't get the ball back until just one second was left on the clock.

Kentucky finished with its first 10-win season since 1977, when the Wildcats went 10-1.

Snell broke Sonny Collins' career rushing record on his 12-yard TD run that made it 27-7 late in the third quarter. Collins rushed for 3,835 yards from 1972-75.

THE TAKEAWAY

Kentucky: Facing a tradition-rich opponent in a New Year's bowl was a big deal for the Wildcats, who made the most of the opportunity. Along with the three sacks, Allen blocked a field goal to key a strong defensive effort, while the offense shrugged off a slow start to help the Wildcats pull away in the second half.

Penn State: The Nittany Lions fell short of their goal to finish with 10 wins in three consecutive seasons for the first time since 1980-82. Three of their four losses were by a total of eight points.

UP NEXT

Kentucky: Wildcats look to build on success they've had under coach Mark Stoops, who has transformed them into a Top 25 team. Their 5-3 record in SEC play represented their first winning mark in the league in 41 years, spawning heightened expectations for 2019.

Penn State: Nittany Lions face challenge of replacing McSorley, the school's career leader for wins, completions, passing yards, passing TDs, total offense and rushing TDs by a quarterback.

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More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley looks for a receiver against Kentucky during the first half of the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Associated Press

Kentucky's Lynn Bowden Jr. (1) returns a punt for a 58-yard touchdown as he gets past Penn State's C.J. Thorpe (69) during the first half of the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Associated Press

Kentucky safety Davonte Robinson, left, stops Penn State running back Miles Sanders (24) after a short gain during the first half of the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Associated Press

Penn State tight end Nick Bowers (83) celebrates his 1-yard touchdown reception against Kentucky with wide receiver Clevan Thomas Jr. (18) during the first half of the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Associated Press

Kentucky linebacker Kash Daniel (56) sacks Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley during the first half of the Citrus Bowl NCAA college football game, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux) The Associated Press

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