Pinstripe Bowl 2014: Game Grades, Analysis for Boston College vs. Penn State

The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated the Boston College Golden Eagles on Saturday evening in overtime in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium in New York City.

Christian Hackenberg was sensational for the Nittany Lions, completing 34 of his 50 passes for 371 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime.

Both teams struggled on offense until the second half, with each team trading only a single touchdown through the first and second quarters. Boston College held a 21-7 lead late in the fourth quarter before Penn State rallied under Hackenberg to tie it up and force overtime.

The Golden Eagles relied heavily on their rushing game, with running back Jon Hilliman and quarterback Tyler Murphy combining for more than 250 yards on the ground. 

However, Murphy's passing left much to be desired. Despite passing for two touchdowns, he couldn't move the Eagles down the field with his arm, throwing for only 97 yards and 11 completions.

Both teams were evenly matched throughout the night, and Penn State's win came off a missed extra point in overtime.

Here are games grades for both teams using statistics obtained from NCAA.com.

Penn State Game Grades

Position Unit	Half-Time Grades	Final Grades
Passing Offense	B	A
Pass Defense	A	A
Rushing Offense	D	D
Rush Defense	D	D
Special Teams	C	C
Coaching	C	B

Passing Offense

Although Hackenberg struggled during the middle of the game, his excellent first-quarter, fourth-quarter and overtime performances more than made up for it. With nearly 400 yards passing and four touchdowns, Hackenberg almost singlehandedly led the Nittany Lions to victory.

Penn State's wide receivers also played well under pressure, and despite a few dropped passes, they came down with contested balls late in the game that turned the matchup in their favor. 

Pass Defense

Penn State kept Boston College's passing offense in check throughout the game, allowing Tyler Murphy to pass for only 97 yards. 

By making the Golden Eagles one-dimensional, Penn State was able to quickly get back in the game after falling behind two scores late in the third quarter. 

Rushing Offense

The Nittany Lions rushing attack left much to be desired, accounting for just 82 total yards of offense. 

However, Akeel Lynch's 35-yard run helped put the Lions in scoring position and allowed them to even it up.

Rushing Defense

As good as Penn State's passing defense was, the rushing defense was on the complete opposite end of the spectrum.

Boston College ran the ball at will, especially in the first quarter, when Hilliman racked up more than 100 yards. Murphy also added more than 100 yards on the ground, and the Nittany Lions simply had no answer for the Eagles' ground game. 

Special Teams

Penn State's special teams were fairly uneventful in this matchup. Kicker Sam Ficken's 45-yard field goal sent the game to overtime, while his extra-point attempt ended up giving the Lions the win in overtime.

Punting was a bit of a concern for Penn State, however, with Daniel Pasquariello averaging just 34.5 yards per punt and a long of 42 yards. 

Coaching

Credit head coach James Franklin and his staff for keeping the Lions in the game when they fell behind 14 points with just a few minutes left in the third quarter.

The offense also executed well in overtime after falling behind by a touchdown and being placed in a do-or-die situation. Franklin's coaching acumen is what landed him the Penn State job in the first place, and he didn't disappoint in his first postseason game with the Nittany Lions.

Boston College Game Grades

Position Unit	First-Half Grades	Final Grades
Passing Offense	F	D
Pass Defense	C	D
Rushing Offense	A	A
Rush Defense	A	A
Special Teams	B	F
Coaching	B	C

Passing Offense

Boston College just never got into rhythm in the passing game, with Tyler Murphy overthrowing, underthrowing, and flat-out missing wide-open receivers all night. His two touchdown passes help keep his performance from being a total loss, but the Eagles needed more than that to put away the Nittany Lions when they got a 14-point lead late in the third quarter. 

Pass Defense

The Eagles managed to stop Hackenberg through most of the second and third quarters, but he shredded Boston College's defense in the fourth quarter, which proved to be the turning point of the game.

Overall, Hackenberg's nearly 400 yards had Boston College on its heels when the game was truly on the line, and the Golden Eagles never recovered once he got back into rhythm with his receivers. 

Rushing Offense

Jon Hilliman and Tyler Murphy's rushing attack was one of the sole bright spots for Boston College, and it was nearly enough to win the game. The running back and quarterback duo went for more than 250 yards on the ground and two touchdowns, and both had runs of at least 40 yards. 

Rush Defense

Like the rushing offense, Boston College excelled in its rush defense against Penn State. 

The Nittany Lions have a weak offensive line, but the Golden Eagles held them to less than 100 yards on the ground. A 35-yard gain is the only thing separating Penn State's dismal rushing attack on Saturday from being truly one of the worst in bowl history. 

Special Teams

One play was the difference between a win and loss for Boston College, and it ended up being a missed extra point in overtime.

With so much riding on what should be an automatic play, it's hard to give the Golden Eagles anything other than an F overall. 

Coaching

Head coach Steve Addazio did well to make up for his quarterback's deficiencies by relying so heavily on the ground game. But the defensive staff dropped the ball by allowing Penn State to score two touchdowns and a field goal late in the game to tie it up and send it to overtime.