Sunday June 8th, 2025 1:55AM

No. 19 Penn St. avenges loss to Virginia

By
STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA - Zack Mills threw two touchdown passes as No. 19 Penn State beat Virginia 35-14 Saturday. <br> <br> Mills completed 19 of 30 passes for 227 yards, his first 200-yard game since throwing for 264 yards in a 27-24 overtime loss at Michigan on Oct. 12. Larry Johnson had 31 carries for 188 yards and one touchdown. <br> <br> On the second play of the fourth quarter, the Nittany Lions (7-3) faked a field goal and third-string quarterback Chris Ganter swept around the left side for a 30-yard touchdown run. Mills ran in the 2-point conversion for a 28-7 lead. <br> <br> Michael Haynes forced Virginia quarterback Matt Schaub to fumble on the next possession - Haynes&#39; sixth forced fumble of the season - and Shawn Mayer recovered for Penn State. Six plays later, Johnson ran 6 yards into the end zone for a 35-7 lead. Haynes also had three sacks. <br> <br> Wali Lundy had a 4-yard touchdown run for Virginia (6-4) midway through the fourth quarter to make it 35-14, but the Cavaliers wouldn&#39;t score again. <br> <br> The win helped Penn State make up for last year&#39;s season-ending 20-14 loss at Virginia, which prevented the Nittany Lions from becoming bowl eligible. <br> <br> It was the 334th career win for Penn State coach Joe Paterno, the winningest coach in major college history. <br> <br> Robbie Gould had two field goals for the Nittany Lions, including a 50-yarder in the third quarter to make it 20-7. <br> <br> Billy McMullen made a spectacular play for the Cavaliers on the first play of the second half, catching a pass over the middle, then stopping - causing three Penn State defenders to collide - and spinning toward the left sideline for a 41-yard gain. <br> <br> But the Cavaliers lost the ball two plays later when Alvin Pearman fumbled on the Penn State 39, and Andy Ryland recovered for the Nittany Lions. <br> <br> Mills was 3-for-3 passing on the next possession, including a 10-yard shovel pass to Paul Jefferson for a touchdown and a 17-7 lead. <br> <br> Casey Williams caught a 13-yard touchdown pass from Mills to tie the game at 7 late in the first quarter, and Gould&#39;s 33-yard field goal in the final seconds of the second quarter gave the Nittany Lions a 10-7 halftime lead. <br> <br> Mills fumbled and Chris Canty recovered at the Penn State 46 to set up Virginia&#39;s first score. Heath Miller made two third-down catches, including a 1-yard touchdown catch that gave the Cavaliers a 7-0 lead.
  • Associated Categories: Sports
© Copyright 2025 AccessWDUN.com
All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission.