Terry Smith reflects on 1st win as Penn State interim head coach
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Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith received an ice-cold Gatorade shower and was carried off the sideline by his offensive linemen after their win against Michigan State on Saturday. It was only the Nittany Lions‘ fourth win of the season — against a 3-6 team, no less — but it was the first postgame celebration the program has had in over two months.
“It’s always a special moment when people celebrate you that way. It’s very humbling. I love those guys to death, I would do anything for them,” Smith said postgame. “They played so hard for us. It was just a great moment. I’m sitting here soaking wet, hypothermia or something, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. It was just a great moment for Penn State football.”
Smith ran through a gauntlet in his first three games as the interim head coach. Penn State narrowly lost to Iowa on the road, took a beating from No. 1 Ohio State in Columbus, and then nearly took down No. 2 Indiana at home. The Nittany Lions were in a tight game again at Michigan State, but a strong fourth quarter lifted them to a 28-14 win.
“I’m just super happy for our kids, super happy for our program, super happy for our fans and our following,” Smith said. “We deserve this game, we now know again what it feels like to win, and we just gotta build on this momentum.”
It was a complete team win for Penn State. Running back Kaytron Allen had a career high 181 yards on the ground and two touchdowns, and Nicholas Singleton added 56 yards of his own. Quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer only passed 13 times, but he threw two touchdowns and managed the game well. Defensively, the Nittany Lions kept Michigan State scoreless in the second half and held them to only 1-of-13 on third and fourth downs.
Smith said coaches “relish in those moments” because of the heart and soul they pour in each week, and it’s a great feeling when that work leads to success for his players and the team.
“I’m just happy for those guys in the locker room. For all you that are parents, you understand exactly what I’m saying, these are my kids, and there’s nothing more than to make your kids happy,” Smith said. “The sacrifice we do as parents for our kids, that’s what I’m happy about.”
Saturday’s win keeps Penn State’s slim bowl chances alive. At 4-6, the Nittany Lions will need to win their next two games against Nebraska (7-3) at home and Rutgers (5-5) on the road to qualify for a bowl bid. Smith emphasized that the win over Michigan State is only the start of Penn State’s late-season rally.
“Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow, we reset … we’re gonna reset tomorrow, we’re gonna learn from our mistakes, we’re gonna continue to improve and get better,” Smith said. “We’re playing for our life to make a bowl game. We took a huge step today, getting back in the win column.”
Penn State will host Nebraska for the final home game of the season next weekend. The game has been slotted for a primetime kickoff on NBC.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: What Terry Smith said after his first career victory for Penn State
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