STATE COLLEGE — He had spent his high school career at center and started all 13 games there last season for Penn State.
Still, it took some time for Connor McGovern to get used to being back in the middle on Saturday.
“Honestly, it was a little weird at first,” said the junior from Lake-Lehman. “Then, after the first couple series, I was able to get right back into it and felt very comfortable throughout the game.”
It showed. With McGovern filling in for usual starting center Michal Menet — the sophomore was in street clothes, out with an apparent injury — the Nittany Lions offense had one of its best performances in Big Ten play, racking up 38 points and 565 yards of total offense.
McGovern hadn’t played center since the Fiesta Bowl win nearly 11 full months ago, switching back to right guard this fall and starting the first 11 games of the season there.
But with Menet out, having McGovern able to slide over was a luxury for the Lions, who plugged in redshirt freshman Mike Miranda at right guard for his first career start.
“There’s no question about it,” coach James Franklin said. “…It was great that Connor was able to slide into center. He did that earlier in his career, and he and Miranda, from what I saw, played at a pretty high level.”
McGovern said he found out Wednesday afternoon that he’d have to make the switch.
It could have been a tougher situation for the Lions because McGovern sat out the end of last week’s win at Rutgers with a right arm injury. Though he was still sporting a wrap on the arm on Saturday, McGovern showed no ill effects and the Lions had no issues with their shotgun snaps on every play.
Penn State went with Will Fries, Steven Gonzalez, McGovern, Miranda and Ryan Bates up front, from left to right.
“All week, (offensive line coach Matt Limegrover) made it a point that we wanted to be able to run the ball at will and dominate up front,” McGovern said. “We took that to heart and really showed that today.”
McGovern has been receiving some national attention as of late, most notably being named the top draft-eligible guard by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. despite being in only his third year of college ball.
For his part, McGovern said he hasn’t thought ahead to his plans for next season. He is on track to graduate next spring.
Johnson returns
After sitting out three straight games and missing parts of the last five with a lower-body injury, wideout Juwan Johnson was back in uniform.
He did not, however, return to the starting lineup as Penn State went with DeAndre Thompkins and Jahan Dotson with KJ Hamler in the slot as usual.
Johnson got back on the stat sheet in the fourth quarter, hauling in a 38-yard catch and adding another 8-yard grab to set up Penn State’s final touchdown.
Johnson was initially hurt back on Oct. 20 against Indiana. The junior didn’t play in the second half and had a pronounced limp after the game. He dressed the following week against Iowa and played a handful of snap but did not record a catch. Johnson proceeded to sit out the next three weeks, missing the trip to Michigan entirely.
Though Johnson returned, redshirt freshman wideout Mac Hippenhammer missed his first game of the year after getting banged up against Rutgers.
Send-off for the locals
Of the 21 players honored on senior day, two hailed from District 2 high schools in starting long snapper Kyle Vasey (Wallenpaupack) and reserve tight end Joe Arcangelo (Abington Heights).
While Vasey has been in the thick of things all season long, Arcangelo made his first appearance for Penn State. And the walk-on even got the ball thrown his way, hauling in a 5-yard pass from Tommy Stevens on the Lions’ final drive.
“(Guys like) Joe Arcangelo catching a pass … it was fantastic to see all of those guys get on the field and have a chance to play,” Frankin said.
Recruiting corner
Penn State’s day started off with a win as the Lions landed their first verbal commitment for the 2020 recruiting class.
Michigan offensive lineman Grant Toutant made the trip to Happy Valley despite the nasty weather and pledged to Franklin in person a day after he helped lead his team to a state championship.
“I’m excited to announce that I am 100% committed to Penn State,” Toutant wrote on Twitter.
The three-star prospect hails from De La Salle Collegiate High School in Warren, Mich., checking in at 6-foot-6, 280 pounds. Toutant chose the Lions over offers from Wisconsin, Pitt, Duke and Indiana.
Penn State still isn’t finished filling up its 2019 class, which will begin to sign in less than a month. The Lions have 17 seniors in the fold and should have several spots open because of the medical retirements of two players from last year’s class, Nana Asiedu and Jordan Miner.
But it’s never too early to start on 2020, a cycle that has Penn State in the mix for some of the nation’s top prospects, including the No. 1 overall recruit, Maryland defensive lineman Bryan Bresee, and the No. 1 wide receiver, Southern Columbia’s Julian Fleming.
While Toutant is the first junior to commit to the Lions, Miami leads the country with 10 2020 recruits. Ohio State, Alabama and LSU are next with six apiece.
