Penn State rides first-half offensive burst to win over San Diego State

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. - Christian Hackenberg enjoyed his best performance of the 2015 season for Penn State, but the Nittany Lions needed a 71-yard fumble return touchdown by 323-pound defensive tackle Austin Johnson to send everyone in Beaver Stadium home happy Saturday.

Hackenberg threw three first-half touchdown passes before the Lions offense stalled, and Johnson provided a lift with his rumble to the end zone early in the fourth quarter to help Penn State secure a 37-21 victory over San Diego State before a crowd of 95,107.

The Nittany Lions (3-1) played the game with a heavy heart, one day after learning of the death of Terry Zettel, 46, the father of defensive tackle Anthony Zettel. The elder Zettel lost a long battle with cancer at his home in West Branch, Mich.

"It's been pretty intense for him and his family for the last three weeks," head coach James Franklin said. "He's driven home after each game so it's been tough. We talk about being a family, we're going to back that up all the time. I thought Anthony and his family handled this unbelievably well."

Zettel played Saturday and led the team with seven tackles, 21/2 for loss. He also recovered a fumble.

Penn State converted three fumble recoveries into 21 points. In addition to Johnson's run, the Lions scored two touchdowns - both on short drives off fumble recoveries - in a 46-second span late in the second quarter.

Hackenberg finished off both of the late first-half drives with scoring passes, 13 yards to Mark Allen and 11 yards to Chris Godwin. He completed 16 of 24 passes for 234 yards in the first half.

After he had passed for just 372 yards in Penn State's first three games, with a season-high 141 yards last week against Rutgers, Hackenberg finished 21 for 35 for 296 yards Saturday.

"It's fun," Hackenberg said of airing the ball out more. "There were a couple [of deep balls] that we hit, a couple that we didn't. We're going to continue to get better at that. But I think that's something we can do well. We have the guys that can press the defense and challenge the secondary with speed. We're going to continue to work that."

The Lions lost their top two running backs in the second quarter. Freshman Saquon Barkley, who went 22 yards on a screen pass from Hackenberg for the Lions' first touchdown, went out early with an apparent right ankle injury. Redshirt junior Akeel Lynch was helped off the field favoring his left leg after being tackled on his team's second touchdown drive.

Franklin, per his policy on injuries, did not discuss either one.

San Diego State (1-3) had taken a 14-13 lead early in the second quarter, but Hackenberg's two touchdown passes late in the quarter gave the Nittany Lions a 27-14 halftime advantage. The Aztecs pulled to within 27-21 midway through the third quarter on a 1-yard run by Donnel Pumphrey.

Late in the third quarter, San Diego State began a drive from its 19 to the Penn State 25, but on a third-and-11 play, quarterback Malcolm Smith went back to pass and fumbled after a hit by defensive end Carl Nassib. Johnson, who starred at St. Augustine Prep, scooped up the loose ball at the 29, broke a tackle, and was gone.

Officials reviewed the play to see whether Smith's arm was moving forward at the time of the fumble, but the play was upheld, and the Nittany Lions led, 34-21, with 13 minutes, 44 seconds to play.

Johnson said it was his first touchdown at any level.

"When I started running, I was like: 'Oh my goodness, it's about to go down,' " Johnson said.

"I was just happy that I scored and that the rest of the defense was blocking for me. It felt really good."

Redshirt freshman Joey Julius kicked field goals of 40, 24, and 26 yards.

The Aztecs were held to 242 total yards. Smith, a graduate transfer from Kentucky, completed 10 of 29 passes for 141 yards.

jjuliano@phillynews.com

@JoeJulesinq