Here’s a halftime update from Adam Bittner, who is struggling with internet issues as he reports from the press box.
Dreams of an upset in Happy Valley are dying quickly.
After taking a 3-0 lead early against No. 2 Alabama at Beaver Stadium, Penn State now trails 17-3 at halftime following three unanswered Crimson Tide scores.
Evan Lewis drilled a 43-yard field goal to cap off a 16-play, 54-yard drive to give Penn State its initial edge, but the offense has sputtered since. In the mean time, Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron has led the Tide with a 13-19, 110-yard and one touchdown performance, enough for three solid drives to give his team the lead.
Both Rob Bolden and Matthew McGloin have seen time at quarterback for Penn State, though Bolden has seen a majority of the action.
Neither has been effective.
Bolden completed just 5-14 passes in the half for 43 yards. McGloin, in two drives, was 0-3 passing. At this point, it appears little will be resolved on the quarterback front today.
Silas Redd was a bright spot early for the Nittany Lions, ripping off a couple nice runs on Penn State’s opening drive. The Tide defense has held him in check since, though. He has 46 yards on 14 carries, and his average yards per carry is down to 3.3.
The Crimson Tide will receive the second half kickoff and will look to take a three score lead. If they do, Penn State will be hard-pressed to mount any kind of comeback without some major adjustments on offense. Stay tuned.