Penn State is not any stranger to the women’s national final The Nittany Lions, in fact, have been in the Big Game 20 times in the last 22 years. That’s right, 20 out of 22. So it’s not really a surprise that Penn State made the final.

And going into the final, they were 10-9 in the final, so you could be forgiven for assuming one outcome or the other.

But in the end, Penn State prevailed over BYU 15-5.

And here’s how they did it.

Math

“We have a saying - eight as one,” said prop Azniv Nalbandian, the freshman who earned Player of the Game award for the final. And they needed that. Hope Rogers, the Eagle-capped Sorensen-Award-Winner graduated at the end of the fall, and they lost her in the front row, and yet kept going. They brought in Nalbandian, who was a force despite being a grist-year. The back row of Taylah Pipkin, Bitsy Cairns, and Katie Mueller was superb. Pipkin was effective in the lineout, and seemed to be the one who appeared whenever the ball fell loose. Suddenly, there was Pipkin, picking it up and moving forward.

Cairns was active in defense and also slotted in nicely as a first receiver when scrumhalf Carly Waters or flyhalf Gabby Cantorna was indisposed. And Mueller was a power-runner from No. 8.

Second row Beth Rose got some go-forward and also was hugely effective in the set piece. It was a complete team performance, but one made up of special individual performances. For Rose, it was certainly a special day, as she did all those little unheralded things that keep a team in the win column.

Brains

Playing on a wet track in Moraga, Penn State found ways to keep the ball moving to the outside, making short passes and looping players through the backline to lengthen the line. The result wasn’t astounding - two tries on the wing, and only one from what we’re talking about, but it was enough. But the other reason was the boot. The first try was after the Penn State team had hit a bit of a wall against the Cougars. Cantorna then sent a nifty grubber through that Scout Cheeks chased down to fall on. It was a case of using the wet, slidey ground to your advantage.

And then Cantorna spent much of the second half booting the ball deep downfield. She kicked to space, not to players, and made touch when needed. Her kicking skills were very good, but it was the decision to use them that helped Penn State win.

Left: Cantorna boots it deep. Right: Feury on the run. Austin Brewin photo.

Talent

Tess Feury started at wing and moved to fullback and was all sorts of brilliant in both positions. The center pairing of Kacy Dux and Rachel Ehrecke wasn’t flashy, but they kept the ball and kept it moving. Waters kept the game moving. And Nalbandian was a revelation. She put in a series of massive tackles that rocked a good, aggressive BYU team. She scored a try, and she helped keep the scrum together when BYU put on the pressure.

That’s why.

Austin Brewin photo.