After slumbering through a 17-0 first quarter, Penn State seemed to wake up in the second quarter of the 2012 TicketCity Bowl, using strong play from all three units to get back in the game.
Justin Brown walked a tight-rope along the sidelines for a 93-yard punt return that was called back, but not before giving the Penn State offense great field position.
And with starting QB Rob Bolden struggling, the Nittany Lions kept the ball on the ground, controlling the line of scrimmage with RB Silas Redd rushing for 23 yards on 9 carries and RB Stephfon Green getting 36 yards, including scoring up the middle on a fake snap to the QB.
The next drive, Penn State was able to stop Houston on a fourth-and-1 deep in Nittany Lions territory, and all of a sudden, the TicketCity Bowl looked like it would be a game.
But the Cougars quick-strike offense reared its head soon after, as Case Keenum escaped pressure in the pocket to find a streaking Patrick Edwards behind the Penn State secondary for a 75-yard TD pass.
Houston is up 24-7 at the half, with Keenum completing an astounding 30 of 46 passes for 380 yards and 3 TD's.