Watch: Squirrel scampers for touchdown at Penn State-West Virginia game in Beaver Stadium

In the first quarter of Penn State’s 2023 college football season opener against West Virginia, it wasn’t a running back or wide receiver that broke loose for a huge gain midway through the period.

No, it was a four-legged intruder.

Shortly after a Penn State punt with 3:31 remaining in the first quarter, and with the Nittany Lions holding a 7-0 lead, a squirrel scampered across the turf at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

With two Penn State employees in blue polos chasing after it, the squirrel not only ran across the field, but found its way into the end zone, much to the delight of a cheering crowd of more than 100,000.

After crossing the goal line, and having seemingly accomplished what it wanted to in its run of glory, the squirrel was eventually shepherded off the field, running out of the side of the end zone near a group of West Virginia cheerleaders.

If nothing else, the rodent’s admirable effort provided a spark for a West Virginia offense that struggled to get much traction on its first two possessions. On the ensuing drive after the squirrel’s mad dash, the Mountaineers went 69 yards in nine plays for a touchdown to even the score, capped off by a 1-yard touchdown run from CJ Donaldson.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Squirrel scores touchdown in Penn State-West Virginia game