My Penn State Football Story

Allow me to start with the ending. The scoreboard read 00:00. Final score: Penn State Nittany Lions 37, Michigan State Spartans 13. For the third time in my four years at Penn State, the Lions took home the Land Grant trophy awarded to the winner of this game. As I left Beaver Stadium for the last time as a student, I knew I had to say something about one of the strangest and best aspects of being a Penn State student: the football games.

History will show that these past four years have been a dark time for the program. Joe Paterno had had only two losing seasons coming into 2001. That number more than doubled throughout my tenure. Even still, this was an experience I would not trade for anything. Here are my most memorable (home) games from the past four years, in chronological order:

Miami Hurricanes (September 1, 2001): This was my first Penn State game in the student section. The stadium (which fits about 110,000 people) was packed. The student section was rocking over an hour before the 8 pm start. Adam Talifero (sp?), a PSU defensive back who fought through paralysis, led the team onto the field. Despite having nacho cheese dropped all over the back of my shirt, it had all the makings of a great night of football.

Then came the opening kickoff. By halftime a team that would eventually go undefeated, win the national title, and send most of its roster to the NFL had a 30-0 lead on the home team. This was the only game I ever left early. I didn't miss much. Final score: Miami 33, Penn State 7.

Ohio State Buckeyes (October 27, 2001): For the first time all season, Penn State was coming off a win, gained the previous week at 20th ranked Northwestern. That win tied Joe Paterno for first place in all time Division I-A wins with the legendary Bear Bryant. This game would be for the historic 324th victory.

Zack Mills, making his first home start, led an inspired effort by the Lions. A late touchdown provided the Lions with a two point fourth quarter lead. Ohio State's attempt at a game winning drive faltered when their field goal attempt was blocked. The block seemed predetermined, sort of a confluence of fate, the will of God, and the will of the crowd. With the record breaking 29-27 victory officially over, I along with many other people (not including Josh and Dan, the people I was at the game with) decided to go unto the field. From there, I watched as the players celebrated and Joe Pa gave his victory speech. It was one of the most amazing moments I've ever been a part of, even apart from it being the first home win since I became a student.

Nebraska Cornhuskers (September 14, 2002): Eight years prior, Nebraska was awarded the national title, leaving undefeated Penn State out in the cold. No one had forgotten. The stadium was packed to record capacity. We came strong and loud. I myself almost got into a fight in the parking lot with a passing Nebraska fan. Unlike the last prime time game against a top ten team, Penn State roared as loudly as the crowd.

The game was close for the first half, with the Lions taking a 13-6 lead over the seventh ranked visitors. By the end of the third quarter, Penn State had added twenty unanswered points. With each touchdown (there was a missed two point conversion), the crowd grew louder and louder. By the time the third quarter ended, it was an all out party at Beaver Stadium. The final score was 40-7, but you got the impression it could have been even higher. I was without a voice for a week afterwards, but I didn't care. It's hard to care about such things after watching a game like that. To this day, it's the single best atmosphere I've ever been a part of.

Iowa Hawkeyes (September 28, 2002): I only mention this game, a 42-35 overtime loss, for two reasons. First, Penn State came back from 22 points down in the fourth quarter to tie the game, only to have poor officiating cost the Lions in overtime. It was amazing to watch such a thing unfold, from the gloom of the first three quarters to the joy of the fourth to the rage of overtime. The second memorable part of this game was the infamous "Joe Pa/Ref" altercation happened almost right in front of me. We were maybe about a section over from where Joe Pa grabbed the referee and spun him around. It didn't seem to do much good though, two of PSU's three in conference losses this particular season could be directly traced to the officiating.

Michigan State Spartans (November 23, 2002): Penn State's only bowl appearance in my four years here was at the conclusion of this season. The biggest reason for that was the stellar play of Larry Johnson. A backup for most of his tenure, Johnson had broken out this year, particularly at the end of the year. He needed 264 yards to break the 2,000 yards rushing mark, a daunting feat. Johnson ran for 279...in the first half. In one of the most dominating displays I've ever seen, Penn State whipped Michigan State 61-7.

The run that cemented Johnson's place in history was a 38 yard touchdown run at the end of the first half to give the Lions a 48-0 lead. A few seconds before the play, I joked with my friend Dan that if Johnson ran it in for the touchdown, he'd have the record. With the score already 41-0, it certainly seemed plausible, but it still felt unlikely. The words had barely escaped my mouth when Johnson ran those 38 yards down the sideline. The Spartans simply could not stop Johnson or anyone else in a blue jersey. Penn State was on its way to the Citrus Bowl. Much like the Nebraska game, it became a party.

Ohio State Buckeyes (November 1,2003): This was the only game from Junior year worth mentioning. Penn State was in the midst of a dismal 3-9 year. Ohio State was the defending national champion. No one gave Penn State much of a chance. Still, as with any big game in Happy Valley, the fans came out in droves. The atmosphere was great all game. Penn State was winning for most of the game, in fact, despite what would turn out to be a key blown interception call. An upset looked very possible.

An Ohio State touchdown gave them a one point lead with a minute and a half left. Penn State had trouble moving the ball, but got within range for a David Kimball field goal. From where I was sitting, the 60 yarder looked good. The people in my section (and several others) started celebrating the upset victory. In reality, though, the field goal fell just short and to the right of the goal posts. Ohio State 21, Penn State 20.

Iowa Hawkeyes (October 23, 2004): The game can be summed up in the final score: Iowa 6, Penn State 4. Simply put, one of the ugliest games I've ever seen. A coming out party for a young defense that will only get better over the next few years. The offense...well I'll discuss that later.

Michigan State Spartans (November 20, 2004): We're back to where we started. A 28 point burst in the third quarter, made possible by mind boggling play by the defense and Zack Mills, iced this game. This was a complete game in every sense of the word. The offense, defense, special teams, and crowd were all clicking. However, when I think of this game, I will think of the tree.

Sitting in the senior section, you meet some weird people, especially on senior day. Among the group my friends and I were watching the game with was a group of guys, dressed in Hawaiian shirts and hats, waving an inflatable plastic palm tree. Normally, this is done to signify a bowl birth in some form of a tropical location. With a 3-7 record, Penn State was not going to any such bowl game. In addition, the palm tree was getting in everyone's way and annoying half our section. Someone finally stole the tree and sent it crowd surfing through the student section. Many of us, including myself, celebrated the tree's departure. Unfortunately for us, it came back.

At half time, Penn State was down 6-3. The island guys were waving the tree about. "FEAR THE TREE" was their refrain. Those of us who were unhappy with them altered their chant slightly. Finally, two drunk girls (who were located right in front of me) went over to them and tried to get the tree away. Eventually, my friend Kat joined the fray and ripped one of the leaves off the palm tree. "VICTORY!" said we. "NOOOOO" screamed they. Eventually, the tree was ripped apart and, piece by piece, distributed as souvenirs. The island guys decried this act, assuring us of a Penn State loss due to death of the tree. After Penn State scored 28 points in a dominating third quarter, they retracted their statement. I will hold onto my pieces of the tree, for it will always remind me of the fun of these PSU games.

Before I close the book on this chapter of my college career, there are two issues I wanted to address. The first deals with Penn State quarterback Zack Mills. History will undoubtedly look unfavorably on General Mills, yet is such treatment justified? Zack broke or held most of the standing Penn State passing records. He did lead the team to a bowl appearance. After his sophomore year, Mills seemed destined to win (or at least be a finalist for) a Heisman. At a time when David Carr, Carson Palmer, Ben Roethelisberger, Byron Leftwich, Joey Harrington, and other college quarterbacks were lighting it up, Mills was often put up with them. Even after the 13-9 loss to Auburn on New Year's day, 2003, Mills's record at Penn State was 13-6. Since then, Penn State has had a record of 7-16. Though Mills did not play in all these games (several losses came while Mills was injured), this poor record cursed his legacy as one of the better quarterbacks the school had ever seen. The problem with the Penn State offense the past two years has been systemic. Mills deserves part of the blame, but the failure of the offensive line, running backs, and wide recievers must be taken into consideration. Greatest ever? Not even close. Good, solid quarterback? Absolutely. Here's hoping Zack winds up in a training camp somewhere this summer.

This same image problem will likely haunt the team itself over the span of history. Record wise, I was a part of some of the worst football Penn State has offered during the Paterno era. Yet, what I saw was:

-Three record breaking careers (LJ, Mills, and Paterno)

-Many exciting games against top teams, including two prime time games and two games against future national champions.

-One of the best fanbases in the nation in one of the best stadiums in the nation each and every week.

-The beginning of what could be another renaissance in Penn State history. With Dan Connor leading a young defense, a star recruit already committed for next year, and Anthony Morrelli waiting in the wings at QB, the Penn State I knew and loved growing up could return in the very near future.

What did I see? I saw some bad times. I was also a part of some truly great Nittany Lion moments. It was an experience I would not have missed for the world. It is a world I will miss.