We Are. Penn State.

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Classic Joe Paterno Moment #5: PSU Registers Longest Unbeaten Streak In School History



UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Thirty-one games. Thirty wins. One tie. The Lions' longest winning streak under Paterno began in 1967 and ended on an early September Saturday in 1970.

It all started with PSU's 50-28 road win at Boston College in October of 1967. Along the way, Paterno's squad beat four ranked teams and played in three bowl games, winning two. The lone blemish? A 17-17 draw with Florida State in the 1967 Gator Bowl.

Who, or what, lay at the heart of the win streak? That's debatable. Was it Paterno's coaching? Or clutch offensive play? A sound kicking game? All of it played a part. But PSU's strength should come as no surprise: A defense keyed by standouts Mike Reid, Steve Smear, Dennis Onkotz and Jack Ham.

A Colorado team that included future NFL star Cliff Branch, one of 40 returning letterwinners, ended PSU's lengthy run with a 41-13 victory in Boulder Sept. 26, 1970.

The Lions entered ranked No. 4, owners of a 24-point victory over the Buffaloes in State College a year earlier.

This one was slightly different.

Said PSU star halfback Lydell Mitchell: "They seemed to know some of our best plays before we had a chance to get moving."

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Classic Joe Paterno Moment #4: A Bizarre Orange Bowl Win Over No. 6 Kansas



UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Paterno's first huge win came via a fantastic finish. Fantastic, and bizarre.

The Jayhawks, led by running back John Riggins and scrambling quarterback Bobby Douglass, milked a 14-7 lead into the game's final minutes.

But PSU, having turned Kansas away on fourth-and-one from the Lions' 5 earlier in the fourth quarter, moved 50 yards in four plays for its second touchdown with just under a minute left.

Here, down 14-13, Paterno was faced with a tough choice. Play it safe, kick the extra point and preserve an undefeated season, or go for outright victory.

Paterno chose the latter but quarterback Chuck Burkhart, who had scored the TD on a run, had his two-point pass to tight end Ted Kwalick deflected and KU began celebrating. But yellow flags flew and the Jayhawks were rightly called for having 12 men on the field.

The ball was moved to the one-and-a-half-yard line, and Paterno switched to ground tactics. Running back Bob Campbell ran left on a sweep, followed a crushing block by guard Charlie Zapiec, and scurried into the end zone for the winning points.

PSU's defense finished with seven sacks of Douglass and the Lions became the first Eastern school to win the Orange Bowl since 1937.

Paterno said he wasted little time deciding to go for two points.

"A tie is unthinkable to me in this type of football game," said the coach, whose team fought Florida State to a 17-17 draw in the Gator Bowl a season earlier.

"I don't go for ties anymore."

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Classic Joe Paterno Moment #3: Passing Paul "Bear" Bryant On Career Wins List



UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The beginning of the 21st century was not good to Paterno and PSU. The 11-1 2005 year was electric but one of just two winning seasons between 1999-2005.

But Paterno made history in the middle of an otherwise dreadful 2001.

With the Lions slogging away at 1-4, Big Ten rival Ohio State visited Beaver Stadium on the last Saturday in October.

Paterno entered with 323 victories, the same number as the late, great Paul "Bear" Bryant.

The Alabama coaching giant, who had engaged Paterno's program in a number of memorable battles in the 1970s and 1980s, began the day with a piece of the Division I all-time wins record.

But after a PSU redshirt freshman quarterback named Zack Mills got through with Ohio State's defense, Paterno stood alone as the all-time wins leader with 324.

It sure looked like Paterno would have to wait another week for the record.

With 108,327 dismally looking on, the Lions trailed 27-9 early in the second half.

But there was no denying Mills during the final 30 minutes.

He replaced ineffective starter Matt Senneca after one series and produced 418 yards of offense. Mills tossed TD passes to Bryant Johnson and Tony Johnson to pull PSU close and also surprised the Buckeyes' defense with his quick feet on a 69-yard scoring run.

The go-ahead score, and the game-winner, was a short flip from Mills to running back Eric McCoo.

But PSU still had to stave off one late try by the visitors. It fell to mammoth defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy to save the day. He blocked Ohio State's go-ahead 35-yard field goal try in the final minutes and Mills and the offense ran out the clock.

The record belonged to Paterno, who was swarmed by his players afterward on the field.

"You never think it's going to be a big deal until it happens," said Paterno. "It's ... incredible. I'm a very, very lucky guy."

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Classic Joe Paterno Moment #2: Underdog Nittany Lions Capture 2nd National Title In 5 Years



UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Unbeaten Penn State vs. Unbeaten Miami. No. 2 vs. No. 1. But the funny thing was, few national experts were giving Paterno's Lions any chance against Jimmy Johnson's most talented Miami team.

The Hurricanes, led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Vinny Testaverde, were expected to wipe the Sun Devil Stadium turf with PSU's perceived band of overachievers. And Miami did field a considerable collection of talent, led by future first-round picks Testaverde, Michael Irvin, Alonzo Highsmith, Jerome Brown and Bennie Blades.

But despite a huge statistical edge (22 first downs to 8, 445 total yards to 162), Miami's vaunted offense could not finish against a PSU defense that was every bit the equal of Johnson's.

Led by linebackers Shane Conlan, Trey Bauer and Pete Giftopoulos and often deployed in an uncharacteristic 3-4 alignment by coordinator Jerry Sandusky, the ornery Lions punished the Hurricanes for every yard gained.

Quarterback John Shaffer scored on a 4-yard run in the second quarter and with PSU trailing 10-7 in the fourth, tailback D.J. Dozier scored from six yards out. It was then up to the defense, which ended Miami's final drive in the red zone on a Giftopoulous interception -- one of five.

In surprising fashion, Paterno had won his second title in five years.

"They kept talking about how little our defensive backs were," Conlan said afterward.

"I told them they better not forget how tough they are. Our little guys knocked them around; those Miami kids didn't want to catch the football."

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Classic Joe Paterno Moment #1: First National Championship Comes In 1983 Sugar Bowl



UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The greatest one was also the easiest one. You never forget your first. And for Paterno, a man in his third decade of coaching at the time and a man frustrated by more than a few near-misses, his ascension to the sport's elite status became complete when his one-loss Lions held off Vince Dooley's Bulldogs for National Championship No. 1.

An early-season win over Nebraska put PSU in the top five, but PSU was routed by Alabama two weeks later, 42-21. But there are often strange bounces in a college football season, and the Lions recovered to win their final six regular-season contests -- knocking off No. 13 Notre Dame and No. 5 Pittsburgh -- to soar back to No. 2.

The Sugar Bowl winner would be champion.

Paterno's high-powered offense accrued 367 yards as tailback Curt Warner ran for 117 yards and two scores and quarterback Todd Blackledge passed for 228 yards, 47 coming on a clutch fourth-quarter TD grab by wideout Gregg Garrity.

But Paterno's defense was just as impressive, limiting Georgia star tailback Herschel Walker to 103 yards on 28 tough carries.

Exhaustive pre-game study had a Lions defense led by safety Mark Robinson (8 tackles, 2 interceptions, 2 pass deflections) and linebacker Scott Radecic (14 tackles) ready for Walker's every move.

"Walker lines up closer to the line of scrimmage when he's going to run straight," Paterno said afterward.

"When they're going to pitch to him or run the option to him, he's much deeper in the formation. They don't seem to bother to disguise it."

After a Georgia score late in the fourth, PSU's offense ran off the final 4:54 of the clock. Paterno had his first title.

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Big Ten Preview: Illinois Edition

• Cornerback Terry Hawthorne, recruited as one of the country’s top wide receivers, will officially remain on defense full-time in 2010 after establishing himself as one of the country’s most promising cornerbacks in the second half of 2009.
  
  
• The Illini have added a new position on their defense called the ‘bandit’, which is expected to be a defensive end/linebacker hybrid. Sophomore Justin Staples is considered the early favorite to fill the role.
  
  
• While head coach Ron Zook will likely refrain from naming a starting quarterback until some point in the fall, freshman Nathan Scheelhaase appears to have moved ahead of sophomore Jacob Charest in the battle to replace Juice Williams. Scheelhaase’s mobility and productivity in scrimmages were impressive throughout the Spring.
  
  
• Speaking of quarterbacks, longtime backup Eddie McGee is now one of the Illini’s top wide receivers. McGee’s most notable play in 2009 was a 42 yard catch that helped clinch a win over Minnesota and he is widely expected to be one of Illinois’ starting wide receivers.

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Big Ten Preview: Indiana Edition

• A major point of emphasis this Spring was to improve the run attack and it didn’t appear to be successful. Starting tailback Darius Willis had injury issues and the Hoosiers combined for negative 38 yards in the first half of their Spring Game.
  
  
• Early enrollee Antonio Banks was impressive in a special teams role and is expected to contribute in 2010 at tailback and on kick returns
  
  
• The Hoosiers announced a uniform change for 2010, debuting jerseys that harken back to their 1967 Rose Bowl team, the only squad in school history to make the trip to Pasadena.
  
  
• Quarterback Ben Chappell and wideout Tandon Doss should make up one of the most dangerous combinations in the Big Ten this fall as both showed strong chemistry all year. But Charles Love III could become a viable second option after a strong Spring that culminated with a winning TD catch in the Spring Game.

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Big Ten Preview: Iowa Edition

• Iowa’s biggest position of concern heading into 2010 will be on the offensive line thanks to three open positions but head coach Kirk Ferentz was very positive about the development along the front. It appears that Markus Zusevics will join returning starter Reilly Reiff at tackle and Adam Gettis will join returning starter Julian Vandervelde at guard atop the depth chart.
  
  
• The final position available on the line, center, features a competition between Josh Koeppel and James Ferentz, the coach’s son. If the younger Ferentz wins the competition, which is sure to stretch into the fall, he would be the second Ferentz child to start on Iowa’s line during father Kirk’s tenure as head coach.
  
  
• After winning 11 games in 2009 despite losing four tailbacks along the way, Hawkeye fans will be relieved to know that Iowa looks very healthy in the backfield this Spring. Sophomore Jewel Hampton, who was expected to have a big 2009 before injuring his knee in the preseason, has been 100% healthy (though he’s been held out of contact drills) and should be ready to play a big role in Iowa’s backfield in 2010.
  
  
• Iowa didn’t hold a proper Spring Game this season as coach Kirk Ferentz preferred to run a sparsely attended event that functioned as a glorified practice. With the injury issues that his team ran into in 2009, can anyone blame him for forgoing putting his players in position to get hurt when he’s returning such a veteran team?

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Big Ten Preview: Michigan Edition

• The Wolverines are expected to unveil a 3-3-5 defense as their primary set in the fall. The explanation is that the switch is to take advantage of Michigan’s young talent but more cynical Wolverine fans will tell you it is a way to mask their shortcomings at linebacker.
  
  
• There was an open competition at quarterback all Spring between sophomores Tate Forcier and Denard Robinson and early enrollee Devin Gardner. While it is tough to believe that Forcier won’t eventually get the nod, all three QBs were given a shot for the duration of practice and Robinson showed a significantly stronger grasp of the offense and was compared favorably with Pat White at this stage in his development by Coach Rodriguez.
  
  
• Roy Roundtree has become Michigan’s unquestioned #1 receiving target. After putting together two solid years and showing flashes of greatness, Roundtree will enter 2010 coming off of a strong Spring practice that saw him catch a 97 yard touchdown bomb in the Spring Game and generally set the tone for Michigan’s wideouts.
  
  
• Redshirt freshman Jeremy Gallon was declared the leader heading into fall camp at both kick and punt returns by Rodriguez after the conclusion of the Spring Game. Gallon appears to have worked hard during his development year to improve his strength and speed.

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Big Ten Preview: Michigan State Edition

• Keith Nichol, last season’s backup quarterback, impressed in an expanded role at wide receiver during the Spring after acquitting himself well at the position in the Alamo Bowl. Expect Nichol to enter the season as one of the team’s starting wide receivers and only serving as an emergency option at quarterback.
  
  
• Redshirt Freshman Andrew Maxwell is expected to fill Nichol’s place as the backup quarterback to junior Kirk Cousins this fall after a solid spring. The Spartans appear to have one of the strongest quarterback situations in the conference heading into 2010.
  
  
• The Spartans made headlines as their defense began to install a 3-4 scheme. While head coach Mark Dantonio says that it won’t be their primary look, MSU has certainly recruited enough linebacker talent (including 5 star freshman William Gholston) to make the switch an effective move.
  
  
• Another reason that a 3-4 might get a bit of run is the lack of depth at defensive end. In a 4-3 set, it appears very unlikely that the Spartans will be able to effective rush the QB without blitzing, making the exotic blitz schemes of a 3-4 set very appealing to Dantonio.

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Big Ten Preview: Minnesota Edition

• The Gophers entered Spring with the expectations that their safety play would be one of the strengths of the team. However, the status of both starters will be up in the air this fall as Kim Royston (broken leg) and Kyle Theret (DUI suspension) had negative spring outings, leaving Minnesota with a huge question mark at safety.
  
  
• Perhaps the brightest spot of Spring was Minnesota’s development at the Offensive Line positions. After blocking for the 104 th and 111 th ranked rushing attack the last two years, a newly simplified scheme has allowed the line, which returns all five starters from 2009, to return to basics. Expect a much improved running game this fall.
  
  
• That should be music to the ears of 4 th year starting quarterback Adam Weber, who appears to have withstood a challenge from sophomore MarQuis Grey for the starter’s role. Weber will be operating under his 4 th different offensive coordinator in as many years and will benefit from a scaled down scheme.

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Big Ten Preview: Northwestern Edition

• Northwestern announced that this year’s game against rival Illinois will take place at historic Wrigley Field on November 20th, making the in-state showdown the first football game to take place at the home of the Cubs since 1970.
  
  
• Defense will always rule the day with former All-American linebacker Pat Fitzgerald running the show and that was the theme of the Spring Game as the Wildcats clamped down the still-learning offense and didn’t allow a score.
  
  
• Junior Dan Persa was named the starting quarterback over redshirt freshman Evan Watkins, a decision that came as no surprise after Persa played well in limited action last fall. Expect Persa to favorably compare to last year’s starter, Mike Kafka, in both style and productivity.

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Big Ten Preview: Ohio State Edition

• Quarterback Terrelle Pryor appeared to be fully healthy after undergoing offseason knee surgery after playing the 2 nd half of 2010 and the Rose Bowl with an injured PCL. Coach Jim Tressel believed that Pryor made significant progress in improving his footwork and it showed in Pryor’s brief but excellent appearance in the Spring Game.
  
  
• Linebacker Ettiene Sabino appears to have taken the reins at strong side linebacker and will replace departed senior Austin Spitler as the Buckeyes’ 3 rd starting ‘backer next to Ross Homan and Brian Rolle
  
  
• Sophomore Tight End Jake Stoneburner spent much of the Spring functioning as a major pass receiving threat, a departure from recent tradition at the position in Columbus. While there is still doubt that the tight end will play a major role in the offense, there is no doubt that Stoneburner is more than capable of being a major player in 2010.
  
  
• Left tackle, an area of concern for all of 2009, appears to have been nailed down by junior Mike Adams, a former 5* prospect. If Adams can avoid the off-field issues that have plagued him the past two seasons, Ohio State could have one of the country’s best O-Lines.

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Big Ten Preview: Penn State Edition

• While the Nittany Lions signed two elite quarterbacks in February, don’t expect either to start for PSU this fall. Joe Paterno said "Do you want to go down to Tuscaloosa with freshmen?" in reference to an early season game with Alabama. Expect sophomores Kevin Newsome or Matt McGloin to be under center in the fall.
  
  
• Paterno was also displeased with his team’s progress, saying “We’re not a very good team right now.” Areas of particular annoyance for the living legend included the offensive line and quarterback positions.
  
  
• DT Tom McEowen decided to forgo his 5 th year of eligibility and will move to his non-football career after graduating this spring.
  
  
• Starting Safety Drew Astorino, linebacker Michael Mauti and potential #2 tailback Brandon Beachum all missed the spring, slowing the development of three players expected to make a major contributions in 2010.

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Big Ten Preview: Purdue Edition

• Defensive End Ryan Kerrigan, who injured his foot in the season finale victory over Indiana, re-injured the foot early and missed the rest of spring practice. Boilermaker fans should hope for a quick recovery as he Purdue’s best D-Lineman.
  
  
• Kerrigan’s injury might not have been the worst one that Purdue suffered. Tailback Ralph Bolden, who was widely believed to be on the verge of a breakout season, might miss the entirety of 2010 due to a non-contact knee injury. If Bolden is lost then redshirt freshman Al-Terek McBurse is the favorite to start but the Boilermakers will sorely miss Bolden’s explosive talent.
  
  
• Speaking of injuries, perhaps no team in the entire country suffered more health issues than the Boilermakers. At one point, Purdue had ten starters sidelined and coach Danny Hope pushed back two practices until after the Spring Game to allow his players time to heal.
  
  
• Quarterback Robert Marve, a Miami (FL) transfer, is widely expected to be the starter in the fall. He made headlines by refusing to do interviews without his Offensive line and looked strong throughout practice.