Welcome to www.Collegefootballfan.com

"Get off the couch and go to a game!"

The Goal - See 'em all!

Penn State overcomes Purdue, 26-19;

Lions bid fond farewell to seniors as they welcome a Freshman

State College, PA – After our historical trip the previous weekend to complete The Goal by seeing the last two teams of 119 College Bowl Division teams when we saw Idaho play at Nevada-Reno, we returned to the site where we’ve seen thirteen teams play for the first time, Beaver Stadium in State College, PA.  This weekend we watched the Nittany Lions defeat the Boilermakers (7-3, 3-3 Big Ten), one of those first-time teams, 26-19, for PSU’s fourth win in as many times seen against the Boilermakers.  The Lions (7-3, 4-3 Big Ten), who celebrated Senior Day at their last home game of 2007, overcame an early deficit while possibly finding their running back of the future, Freshman Evan Royster, who rushed for 126 yards and one TD on 21 carries.   His 26-yard TD run gave the Lions their final margin of victory.

     Purdue’s WR Dorien Bryant got the team from Lafayette, IN off to an explosive start with a 97-yard kickoff return.  PK Chad Summers PAT gave Purdue a 7-0 lead 14 seconds into the game.  PSU cut the lead down to 7-3 retaliating with a drive from their ten resulting in Kevin Kelly’s 26-yard FG.  Bryant took the ensuing kickoff to his team’s 43-yard line, and the Purdue offense got back to work setting up a 43-yard FG by Summers to go back up by seven, 10-3.  Guest Game Analyst (GGA) Alex Koreivo, used to being only at PSU victories during recent years and now a freshman at Lenape Valley (NJ) High School, whose team lost only their second game of a 7-2 season the night before, lamented that she was “not used to the losing!” Purdue’s offense continued to click on its next possession driving from its own twenty-four to the PSU one where LB Sean Lee stripped the ball from RB Jaycen Taylor and recovered for the Lions on their own one-yard line.  It was a pivotal play for the final outcome before the first period even came to an end.

     PSU’s offense finally mounted a drive with quick out-passes and a 33-yard run by Royster.  The offense rarely threw down the field as one nearby fan surmised that JoePa likes to save his big plays for bowl games.  The Lions sustained their drive this time when QB Anthony Morrelli (22 of 35 for 210 yards, 1TD, 0 INTs) fired a quick out-pass to WR Derrick Williams on a slant for a five-yard TD pass to tie the score, 10-10.  Consecutive sacks by Lion DEs Chris Baker and Maurice Evans forced Purdue to punt from its own twenty-six.  With three TOs left, the Lions drove to the Purdue thirteen with :08 left in the half.  Kelly’s FG attempt was no good, but a roughing the kicker call gave the Lions another shot five yards closer, and Kelly connected on a 24-yarder to give Penn State a 13-10 halftime lead. As the teams left he field, a video advertised the possible Big Ten Bowl destinations for the PSU and Purdue fans in attendance. “Alamo”, “Outback”, “Citrus”, “Champs Sports”, but no Rose!  It’s hard to believe that since our excursion to Pasadena in 1995 that neither we nor the Lions have returned to the "Grandaddy of them all" since. 

     The PSU Blue Band celebrating Senior Day performed their favorite numbers from the six previous halftime shows in what is the earliest season finale ever at Beaver Stadium.  The Lions last two games over the next two weeks are on the road.  Though PSU’s football team has no national championship aspirations this year, the school honored two other successful Dear Old White and Blue teams before the 108,318 in attendance.  The women’s soccer team just clinched its tenth consecutive Big Ten regular season championship and travels to Minnesota this week for the conference play-offs.  The women’s volley ball team is ranked #1 in the nation.  Though PSU’s football program struggles now to stay in the Top 25, other sports programs in Happy Valley continue to thrive.  As the band finished their halftime performance, they had the Senior members of the marching unit remain standing for a final Beaver Stadium sendoff as the underclassmen took knees.  John surmised the numbers and said, “Well, with all the underclassmen returning next year, the band should be strong!”

     Purdue drove from its own fifteen to position Summers into place for a 28-yard FG to tie the score 13-13 midway through the third period.  With 1:40 left in the period, Summers struck again converting a 50-yard FG to regain the lead for Purdue, 16-13.  The Lions were driving at the Boilermakers’ thirty-six though as the third quarter came to a close.

     At the Boilermakers’ two, Morrelli dropped back but pitched to WR  Derrick Williams (10 catches for 95 yards) on an end around as the Junior dashed from right to left into the end zone to give State a 19-16 lead.  The snap for the extra point was bobbled, and the Lions settled with a tenuous three-point lead.  The PSU defense, led by LB Dan Connor who set a new Linebacker U. standard this day with his 373^rd tackle to eclipse Paul Posluszny’s mark, forced Purdue to a three-and-out.  The Nittany Lions seemed to be rolling again on a 25-yard run by RB Rodney Kinlaw (12 for 84 yards), but his next carry resulted in a fumble recovered by Purdue’s DE Cliff Avril.  The home crowd and Paterno protested as the replay on the scoreboard seemed to clearly indicate that Kinlaw had stepped out at the ten, but the review upheld the call and Purdue took over on the five.  The ensuing drive stalled and the Boilermakers punted.  State started from its own thirty-five.  On fourth and one from the forty-four, Morrelli’s sneak picked up two yards to keep the Lion drive alive.  The play paid off as Royster broke though the middle of the Purdue defense for a 26-yard touchdown run.  PSU led, 26-16. Purdue QB Curtis Painter (27 of 48, 255 yards) moved his team down the field controlling the clock by completing passes along the sideline.  Held to a fourth and ten at the twenty by State’s bend- but-don’t-break defense, Summers made good on his fourth FG of the day from 37 yards with 1:52 left to close the score by a TD, 26-19. However, Penn State’s defense allowed no TDs on the day as one was scored on the opening kickoff and all the other points came off Summers’ foot. Penn State recovered the onsides kick at Purdue’s forty-seven, but Boilermaker Head Coach Pat Tiller adroitly used time-outs to get the ball back after a Penn State punt on their own eleven with :24 left.  At PSU’s 48 with :03 on the clock, Painter heaved his “Hail Mary” pass into a crowd in the end zone where DB A.J. Wallace knocked it to the ground to seal Penn State’s 26-19 victory.  It was a down-to-the-wire game in Happy Valley.  The Lions and Boilermaker fans can start to contemplate the bowl possibilities with their identical records with seven wins already, but of course, neither will be at the Rose Bowl!  CollegeFootballFan.com will be attending the Alamo Bowl, and one of these two might be there as the Big Ten representative against a Big Twelve team on December 29.

     Both teams lost previously to Ohio State and to Michigan.  PSU fell to Illinois as well.  Purdue’s bowl possibilities lead through Michigan State at home and at in-state rival Indiana.  PSU travels to Philly to play “well-coached” Temple before finishing up at Michigan State for the “Land Grant Trophy” – wow! We’re being facetious here in case you didn’t catch that.  CollegeFootballFan.com is weighing some local options this Saturday as we work around a Pee Wee football game.  It most likely will be undefeated 8-0 Yale visiting 3-5 Princeton even though this year’s Tigers are not up to par with last season’s team, but it’s still a rivalry game and the Tigers could be primed for an upset after their 7-0 loss to Penn last weekend.    

Extra Points:  Our Guest Game Analysts John and Kelle Massimilla pointed out that the persona in the Nittany Lion Mascot outfit is none other than a close, family friend from the Chambersburg, PA area.  They found that being the school mascot reaps some rewards like tuition money and free parking anywhere on campus.  The Lion has to maintain a 3.0 GPA to keep his outfit and perform at school functions.  Speaking of the outfit, the Nittany Lion’s head is actually formed around a football helmet.  This year’s Lion stands at 6’4” and has some basketball talent.  He entertained the crowd with a slam-dunk of his own at a recent basketball function.  He has a great time at games leading cheers of over 100,000 fans and allowing the student section to pass him up during the course of the games, but what really makes me jealous is that he gets to dance with the Women’s Dance Team during breaks in the game action!

      John and Kelle have attended all this year’s home games as their twins, Brian and Sara, now matriculate at State College.  Like many, John has surmised that the Big Ten is really weak this year.  He says that if the Lions play Florida in a bowl as projected, they will “probably get killed. “  We agree, but John made an interesting point. John asked the rhetorical question, “What’s the reason (for the demise)?  Players? Coaches?" Only a few years ago, the Big Ten raved about the talent and experience among their coaching ranks.  Look at them now.  JoePa is going on 81. Is he losing touch? Michigan is ready to run Lloyd Carr out of town after his first two losses this year, and in two weeks, he faces his nemesis, undefeated, #1 Ohio State.  Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz, named as a possible Paterno successor in the past, is struggling for a .500 record for the third year in a row.  Barry Alvarez retired from Wisconsin, and hand-picked Bret Bielema dropped off to 7-3 after last year’s 12-1 season.  Tim Brewster may not make it out of Minnesota alive with losses to Florida Atlantic and 1AA North Dakota State during his first season as the Gophers build a new on-campus stadium.  Ron Zook’s finally making some headway at Illinois.  Pat Fitzgerald is one of the youngest head coaches in only his second year at Northwestern after taking over for the late Randy Walker.  Indiana’s Billy Lynch took over this season after the sudden death of Head Coach Terry Hoeppner, and got the Hoosiers to bowl eligibility (six wins).  Mark D’Antoni is in his first year after moving over from Cincinnati in the Big East. Only Ohio State’s Jim Tressel seems to have a solid foundation underneath him.  Strengths of conferences seem to revolve in cycles, but the Big Ten has really taken a tumble this year.  How good is undefeated, #1 Ohio State, really?

     One thing that the Big Ten definitely has to do is find a way to extend its season.  Every team finishes up on November 17 while potential bowl foes from all the other major conferences play beyond Thanksgiving as many play championship games in early December.  The longer lay-off until bowl season is definitely a disadvantage against teams who play later.  We’ve also said that PSU, along with the rest of the Big Ten, needs to strengthen their non-conference slate.  PSU played Buffalo, Florida International, and a surprisingly weak Notre Dame this year.  3-6 Temple is next week’s foe.  1-AA Coastal Carolina and Arkansas State are the opening acts at Beaver Stadium next season.  Penn State could do themselves a favor on both counts by scheduling in-state rival Pitt every year with the possibility of making it a season-ending rivalry if that could be worked out with the Big East. Consider the excitement annually between non-conference, in-state foes Florida and Florida State!  In addition to strength and length of schedule, it might even help both Penn State and Pitt in the local recruiting wars.  For fans in the Keystone State and beyond in the Northeast, it would make the late fall a lot more interesting than the bogus “Land Grant Trophy” against Michigan State.  Who cares?

     It was the first time in many years that we saw a game at Beaver Stadium end during day light (noon start).  In fact, many on the east side got sun-burned on this unseasonably warm, November Saturday, while fans in the shade on the west side bundled up.  We visited downtown State College for the first time in a while and had Mexican dinner at Qdoba’s with the Massimilla’s and friends.  Alex and I walked back about four miles to our car after many had left the parking lots, so we got to walk off our dinner.  Before the game, we hooked up with our friends Jim and Tyler Malayter for a little while at their tailgate.  Jim is the one who stepped down as an assistant football coach years ago at our alma mater, Boonton (NJ) High School, to make way for the start of Charlie Weis’s coaching career - yes, that Charlie Weis.  For Jim, we always think about what could have been, but we’re sure he wouldn’t have wanted to be in Charlie’s shoes yesterday as the Notre Dame Head Coach had to explain the end of the 43-year winning streak versus Navy!