URL:http://www.alumni.psu.edu/fbl Username: psualum Password: weare Oct. 31, 2011 * Vol. 74, No. 9 he game was not as dramatic as the one in T1994, but the last drive was. Seventeen years ago an undefeated Nittany Lion team that was down early by 21-0 on a cold damp November day in Champaign-Urbana had to claw its way back to preserve its perfect season with a 96-yard touchdown drive, as the clock clicked down to the final 57 seconds. Saturday, on an even colder late “Snoc- tober” afternoon in Happy Valley, a 7-1 Penn State squad had to march 80 yards to the end zone in the last three minutes to defeat an equally tough Illinois team and remain the only one unbeaten in Big Ten play. While the post-season implications were not as great as in 1994, and the venue this time was Beaver Stadium, the game-winning drive was just as dramatic till Silas Redd smashed the final three yards to paydirt, just as Brian Milne had done nearly a generation ago. Just as Kerry Collins had completed key passes to Bobby Engram and Kyle Brady and handed off to Ki-Jana Carter to power the six- minute drive and put the Lions into position for Milne’s scoring blast, Matt McGloin com- PRESIDENT SPANIER presents Coach Joe Paterno with special plaque of Steve Manuel’s famous “Parting of pleted critical tosses to Derek Moye and Justin the Blue Sea” photo in honor of Paterno’s record-breaking 409th win. Brown to gain 58 yards on the wet turf, before Head Coach Joe Paterno said after the game, After the contest, President Graham Spa- Redd could follow his blockers eight yards on “Sometimes we struggle, but there’s a lot of charac- nier and Athletic Director Tim Curley marked the last three plays to victory. ter and a lot of feeling for each other, and they’re the milestone by presenting to Paterno a special And just as it took one final climactic play really good competitors. We stick together and plaque of Football Letter photographer Steve to secure the Lions’ scariest victory in their make things happen.” Manuel’s famous “Parting the Blue Sea” shot of second Big Ten season, the same was true on “We just do what it takes to get the job done,” JoePa running between two flanks of his players. Halloween weekend of their 19th. said the gutsy McGloin, who completed only five of The inscription read: “JOE PATERNO, EDU- State safety Kim Herring had to intercept 18 passes for 40 yards through the first 57 minutes CATOR OF MEN, WINNINGEST COACH, an Illini pass in the end zone to preserve the of play, but nailed four of six for 58 yards on the DIVISION ONE FOOTBALL.” triumph in Illinois. And Derek Dimke, who game-winning drive. Paterno said he always admired Eddie had kicked 10 straight field goals for the visitors Sophomore tailback Silas Redd, the Big Ten’s Robinson, as well as Jake Gaither at Florida since last season, had to bounce one off the leading rusher, gained 12 of his 137 yards on 30 A&M, for what they did for black athletes at a right upright as time expired for the Lions to carries to top 1,000 yards for the season and tally time when they were not allowed on southern emerge victorious in Happy Valley. the game-winning touchdown. teams and very few played on northern teams. The 1994 contest was a high-scoring Four hours later in a Columbus shootout, As a kid from Brooklyn whose grandfather was 35-31 affair that preserved Penn State’s No. where four touchdowns were scored in the final an immigrant, Paterno indicated this milestone 2 national ranking. But this year it was a 4:39, Ohio State freshman Braxton Miller scram- had great meaning for him. defense-dominated 10-7 margin for the Nit- bled then tossed a 40-yard TD pass to Devin Smith tany Lions, who now stand No. 19 in the BCS with 20 seconds remaining. And the Buckeyes Friday was a beautiful day for a football rankings, No. 16 in the AP poll and No. 15 in handed Wisconsin its second straight crushing game in Happy Valley – sunny and brisk with the coaches’ poll. defeat after a 6-0 start. no wind or precipitation. And Sunday was Assistant Coach Jay Paterno, who delivered Thus 8-1, 5-0 Penn State quietly stretched its even better. a passionate speech on the theme of “Sing our edge to two games in the Big Ten Leaders Division. But the weather gods played a sneaky Hal- love and loyalty” to the Alumni Council Friday The dramatic victory was the 409th for loween trick on the fans and players on this afternoon, had prepared the team for this State’s 84-year-old head mentor, who surpassed scheduled Saturday and unloaded continuous contest way back in August, when he showed a Eddie Robinson (408-165-15 at Grambling State cold heavy wet white stuff that turned this tape of the ’94 game in Illinois. University) as the all-time leader among Division contest into a different kind of Whiteout in “I wanted these guys to understand there’s One coaches. Paterno’s 46-year record as head Beaver Stadium. a legacy here, and there have been players here coach is 409-136-3. Santa was seen in the stands as Winter before who’ve had to survive and overcome Wonderland blared from the stadium sound situations like that.” PENN STATE 0 0 0 10 10 system and hardy souls had to brush six inches ILLINOIS 0 0 7 0 7 Photos by Steve Manuel ’84, ‘92g R E C A P 3rd Quarter IL: Harris 10-yd pass from Scheelhaase caps 11-pl 64-yd drive in 4:26 keyed by Scheelhaase 8-yd run on 3rd & 5 & Ford 18-yd run. (Dimke kick) 3:32 4th Quarter PS: Fera 30-yd FG caps 10-pl 18-yd drive in 5:24 set up by Bars block of ILL punt & rec. @ IL-31 & keyed by Redd 8-yd run on 3rd & 3 & McGloin 7-yd pass to Smith on 3rd & 6. 7:00 PS: Redd 3-yd run caps 10-pl 80-yd drive in 1:57 sparked by McGloin passes 20 yds to Moye & 13 & 16 yds to Brown & 15-yd pass intf. pen. (Fera kick) 1:08. Attendance: 97,828 (paid); 62,000 (est.) of snow off their seats, before they could put 1 2 their fannies down on a frozen aluminum bench or stand in the messy slush they had just created underneath. Snowballs rained into the south end zone from the section where painted bare-chested students prophesied a 409th for JoePa. The paid ticket sale was 97,828, but the esti- mated attendance was 62,000, as 35,000 stayed home to watch the game on ABC or ESPN2 in the warmth of their living rooms. And after 30 minutes of sloppy play and no scoring, most of the rest wished they had, even though the snow slowed after halftime. 10 It was the first scoreless first half in a Penn State game since the Lions lost, 6-0, at Alabama 1: GANG TACKLING by the Lions squelched the Illini rush- in 1984, and the first Beaver Stadium game in ing attack throughout the first half, as shown by this stop of which both teams were scoreless at halftime 9 Illinois’ Donovan Young by Drew Astorino (28), Khairi Fortt since Paterno became head coach in 1966. (11) and Glenn Carson (40). 2: GLENN CARSON (40), Gerald Penn State’s top-rated defense stifled the Hodges (9) and Nick Sukay (1) bring down Illini tailback visitors with minus eight yards passing and three Jason Ford. 3: SILAS REDD fights off tacklers, while posting yards rushing in the first quarter and allowed fifth consecutive 100-yard rushing game. 4: JORDAN HILL only 79 total yards by halftime. and mates stop Illinois runner Jason Ford. 5: SILAS REDD’s But suddenly in the third quarter the Fight- rushing accounted for 66 per cent of Penn State’s offense Sat- ing Illini more than doubled their first half urday. 6: DREW ASTORINO (28) takes pins out from under A.J. stats, gaining 77 yards rushing and 30 passing Jenkins,9 as he stops nation’s leading receiver for loss of two for eight first downs and the game’s first seven yards on Illinois’ first play from scrimmage. 7: SILAS REDD points, using a no-huddle offense to drive 54 ripped through Illinois defense for 137 yards on 30 carries yards on nine rushing plays and one 6-yard Saturday. 8: JUSTIN BROWN makes key catch of pass from pass, before quarterback Nathan Scheelhasse Matt McGloin in State’s touchdown drive. 9: JACK CRAW- hit Spencer Harris with a 10-yard strike in the FORD bulldogs Illini tailback Jason Ford until help arrives. end zone. 10: DEVON STILL evades blocker and drags down Illini QB From then on, the Lion defense shut out Scheelhasse for nine-yard loss. the Illini again in the fourth frame, while the offense scored 10. An impotent Penn State offense, which had been not only one-dimensional but really one- man (Silas Redd) through the first 48 minutes, was resurrected when Brad Bars blocked an Illinois punt and State took over on the IL-31. Redd rushed for 17 yards and McGloin completed one pass to Devon Smith for seven, 8 as the Lions moved to the IL-5.