It's been a Decade.

10/8/05 – Ohio State W 17-10: Bachelor party weekend in State College. Watched the game at Hooters with a bunch of students I met the parking lot, many of whom were underage. I picked up the check, maybe the best $350 I ever spent, but I lost my class ring. About three months later I got the ring returned to me in the mail by a waitress. Thanks.

It rained all day, and I knew it was coming. It still sucked.

This.

Morelli threw one of the worst passes I’ve ever seen on a 3rd down. The crowd booed. He walked off the field with his head down. I laughed.

We won anyway.

it’s fun how we relate and identify our personal history with memories of our favorite team over the years

here’s to some good memories in 48 hours

Notre Dame 2007. Just the pure joy of beating a bad Notre Dame team for what may be the last time we see each other for a long, long time.

Its also the drunkest I’ve ever been at a Penn State game. People in my section still bring it up to this day.

was probably my favorite season after the 1994 season. It was great watching a return to excellence and Joe Pa giving a f-u to his critics without having to say it.

Beautiful Indian Summer Day…it holds a lot of memories because it was the Fall after my future wife and I graduated and I felt like it was redeeming to dominate an opponent in every facet after 4 years of frustration. People thought Wisconsin would give us problems, but we thoroughly dominated them that game. Add to the fact that it was 70 something degrees in November and you’ve pretty much got the perfect day.

Maybe it was a game you had to be there for but it was fantastic, tailgating was fun, the stadium was just amazing. you could feel the hope being sucked out of OSU fans with the fumble. and the final interception…christmas in october.

…when Adam ran out onto that field to lead the team…

honestly, one of the best Penn State football moments for me ever

link goodness

I saw the Toledo loss coming.

Also, the 2001 Purdue game was memorable in part because Rashard Casey backed up from the center before the ball was snapped, something we had never scene before. People gasped in my section.

324 — flurries in SEU, row 80. EPIC

2001 vs. UVa. Bad non-call on Mills fumble

2000 Illinois. Up 32-25 late in the 4th quarter, Rashard Casey makes puts a capstone on his career with a 150 yard backwards to sideline to sideline scramble that officially goes in the books as a 39 yard run for a TD. Easily the funniest crowd reaction ever in a single play. Everyone around me was yelling, “Casey, no!!!!” as he ran backwards about 15 yards, then felt nauseous as he tried to cut the corner, then felt relieved when he got back close to the line of scrimmage before cutting AGAIN, on this time we were just blown away by his athletic ability. Jubilation as he sealed the win against the Illinois Fighting Kittners. Fittingly, this play won the College Football Play of the Year for 2000.

2001 Northwestern. “Hey what’s up, you guys ready to go score?” After what was then the worst season and a half of football of Penn State football in memory, the 0-4 Nittany Lions are down 35-31 With 1:39 to go in the 4th quarter when starting QB Matt Senneca is injured. 52 yards away from the endzone, redshirt freshman Zack Mills comes in and in one sentence rallies the offense. On one of the biggest 4th quarter drives since the ’94 Illinois game, Mills’ calm, collected, accurate passing on the ensuing drive is a dramatic break from the erratic QB play of the past two seasons. It’s tough to remember how dramatic a change it was to see the offense play with purpose and fire. The team wins 5 of its next 6 games under Mills. A forgotten one, but easily one of the most satisfying wins that left me optimistic for the future of PSU football.

2002 Iowa. After an overtime loss to the Hawkeyes, a fuming Joe Paterno sprints down the field and grabs the referee by the shirt and berates his playcalling. I think this event facilitated the Big Ten becoming the first conference to institute video replay, which had huge implications for the rest of the decade. It also backfired on Paterno, as his actions made many football fans and journalists question Paterno’s mental lucidity and advanced age for the rest of the decade. No story of the PSU football decade is complete without questionable referee calls. Also, the irony of Tony Johnson—never Mr. Bigtime—catching two great sideline balls (Iowa & Michigan) when we absolutely needed him to perform, then having BOTH being overturned by a ref is ’02 in a nutshell.

2002-03 Auburn. I hobbled into the Citrus Bowl on a bad ankle after spraining it the previous evening during New Years Eve festivities. The first half was a haze due to alcohol, the second half was a haze due to the stone age playcalling. I work with two Auburn grads, who graciously papered my desk with Tiger regalia prior to my arrival back to the office.

2004 Iowa. Ferentz takes a second safety. The darkest point of the dark years. ’nuff said.

2005 Ohio State Hali’s forced fumble. I honestly believe the crowd noise prior to that play was the loudest it’s ever been at Beaver Stadium-and that Smith couldn’t hear his line yelling that Hali was through due to the noise. He never knew he was there until it was too late. A friend and I were in Fort Lauderdale, and proceeded to dance in the streets like grown men do.

2005 Minnesota. Paul Posluszny grabs a leaping Gopher running back (Laurence Maroney?) at the goal line and throws him out like he’s bad news. After the Lavar leap, this may be the best defensive play I’ve seen in a Lions uniform. Poz looked like Shaq swatting away a basketball on that play.

2005 Northwestern. Obviously. The 4th quarter bomb by Michael Robinson to Derrick Williams, who backs away from a defender before trotting into the endzone let us know that the ‘05 squad was something special. The only thing that’s bad is that I MISSED THE FOURTH QUARTER! To add insult to injury, I was in State College at the time but I had to attend an event. To think, there was a time when people would freely schedule events in State College in the middle of a football road game.

2007 Michigan. After fumbling early in the first quarter on the PSU 10-yard line to give Michigan an easy touchdown Senior PSU QB Morelli begins arguing with UM fans on the sidelines as the game slips away. I can’t tell you how angry that made me. Almost a boot to the TV move a la Jesse.. The 2006 & 2007 seasons can be described with this one boneheaded move.

2009 Iowa. Leading 10-5 in the 4th quarter, special teamer Nick Sukay (who had a pretty good game on defense) misses his assignment allowing Adrian Clayborn through to punter Jeremy Boone. Touchdown Iowa. The ensuing 4th quarter meltdown represents the Clark era of near-opportunities and almost-greatness. This is one of the few games I’ve watched alone since 2004, and it was probably for the best.