“Here comes pressure, Smith is hit and sacked! The ball is loose.”
PENN STATE FOOTBALL CLASSICS
Joe Paterno, James Franklin, Ki-Jana Carter, Todd Blackledge, Kerry Collins, Saquan Barkley, Trace McSorley, Tamba Hali, and so many more household Nittany Lions.
BLACK SHOES, BASIC BLUES, NO NAMES, ALL GAME
October 8 2005 vs Ohio State: The Beginning of a Legendary White Mystique
Created by Bragging Rights Sports (WE ARE! PENN STATE!)
October 8 2005, when you think of the significance of that date on Penn State’s campus, what image comes to your mind? To every Nittany Lion fan, PSU student of faculty, one game comes up. The night where the legend of the Penn State Whiteout and Zombie Nation became a Madison Avenue Moniker deep in the heart of Happy Valley. One year after both the Whiteout and Code Blue were attempted by the student section at Beaver Stadium, those very same students decided to wear all white again because if you don’t succeed at first you must try again. (The idea of all Penn State fans wearing white didn’t come into play until 07, which we discussed on Night 1 of this series) Following a mediocre 2004 season, the Nittany Lions began 2005 with a fast start. They won their first 5 games highlighted by an epic against Northwestern (which will be discussed later in the series) plus a beatdown of #18 Minnesota in Week 5. (I still can feel Paul Posluszny’s hit at the goal line in my bones.) The PSU offense that year was the main story headlined by Senior QB Michael Robinson, (Yes he was a QB before he was a FB and analyst on NFL Network) freshmen Derrick Williams, and Jordan Norwood. The defense with Posluszny, Scirrotto, Tamba Hali, and Dan Connor was salivating everyone. Like most JoePa teams this was a ball control in your face unit with modern day flash and speed. At 5-0 they now moved up to #16 in the nation. A little bit low but hey there’s still time to change the narrative. Week 6 of the 2005 CFB season would be determined by one quote. “Tonight in this valley, there is a vibe. A White noise hovering around the Nittany Lions telling them this game can define their season.” That’s right, their next opponent wouldn’t be just any challenge, it would be their greatest rival. THE Ohio State University. Like most times under Jim Tressel the Buckeyes were viewed as the team to beat in the BIG10. Even with a loss against eventual National Champion Texas in their home opener Ohio State was still a fleshed out unit. Led by Heisman Candidates Troy Smith, and Santonio Holmes the Buckeyes were the talk of College Football all summer long. And what better way for Penn State to make themselves known than by beating a team with much greater ambitions. Like most games in this rivalry at Beaver Stadium there was a buzz. The Student Whiteout would be a major factor right from the start.
Ohio State started the game with the football and as many in State College expected they would have problems getting past the best Linebacking Corp in the nation. Not even Troy Smith’s breakaway speed could outrun Posluszny on a 3rd and 7. Despite forcing a 3 and out, Penn State’s offense would also have some problems overcoming the best run defense in the country as well. The Lions also went 3 and out. With the Buckeyes getting the ball back, they would mount their first serious drive of the game. Even if Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn were both on lockdown, Smith used his legs to his advantage. However Linebacker U would stand up and shut him down just as Ohio State got to the redzone. Josh Houston would give the Bucks a 3-0 lead on a 30 yard field goal following that defensive stand. Then the Nittany Lions following successive punts by both teams would attack the strength of THE Ohio State defense. Tony Hunt started finding small holes but he was able to break off one run in particular that got the Lions past midfield. (Excellent blocking by WR Deon Butler too) Then JoePa made a gutsy call by going for it on 4th and 1 in field goal range, wouldn’t you know Hunt got the 1st Down. With his arm not as effective as it was against Minnesota, Mike-Rob decided to use his legs to throw Jim Tressel’s defense off guard. The drive ended with Derrick Williams running it in from 13 yards out. (The bigger the game, the better he played) If you thought that drive gave Penn State momentum wait until you see what happened when the Buckeyes regained possession. Smith got sacked by Tamba Hali on the 1st play of the drive, and then on 3rd and 16. “Smith from the pocket, down the middle, (Thunderstruck playing) INTERCEPTED! Lowry, 30, 25, 20 Lowry 15, 10, to the 5, and upended at the 2 yard line! The Nittany Lions are on the doorstep!” (I decided to use the PSU Radio calls by Steve Jones for this game in honor of the Blue and White game this coming weekend) How did Troy Smith not see Calvin Lowry just lurking in the middle of the field. As soon as he picked it off he knew he had a chance to score. Even if it wasn’t a Pick6, it did set up Robinson punching it in over the left side on a 1 yard option play. In just over a minute, Penn State had scored more points than Ohio State had given up per game at that time. But Ohio State wouldn’t go down easily. They ran the ball on their drive right down the Nittany Lions throats. 14 plays, and over 7 minutes of clock to be exact. Smith was able to cap off the long drive with an option keeper over the right side. Now it was a 4 point game just as everyone expected it to be at halftime.
The 2nd Half of this game would become the definition of a slaughterhouse for both of the offenses. It didn’t seem that way when Penn State got the ball to start the half. They used out routes and counter plays to pick apart the Ohio State secondary. But the Buckeyes made sure that Mike Robinson wouldn’t continue to run all over them like he did in the 1st Half. Even if they didn’t score a touchdown, the Nittany Lions managed to get a 41 field goal from Kevin Kelly. That made the score 17-10. After those points were scored this became a physical, spitting, kicking, nasty, cussing, knockdown, dragout, black and blue kind of game. Ohio State’s vaunted offense couldn’t get away from Dan Connor, and Paul Posluszny on just about every play. If you watch how many times that Smith, Holmes, or Ginn tried to break away, there were at least 4 blue jerseys waiting for them. The Buckeyes did manage to get deep into PSU territory but had to settle for a 50 yard field goal, and in the words of Keith Jackson, “and it’s on its way, aaaaand it is no good.” (That clip was from one of the missed kicks by Oregon in the 1995 Rose Bowl) Even if the Nittany Lions couldn’t do anything after the missed kick they did do one thing. Change the entire strategy of the 2nd Half for both teams. (Enter Sandman playing) When the 4th Quarter began Ohio State again penetrated PSU territory. But 2 incomplete passes undid it all. Luckily for the Buckeyes their vaunted run defense was now getting to Robinson, Derrick Williams, and Tony Hunt. Following another Penn State punt, the Ohio State O-Line couldn’t block Jay Alford on his way to sacking Troy Smith on another key 3rd Down play. (The common theme of this game, key 3rd Down stops) The Buckeyes had given up only 5 sacks all year coming into this game, they gave up 5 that night with the biggest one still to come. The thing I find insane about this game was that one side of the field was taken up throughout the 4th Quarter. The entire 15 period was basically Penn State trying to hold off the speed of Ohio State’s offense, since their offensive attack couldn’t buy a 1st Down. Troy Smith was literally running for his life all night behind a battered O-Line, no running game, and their 2 game changing receivers being shut down. Smith, like most of his teammates, couldn’t run away from the PSU linebackers. As the game went on especially through the 4th Quarter, the louder Beaver Stadium got, the better the Nittany Lions defense played. If you were watching that game that night, you probably were in awe of how loud the student section was all game. Every time PSU made a big play the Southside of Beaver Stadium (which is where the student sections was located) would be the first thing that the cameramen would show. However their ambitions would be put on hold for now. Just when everyone thought the game was HERE I COME TO SAVE THE DAY! Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn pull off back to back 25 yard gains. Everyone watching that game was thinking Ohio State is going to come back and win in OT. But then came the play that began the Whiteout’s rise into the Greatest College Football Tradition of the Modern Era. “Smith back to pass, pressure, (Zombie Nation playing) DOWN HE GOES! TAMBA HALI FUMBLES THE FOOTBALL! PENN STATE RECOVERS! SCOTT PAXTON! THE NITTANY LIONS DEFENSE COMES UP WITH THE SIGNATURE PLAY OF THIS GAME!!!” PSU STUDENT BODY ACTIVATED! O-O-O-O-O! O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O! WE! ARE! PENN! STATE! O-O-O-O-O! O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O! WE! ARE! PENN! STATE! PAUSE.
That call by Steve Jones on WPSU says it all right there. On the biggest play of the entire game and season, Tamba Hali ran over Troy Smith, forced the fumble and the senior Scott Paxton was all over the ball. As expected all hell then breaks loose at Beaver Stadium. In the words of PA Announcer Dean Devore “This was the first time I ever saw the press box shake at Beaver Stadium.” It got so crazy that the students even knocked down the guard rails on the walls on the Eastside of the stadium. That’s how you know how nuts that was. If I were to rank all of the Whiteout games that Penn State has won since the beginning of that tradition, this would be #1. Why? Because it turned Beaver Stadium from the quietest 100,000 people in America in the years prior, to the loudest 100,000 people in America. This game to me sparked the idea of everyone wearing white to the Whiteout game which began in 2007. The atmosphere on that October night in 05, was the first of many Penn State Whiteout games that would live up to the hype. That game is one of my favorite times of the year, because all eyes are on State College, all eyes are on the Nittany Lions, and everyone is expecting them to show out and win. And guess what that’s what they did in this game. In fact this is a 2 for 1 week of Penn State Classics. I’ll do the Whiteout from last year despite already covering this game on the other Penn State Football series just to get the current students fired up. Why? Because there are Whiteouts, and then there are Whiteouts against SEC teams. And the level of excitement is up to another level. Like I said, who cares about if I did this game in a different series, I get to recap whatever game I want in this series because I love reliving the greatest moments in Penn State Football History. And that’s all I have for today. I can’t wait to go back and revisit my 1st ever Whiteout experience. Also enjoy the Blue and White game to anyone who is going this weekend! And Remember… WE ARE! PENN STATE! WE ARE!! PENN STATE!! WE ARE!!! PENN STATE!!! THANK YOU! YOU’RE WELCOME!!!
Bragging Rights Sports 