Penn State's Chafie Fields led the Nittany Lion's offense with 3 rushes for 110 yards, and 3 catches for 76 yards, resulting in two early touchdowns. Penn State's first possession prompted a third and 2 at their own 28. Fields went 20 yards on an inside handoff. Four plays later Kevin Thompson hooked up with Fields for a 37 yard touchdown pass, and the rout was on. After Arizona missed a field goal on their first possession, Fields went 70 yards for a 14-0 lead. After Travis Forney added a field goal, redshirt freshman Larry Johnson broke a 60 yard touchdown run, and Penn State lead 24-0 with 8:00 minutes left in the first half. Aaron Harris closed out the first half scoring with a 15 yard power run to yield the 31-0 score. Kevin Thompson finished with a 5 for 8 effort, good for 135 yards, 2 touchdowns, and an interception. Rashard Casey alternated with Thompson and was 10 of 16 for 107 yards and added 23 yards rushing. The Lion's offense finished with 504 total yards, 242 of that through the air. The defense lost their shutout bid with 0:47 left in the game. They had 5 sacks, limited Arizona to 232 yards in the air, and held last year's Pac-10 leading rusher, Trung Canidate, to 31 yards on 10 carries. The win enable Penn State to move up to 2nd in the AP poll.
At 10:03 of the second quarter, Akron closed to within 4 points, 14-10. The ensuing kickoff was the start of the Lion's domination of the rest of the game. Kenny Watson returned the kick 53 yards, Eric McCoo ran for 31 yards on two plays, setting up one of Mike Cerimele's two touchdowns. On Akron's next possesssion Maurice Daniels returned an interception to the Akron 10. Three plays later, Rashard Casey threw a 10 yard slant pass to John Gilmore, making the score 28-10. Askari Adams, trying to get out of JoePa's DWI doghouse, returned an interception 59 yards, to end the first half scoring. QB Kevin Thompson threw two touchdown bombs in the third quarter. Thompson finished 5 of 8 for 188 yards, while Casey was 2 of 2 for 29 yards. Casey also had a 23 yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Nine different players scored touchdowns for the Nittany Lions. The Lions outgained the Zips 553 yards to 281. Six different players scored their first touchdown at Penn State. Rashard Casey got his first college touchdowns, one rushing and one passing. John Gilmore, Eddie Drummond and Bryant Johnson each caught their first TDs at Penn State. Mick Blosser ran for his first score and Askari Adams returned an interception for his first TD. The win enabled Penn State to move up to 2nd in the coaches poll.
Miami hadn't lost to a Big 10 team in 10 years. Penn State hadn't beat a top 10 team on the road in 5 years. Penn State hadn't won in the Orange Bowl since 1976. These streaks are all history now, thanks to a 79 yard scoring pass from Kevin Thompson to Chafie Fields with 1:41 left to give the Nittany Lions a 27-23 rain-drenched win. With Miami facing a 4th and 2 on the Penn State's 22 yard line, and Butch Davis having no faith in their field goal kicker, the Lions stuffed James Jackson (33-129-3TDs) a half a yard short. Fields, 5 catches for 177 yards and 2 TDs, scored on the next play. Penn State ended up getting two interceptions to finish the game, running the turnover total to 5. Kevin Thompson finished 9-15 for 147 yars and a TD, while Rashard Casey was 7-9 for 99 yards and a TD. Penn State added to its 10-3 halftime lead on its first drive of the second half. Kenny Watson returned the kick 52 yards, and the Lion's drive was completed by an Eric McCoo 2 yard scamper. Miami answered with a Jackson 18 yard TD run, and a Kenny Kelly to Santana Moss 40 yard TD pass. The Nittany Lions outgained the Hurricanes 356 to 320 yards, and had 17 first downs to Miami's 15.
Rashard Casey was 13-15 for 196 yards and two TD's, and added 66 yards on the ground, including a sensational 31 yard touchdown scamper, as Penn State bested Indiana 45-24. Kevin Thompson was 7-12 for 86 yards, but was overshadowed by the play of Casey on this day. Tight ends Tony Stewart and John Gilmore combined on 10 catches for 156 yards, as the Nittany Lions moved that position into their play book. Eric McCoo had a 20 yard touchdown catch, and Sam Crenshaw added a 9 yard TD reception, both delivered by Casey. Bruce Branch had a 90 yard punt return in the 3rd quarter. Askari Adams continued to claw his way out of the doghouse with a fumble recovery, and a 37 yard interception return for Penn State's first score. Antwaan Randle El was 11-23-204 and added 67 yards and a TD on the ground for Indiana. Penn State outgained Indiana 489 yards (207 rushing, 282 passing) to 385 yards.
Penn State amassed 500 yards of offense compared to Iowa's 240. The Lions finally ran the ball effectvely, grinding out 341 yards on the ground. Eric McCoo led the rushers with 13 carries for 130 yards, including a 47 yard TD run in the third quarter. Eddie Drummond opened the scoring with a 68 yard reverse on the Nittany Lions' second possession. Rashard Casey added a 6 yard TD run just before the half, making the score 14-0. McCoo's TD run came after a Randy Reiners to Rob Thein 40 yard pass play had moved the score to 14-7. With Iowa in position to close the gap to 21-14, the Lions' defense stopped the Hawkeyes on 3rd and 4th down inside the 2. After the goal line stand the offense answered with a 13 play, 98 yard drive, which saw Aaron Harris go in from 10 yards out. The quarterbacks for PSU had probably their worst outing of the year, as they went 16-33-2 for 159 yards.
Joe Paterno earned win number 314, tying him with Amos Alonzo Staggs for third on the all-time major coaching victories list. Next on the list is Pop Warner with 319, and then Bear Bryant with 324. Penn State used a dominating defense to overcome their own misfires in the redzone. Ohio State quarterback, Steve Bellisari was held to 7-21-78-1, and the Buckeyes only had 65 yards on the ground and 11 first downs total. Bellisari was sacked 8 times, led by LaVar Arrington's 2 1/2 sacks. Ohio State had only one sustained drive, which resulted in a field goal. Kevin Thompson was sacked in the end zone and fumbled, which was recovered for the lone OSU touchdown. Thompson suffered a separated shoulder on the play. Eric McCoo had another big day, gaining 211 yards on 22 carries, including runs of 53, 43, 24, and 22. He also gained another 47 yards on 4 catches. Rashard Casey was 11-15 for 109 yards. PSU had two field goals blocked and had several penalties, which hurt their chances for scoring more points. Penn State had 422 total yards in the game.
Drew Brees had quickly moved the Purdue Boilermakers to the Penn State 12 yard line with 31 seconds left in the game, and the score 31-25 Penn State. Four incomplete passes later, the Nittany Lions had escaped with their perfect record intact. Purdue opened the scoring on an 80-yard, 6-play drive, capped off by Sedrick Brown's 2-yard touchdown run. LaVar Arrington tied the game at 7 with a sack of Brees at the Purdue 9. Arrington picked up Brees' fumble at the 2, and carried it into the endzone. With the score 14-7 Penn State tied the game in the second quarter, when Antoine Neal fumbled a punt, which Mac Morrison recovered on the Purdue 41. Two plays later Kevin Thompson hit Eddie Drummonds for a 39-yard touchdown pass to set the 14-14 halftime score. On the first play of the second half Thompson hit Chafie Fields for a 78-yard TD pass. At 10:19 of the third quarter Coutney Brown intercepted a Brees screen pass, and returned it 25 yards to make the score 28-14. Rashard Casey fumbled at the PSU 26, and three plays later Brees hit Randall Lane for a TD. The same two added a 2-point conversion, moving the score to 28-25 with 3:02 left in the 3rd quarter. Travis Forney added a field goal in the fourth quarter, before the goal line stand ended the game. Brees finished 31-48-379, but his two turnovers were critical. Purdue outgained the Nittany Lions 444 yards to 318, and had 28 first downs, compared to PSU's 11. Penn State's record moved to 8-0, and was their 10th straight win, going back to last year.
One week after Illinois' stunning comeback victory against Michigan in the Big House, they held Penn State in check for 2 1/2 quarters. The first half ended with the Fighting Illini tied with the Nittany Lions, 7-7. Rocky Harvey broke loose for a 34-yard touchdown run at 7:01 of the first quarter. A Kevin Thompson to Chafie Fields 13-yard touchdown pass provided Penn State with their only points of the half. Early in the third quarter, Travis Forney's field goal gave the Nittany Lions' their first lead of the game. Thompson, who had been ineffective, and had thrown three interceptions, was replaced at the 3:04 mark of the third quarter by Rashard Casey. Casey hit John Gilmore for 27 yards, and on the next play, Casey hit Tony Stewart for a 16-yard touchdown pass. After Illinois went 3 and out, which they did 10 times, Steve Fitts botched the punt, and PSU took over on the Illinois 34. On the first play, Casey eluded 5 tacklers, bumped into his own players, and lost his balance a couple of times. The result of the play was a spectacular 34 yard TD run. After Harvey had run for 75 of Illinois' 113 first quarter yards, the Lions held the Illini to 135 yards in the rest of the game. Courtney Brown had four of the Lions' seven sacks. Kurt Kittner, who directed last week's comeback, was held to a 7-26 performance for 92 yards. Penn State had 215 yard rushing and 225 yards passing.
Minnesota completed a 4th and 16 tipped pass with 1:22 left, and three plays later, Dan Nystrom kicked a 32-yard field goal as time expired to shock the Nittany Lions. Billy Cockerham heaved a ball down the left sideline, that bounced off of Ron Johnson's hands, and Arlund Bruce dove to make the catch at the PSU 13. On PSU's last possession Paterno chose not to attempt about a 51-yard field goal. He chose instead to try and pin the Gophers down deep, but the punt carried into the end zone, resulting in a 14-yard net punt.Thomas Hamner had 98 yards on 38 carries, and three catches for 58 more and a TD. Cockerham was 14-24 for 277 yards and two TD's, and also ran for 44 yards, and a score. Penn State's Eric McCoo rushed for 108 yards on 16 carries. Kevin Thompson was 12-27 for 158 yards and a touchdown. Travis Forney had 3 field goals for PSU, and had one hit the upright. LaVar Arrington had 15 tackles on the day. Penn State had 21 first downs to Minnesota's 17. The Golden Gophers rushed for 114 yards, and passed for 277. The Lions rushed for 176 yards, and added another 186 through the air.
Michigan rallied to score 14 points in the final 3:26 to capture a wild 31-27 win Saturday over Penn State. The loss spoiled the final home game for 25 Nittany Lion seniors and retiring defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky. The setback was Penn State's second in a row in the final two minutes after a 9-0 start. The Lions fumbled on their initial two possessions and the Wolverines took advantage for a 10-0 lead midway through the first quarter. In dire need of a spark, the Lions' comeback began in the second period when Bruce Branch went 79 yards on an electrifying punt return, his second punt return TD this season and third of his career, tying both school records. Trailing 17-7 early in the third quarter, a pair of Travis Forney field goals sandwiched a beautiful 38-yard TD pass from Kevin Thompson to a diving Eddie Drummond in the end zone. On Michigan's next possession, Bhawoh Jue grabbed his second interception of the season and returned it 46 yards for his first career score, getting big blocks by Brandon Short and Askari Adams. The play ignited the Beaver Stadium faithful and gave PSU a 27-17 lead with 9:44 to play. But, UM quarterback Tom Brady marched the Wolverines 81 yards on 12 plays, scoring on a five-yard run with 3:26 to go to draw within 27-24. A couple of first downs could have virtually sealed the big win, but the Lions used only :28 on their ensuing possession and UM's DiAllo Johnson returned the punt 24 yards to the PSU 35-yard line. After two incompletions, Brady hit Marcus Knight on a 17-yard pass and two plays later found Knight again on an 11-yard TD with 1:46 to play. A pair of 19-yard Kevin Thompson to Drummond connections got the Lions to the UM 34-yard line, but Thompson was blind-sided by Ian Gold and fumbled, with the Wolverines recovering and running out the clock. Penn State was held to seven yards rushing on 20 attempts, both the all-time lows under Joe Paterno.
"I've got so many mixed emotions right now, I couldn't tell you what I'm thinking," said coach Joe Paterno, who watched his Nittany Lions - who were playing without three starters, including stellar linebacker LaVar Arrington - fall behind by 21 points early, then fight back valiantly in the second half to force a tie, only to lose it in the bitter end. Just when it looked like the Lions were about to put the finishing touches on their stunning second-half comeback, tight end John Gilmore fumbled as he hauled in Thompson's first-down pass, and the Spartans recovered at the Penn State 39. The Spartans needed eight plays to break the tie. And it was only fitting that burly freshman T.J. Duckett did the honors, crashing home from 11 yards out. Duckett's final numbers: 22 carries, 159 yards, four touchdowns. With two minutes-plus left on the clock, the Lions had a chance to rally one more time. But Thompson's intended shot over the middle to flanker Eddie Drummond fell right into the waiting arms of linebacker T.J. Turner. Michigan State couldn't capitalize this time, though, as Paul Edinger's 38-yard field goal sailed wide left. Penn State got as far as midfield, but with the clock as its enemy, never got off one last desperation heave. Down 28-7 at the break, thanks to some big runs by Duckett and flanker Gari Scott's 64-yard punt return for a score, the Lions made it a game in the second half. Thompson's 23-yard floater to Drummond in the end zone pulled Penn State within 14. Thompson never saw the catch, as he was buried by blitzing safety Aric Morris on the third down play. It was just one of several brutal shots the Spartans landed on the gutsy senior quarterback, who confessed he had difficulty breathing at times in the second half. Penn State missed a golden opportunity for more points later in the quarter when middle linebacker Brandon Short (12 tackles) intercepted Bill Burke's pass and returned it to the Spartan 9. The Lions gave it back the very next play, as Rashard Casey's pass was batted in the air by Spartan linebacker Josh Thornhill and caught by T.J. Turner for the interception. In all, the Lions turned the ball over four times for the game. The Lions inched closer near the end of the third quarter on Travis Forney's 31-yard field goal. With momentum shifting to the blue and white, Penn State's defense got nasty itself. And as the third quarter turned into the fourth, Michigan State's lead would evaporate even more. Thompson's 12-yard strike to Drummond made it a 28-25 game with 12:29 still to play. The play was set up by Eric McCoo's 32-yard cutback run, on which the sophomore tailback received a key block from - who else? - Thompson.
SAN ANTONIO, TX - Joe Paterno brought his bowl victory total to 20 with the Nittany Lions' 24-0 victory over Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl. Justin Kurpeikis would deliver a huge sack, resulting in a third-and-20 situation. Randy McCown's left sideline pass was picked by Derek Fox and returned 34 yards to put PSU on the board 7-0. Casey gave the crowd a taste of what the future holds for us by throwing a beautiful 45-yard pass to Eddie Drummond in the second quarter for a touchdown, and by engineering a magnificent drive at the end of the third quarter that included a 12-yard run by Chafie Fields and passes of 34 yards and 20 yards to John Gilmore and Tony Stewart. Stewart's catch brought Penn State to the A&M 4-yard line and ended the quarter. Rashard opened the fourth quarter with a quick 4-yard dash over the right end for a touchdown. Penn State, 21-0.
Travis Forney would put the icing on the cake with a 39-yard field goal at 13:44 in the fourth, in a game Joe Paterno deemed, "A good win, very important. We weren't over-emotional, but we didn't want to lose four in a row [either]." Jerry Sandusky was thrilled with the outcome of his last game coaching the Lions: "The shutout was so special, we never had one in a bowl before." Now he is ready to move on to his second-mile responsibilities, and he plans to run football camps for kids. The fans showed their love at the game, especially in the fourth quarter when chants of "Jerry, Jerry" brought the PSU victory to a close.
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