Today marks the 10th anniversary of one of the greatest games in Penn State program history. The 2005 home game against Ohio State, in which Tamba Hali turned an eventual Heisman Trophy winner upside down to knock a ball loose and secure a tough defensive victory over the Buckeyes, effectively announced to the world Penn State football, after a stretch of down years, was finally back. Now, 10 years later Penn State finds itself looking to once again prove the program is back.
The circumstances have certainly been different, but the goal is still the same. Find a signature game or moment to announce to the world Penn State is still a national power in college football. Back then Penn State was mired in some down years that raised questions about the game passing former head coach Joe Paterno by. The game had evolved and coaches were gaining more and more of an edge in recruiting while Paterno was delegating more and more responsibilities to assistants. The old style of football no longer was believed to be one that could win, and Penn State’s talent was diminishing. But in 2005 everything started coming together with Michael Robinson taking over as the full-time quarterback and a trio of freshmen wide receivers — Jordan Norwood, Deon Butler and Derrick Williams — giving the offense a much-needed spark and a defense already primed for a great season with players like Paul Posluszny at linebacker and Tamba Hali and Jay Alford on the defensive line.
The first five games of the 2005 season may not have been a huge barometer for success, but a signature moment at Northwestern led to another the following week at home against Minnesota.
First there was this in Evanston…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiaEiiaUgx8?t=8m51s]Then this against Minnesota…
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Quh63kQBUk]All of that was nice, but it would be against No. 6 Ohio State that would give Penn State a chance to really make a statement, and they sure did. You don’t need me to remind you what went down that Saturday night in front of a frenzied Beaver Stadium crowd. I will say I had been going to Penn State games for years, sitting in the same seats in the north end zone. Never before had I stood for an entire game until that night. There was a unique energy throughout the game I had never felt before. It was like the entire stadium was gathered just waiting for the moment to explode in celebration. The crowd had waited for that moment for years, perhaps since 1994, if not longer. Like a fine wine, the moment had been aged and it was enjoyed by all.
#TBT 10 yrs ago today-PSU students helped make that win happen–even @KirkHerbstreit agreed: https://t.co/6XuHDJgPSL https://t.co/4Dj9V5NqcI
— Jay Paterno (@JayPaterno) October 8, 2015
Fast forward to now. The Penn State program has gone through so many changes and adversity since that jubilant night in 2005. The season that ended with an overtime Orange Bowl victory against Bobby Bowden’s Florida State later led to a similarly magical 2008 season that saw another key victory against the Buckeyes, this time in Columbus for the first time since joining the Big Ten. Later came the startling revelations of the Jerry Sandusky saga, which threw the program into a black hole in a sense, throwing aside what could have been another Big Ten title run and tossing it into the TicketCity Bowl, which ended in a blowout to the Houston Cougars. Penn State was slapped with hefty sanctions by the NCAA. Paterno was forced out and later passed away. Bill O’Brien came in to provide a life preserver for the program and did all he could, but two years of a postseason ban and recruiting restrictions hindered the program, and now James Franklin and his staff are working on getting Penn State football back to the point where it can attempt to seize a moment like it had in 2005.
I don’t know when that moment will come. It could come next season when Ohio State returns to Beaver Stadium. It could come next week. whenever the moment does arrive, be sure to savor it. College football is a magical sport, and moments like that night in 2005 do not happen routinely, even for the best programs in the country. Live it, breathe it. Celebrate it. You never know if you will have to wait another 10 years or more to experience something like it again.
The best part is how @TambaHali91 casually walks off the field like “No big deal.” https://t.co/jQ3mVkMlVt #2005PSU #TheFumble #TBT
— Nittany Lions Wire (@NittanyLionWire) October 8, 2015
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