No one was sure--yet--if Penn State was truly "back." The Nittany Lions were feeling encouraged by a 4-0 start to 2005, especially coming off the 7-16 combined record the previous two seasons. But after three decent wins over mediocre opponents, and a shaky win in the Big Ten opener at Northwestern, Penn State fans were still asking "Are the Nittany Lions for real?"
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| Derrick Williams rushed for 2 touchdowns in dramatic fashion. |
The 18th-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers were rolling into town on the back of their Heisman candidate tailback Lawrence Maroney. In the Gophers' first four games, Maroney had been averaging more than 170 yards per game on the ground, even though he was pulled before the fourth quarter in many of those games.
Penn State had not beaten a ranked opponent in three years. But on that sunny day in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions changed the way the nation viewed Penn State football. No longer beholden to seniority over talent. No longer three yards and a cloud of dust offenses. No longer allowing opponents room to breathe inside the raucous confines of Beaver Stadium. This was no longer a Penn State team opponents could take lightly, as Minnesota would soon (painfully) discover...
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Great game. Beautiful day. Joe was a trip with Lynn Swann at halftime...
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