Okay, so this is my first individual post in what seems like forever. Unfortunately, I still have another week of classes left but come December, I will have an exponential increase in free time for blogging. The timing couldn't be any more perfect either, given the Fighting DeChellises unprecedented 4-0 start to the hoops season.
I digress, however. Today, we're doing our season finale of 10 Minutes Or Less in the best way imaginable with another 1994-style beatdown. If you pay close enough attention, you'll recognize NFL receiving stud Derrick Mason tearing it up for Michigan State via a touchdown catch to give Sparty the early 7-0 lead and a 100-yard kickoff return that tied the game at 14. Alas, Mason's first quarter heroics could only delay the inevitable onslaught courtesy of the juggernaut Penn State offense which was led by Heisman candidate Ki-Jana Carter and his handful (literally, five) of touchdowns on the day. This was then followed by 96,000 freezing Penn State fans proclaiming "We're number one!"during the game's final minutes, realizing that those responsible for voting in the AP and Coaches polls were going to continue with their Tom Osborne pity party and keep Nebraska at #1. It also secured Joe Paterno's last undefeated regular season and PSU's first Rose Bowl trip in 72 years. Need I say more? Yeah, that's what I thought, now watch:
Well it was finally a good weekend for the current Nittany Lions after beating Minnesota, and the Penn State alums had a solid one as well. One of the great quarterbacks in the school's history got a chance to show he still has what it takes in his 16th season,a few defensive linemen wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks, and a couple graduates from Linebacker-U were paid homage to their school's namesake with solid days as well.
QB Kerry Collins, Panthers
Starting in place of the injured Vince Young, Collins completed 17 of 31 passes for 276 yards and three touchdown passes. He is the only current NFL quarterback to hail from Happy Valley and is continuing to succeed almost two decades after that magical 1994 season.
Mention "1994" to any long-time Penn State fan and immediately two things pop up in his/her mind:
The last undefeated season, featuring easily the most prolific offense in program history led by guys such as Kerry Collins, Ki-Jana Carter, Kyle Brady, Bobby Engram, and Freddie Scott.
The absolute screw-job done against the program by the AP and Coaches' poll voters, both of whom chose Nebraska instead of PSU to finish the season #1 and be declared 'national champions.'
I'm not here to bitch about that second bullet-point, it's a horse that has been beaten to death and lit on fire in a pile of its own manure. The first bullet-point however, was on full display for a national TV audience when Ohio State came to Happy Valley on October 29, 1994. With a then-record crowd in attendance on Homecoming, no less, #1 ranked Penn State would go on to unleash a 63-14 beatdown that left the Ohio State fans and players stunned and left no doubt to the entire country (sans Nebraska fans and media voters) just who the top team in the nation was.
Prior to receiving the DVD for this game, I had only seen it once, which was in person at Beaver Stadium as a 10-year-old boy. Needless to say, I felt like the joyous child all over again when I popped in the DVD and watched PSU race out to a 35-0 halftime lead thanks to touchdown drives of 73, 96, 72, 60, and 57 yards, respectively. While I do recall our offense clearly dominating OSU's defense, I never realized the magnitude of it at the time. Can you imagine these two teams playing such a lopsided game nowadays? Of course, not. That's what makes this game particularly jaw-dropping, PSU didn't just dominate this game, they literally did whatever the hell they wanted.
It's not as if PSU had the Buckeye defense fooled in any sort of way either, the Buckeye players knew what was coming at them, but there wasn't a damn thing they could do to stop it. Want to focus on stopping the pass? Fine, Ki-Jana Carter, Mike Archie, and Brian Milne will be more than happy to run all over you. Trying to stop the run? No problem, Kerry Collins and his rifle-arm will fire perfect lobs and bullets towards his stud receivers in Bobby Engram, Freddie Scott, and Kyle Brady. Oh, and when PSU scored they did it quickly and efficiently, with the average scoring drive lasting less than 2 minutes (Quick - name something else that lasts less than 2 minutes and is anywhere near as satisfying...exactly, my point.).
Anyway, just watch the video. Words don't do it justice. Keep an eye out as well for a current College Gameday celebrity who back then was trying to work his way up the broadcasting food chain like everybody else.
