Penn State has off on this October 8, but today marks the anniversary of one of the most iconic regular-season victories in program history. It was on this day in 2005 when Beaver Stadium had one of its biggest nights as Penn State upset Ohio State to announce to the college football world that Penn State was back from the dead.
Penn State won five games in back-to-back seasons in 2000 and 2001 and then won three games in 2003 and just four games in 2004. It was the worst five-year stretch for Penn State under head coach [autotag]Joe Paterno[/autotag] of his career, leading to many wondering if the game had passed by Penn State and Paterno. But the 2005 season started with three straight wins in non-conference play and Big Ten play ignited with a wild comeback at Northwestern. Penn State then smashed No. 18 Minnesota at home, 44-14, to set the stage for a visit from College GameDay for a matchup between No. 16 Penn State and No. 6 Ohio State. This was the game Penn State fans were waiting for as it presented the Nittany Lions a chance to make a loud statement about the status of the football program, and the students were all in with a student section whiteout, years before Penn State enacted stadium-wide whiteouts. Those who were at the game, including myself, may still say that was one of the loudest games ever witnessed in Beaver Stadium.
Penn State’s defense was impressive on that October night. Ohio State had just 230 yards of offense and turned the football over three times. The defense had to be that good, because Ohio State’s defense was also dominant all night long. Penn State managed just 195 yards of total offense.
[autotag]Michael Robinson[/autotag] completed 11 of 20 passes for just 78 yards, but he ran for 52 yards and a touchdown. [autotag]Tony Hunt[/autotag] led all players with 64 rushing yards, each one as difficult to gain as they would come on this night highlighted by the defenses.
Ohio State struck first with a field goal in the first quarter, but Penn State scored two touchdowns in the second quarter to take a 14-3 lead with a [autotag]Derrick Williams[/autotag] touchdown run of 13 yards and Robinson’s one-yard touchdown run midway through the quarter. Ohio State would close the gap with their final score of the night with a Smith touchdown run from 10 yards out in the final minute of the first half.
The only scoring in the second half came on the leg of [autotag]Kevin Kelly[/autotag], a 41-yarder early in the third quarter. From there, the defenses for both teams took control. Ohio State’s best chance to score in the second half came in the form of a missed 50-yard field goal.
[autotag]Tamba Hali[/autotag] put the game on ice when he easily got around his blocker on the edge and raced toward an unsuspecting Troy Smith, who would go on to win a Heisman Trophy the following season. Smith lost the football on impact and Penn State recovered. And Hali simply walked off the field as composed as they can come, as if it was just another play. Business as usual for a player who would go on to make a living in the NFL doing this very thing.
After the game, Kirk Herbstreit credited the Penn State student section by proclaiming them to be the best student section in the country.
Penn State was upset the following weekend at Michigan on a last-second touchdown by the Wolverines when Chad Henne found Mario Manningham in the endzone as time expired in a wild fourth quarter in Ann Arbor. Penn State trailed Michigan 10-3 going into the fourth quarter and exploded for 22 points, but gave up 17 to come up on the wrong end of a 27-25 final score. But that was the only regular season loss for Penn State in the 2005 season.
Penn State went on to win the remainder of their games, including a 35-14 victory over No. 14 Wisconsin as Penn State went on to win the Big Ten championship and advance to the Orange Bowl. The Rose Bowl was being used to host that year’s BCS National Championship Game between USC and Texas, which turned out to be one of the most epic games in college football history. Penn State’s Orange Bowl was also quite a memorable game, at least for Penn State fans.
In a season otherwise dominated by USC and Texas, who would go on to play for the BCS National Championship, Penn State was one play away from at least having an argument to being considered for the national championship. But none of it would have even be possible if not for that one night in October.
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