Blue White Illustrated

P R E V I E W tional recognition. Penn State gave it to them by playing host team Arizona State on Christmas a8ernoon, winning 42-30. Three years later, the Nittany Lions were back again the day a8er Christmas, beat- ing Ohio State, 31-19, and the next season they helped the Fiesta Bowl leap into the New Year's Day prestige arena, defeating USC and Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Allen, 26-10. Then, in 1986, the Fiesta Bowl reached the pinnacle with its na- tional championship matchup of Penn State and Miami, won by the Lions, 14-10, in a thriller that set a record at the time as the most watched collegiate football game ever played. Penn State's bond with the Fi- esta Bowl continues to this day. As for the unusual role that Kentucky played in the origin of Penn State's revered "We Are" cheer, let's return to that 6nal game of the series in 1978. On a warm October night before 58,068 bois- terous fans in Lexington, the No. 5 Lions easily won, 30-0, limiting Kentucky to 27 yards rushing and 115 yards passing, with two interceptions and two fumble recov- eries. "We were disappointed in the way we've played here and at Tennessee," said Paterno a8er the game, "and we wanted to gain some respect." They gained more than respect. The Penn State cheerleaders had been trying for three years to develop a new cheer to supersede the traditional one, "N-I… Double-T…A-N-Y, Roar Lions Roar!" In their creative e7orts, the cheerleaders al- ready had borrowed Ohio State's "O-H- I-O" that rolls around Ohio Stadium, and the "We Are SC! We Are SC!" shouted rapidly by the fans at Southern Cal. What they unexpectedly witnessed in Com- monwealth Stadium that night was the 6nal component. "There was this unbe- lievable roar back and forth across the stadium, with one half yelling 'Blue' and the other half screaming 'White,'" re- membered Bob Krimmel, who was then in charge of the cheerleaders. "We knew that would work for us." The revised cheer made its debut at the 1979 Sugar Bowl but didn't catch on with Penn State fandom until the early 1980s. Thank you, Kentucky. You're welcome, Penn State. ■ ##"&$%' #! " No. 84 in Lou Prato's book & ' Autographed copies available via louprato@comcast.net or through Lou Prato & Associates at 814-954-5171 Price: $14.95 plus shipping, handling and tax where applicable Also available with autograph: Lou's book "We Are Penn State: The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions" Price: $19.95 plus shipping and tax where applicable

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