Blue White Illustrated

RUSHING YARDAGE 327 Larry Johnson @ Indiana, 2002 279 Larry Johnson vs. Illinois, 2002 279 Larry Johnson vs. Michigan State, 2002 PASSING YARDAGE 399 Zack Mills vs. Iowa, 2002 395 Matt McGloin vs. Indiana, 2012 379 Michael Robinson vs. Wisconsin, 2003 RECEIVING YARDAGE 216 Deon Butler vs. Northwestern, 2006 203 Bobby Engram @ Purdue, 1995 197 Allen Robinson vs. Indiana, 2012 TOTAL OFFENSIVE YARDS 418 Zack Mills vs. Ohio State, 2001 398 Michael Robinson vs. Wisconsin, 2003 389 Zack Mills vs. Iowa, 2002 SCORING 30 Ki-Jana Carter vs. Michigan State, 1994 24 Bobby Engram vs. Minnesota, 1993 24 Curtis Enis @ Purdue, 1997 24 Ki-Jana Carter vs. Ohio State, 1994 24 Larry Johnson vs. Michigan State, 2002 TACKLES 22 Paul Posluszny @ Northwestern, 2005 19 Gerald Hodges vs. Illinois, 2011 18 Brian Gelzheiser @ Illinois, 1994 18 Dan Connor vs. Ohio State, 2007 18 Chris Colasanti vs. Illinois, 2010 opponents. They didn't know their rivals' playing or coaching styles. The last Big Ten team Penn State had played was Iowa in 1983 and '84, and before that it was Ohio State in the 1980 Fiesta Bowl. Four teams were firsttime opponents: Indiana, Minnesota, Northwestern and, surprisingly, Michigan. On Sept. 5, a crowd of 95,387, including Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany, watched as Sacca threw four touchdown passes to Engram in a 38-20 rout that gave Engram the school record for touchdown receptions in one game. The next week, the Lions blew a 217 halftime lead over Southern Cal but stopped a two-point conversion with less than 35 seconds left to eke out a 21-20 victory. Sacca was not sharp, completing just 6 of 17 passes, but Paterno knew he didn't have to worry about his running game. For the second consecutive week, Carter surpassed 100 yards (104). What happened the following week at Iowa changed the course of Penn State football. Sacca was erratic in a scoreless first quarter, so Paterno called on Collins early in the second. Collins wasn't much better, but he was good enough to help the Lions wallop the Hawkeyes, 31-0, in what was Paterno's 250th career win. Although Sacca was back in the game midway through the fourth quarter, he was so angry about being pulled that he threatened after the game – and again the next week in practice – to quit the team. Two weeks later, after Collins led Penn State to easy nonconference victories over Rutgers, 31-7, and Maryland, 70-0, Sacca made good on his threat, leaving the team and transferring in January to Eastern Kentucky. During the Lions' bye week following the Maryland game, Michigan State upset Michigan, Penn State's next opponent, giving the Wolverines their second defeat after an earlier loss to Notre Dame. The loss dropped Michigan to No. 18 in the polls. Penn State moved up to No. 7 and was the favorite for their Oct. 6 game. Despite Michigan's disappointing start, the pregame atmosphere in State College was electric. The then-record Beaver Stadium crowd of 96,719 was in a near frenzy even before kickoff. But early in the first quarter, the noisy fans and Penn State coaches were stunned when the referees threatened to assess a 15-yard penalty if the Penn State fans didn't quiet down while Michigan's quarterback was calling signals. This remains one of the defining moments in Penn State's Big Ten history, and many Nittany Lion fans who saw it happen believe it was a bad omen – not just for this game but for the team's future in the league. Penn State jumped out to a 10-0 lead, but with less than six minutes left in the half, Michigan scored on a short punt return. Then, early in the third quarter, the Lions appeared to stop a Michigan drive on a third-and5 at their 23-yard line with a sack and fumble recovery, but the play was ruled an incomplete pass. Michigan then attempted a field goal, which sailed wide, but an official said Penn State was offside, and three plays later a 16-yard touchdown pass and an extra point gave the Wolverines a 1410 lead. After the ensuing kickoff, Penn State drove 79 yards and was facing firstand-goal. What happened next still haunts players on the 1993 team. Two quarterback sneaks and a Carter hurdle up the middle gained nothing, ending the third quarter. Some of the players wanted to call a sweep on fourth down, but Paterno sent Carter up the middle. Michigan held. Paterno later said, "It was the right play. We just didn't execute well." Still, minutes later, Penn State was at the Michigan 8 when a third-down pass to Engram fell incomplete. Engram, who had been knocked to the ground, appealed unsuccessfully for an interference call, and Craig Fayak kicked a 25-yard field goal. With time running out in the fourth quarter, Michigan's Tyrone Wheatley ran 47 yards to the Nittany Lions' 6yard line, and on third down the Wolverines sealed the 21-13 victory

• Cover