Penn State Sports Magazine
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skewed older and tended to be a little less boisterous than at some other places around the country. The White Out changed that dynamic. It focused attention on the most raucous part of the stadium — the student sec- tion. In the process, it created an envi- ronment in which the students' energy began spilling over into the other sec- tions. During the Pur- d u e ga m e , e v - eryone could tell they were having an effect on the visitors. The Boilermakers had averaged 47.3 points in their first four games but couldn't generate even half of their usual offensive output against the Nittany Lions. While that was mostly due to a young and improving defense featur- ing linebackers Paul Posluszny and Dan Connor, defensive end Tamba Hali and cornerback Alan Zemaitis, it was also a testament to the sheer volume of the crowd. Purdue coach Joe Tiller called it "the most challenging environment we've been in all year." Penn State staged its second student White Out the following season, and this time the on-field results matched the off-field excitement. Penn State stunned sixth-ranked Ohio State, 17-10, part of a bounce-back season in which the Lions shared the Big Ten title with the Buck- eyes and topped Florida State in the Or- ange Bowl. The next year, Penn State expanded the concept beyond the confines of the stu- dent section. When fourth-ranked Mich- igan visited in 2006, the entire stadium was wearing white. While the Wolverines emerged with a 17-10 win, the scene was eye-opening. The White Out had been scaled up to a point where the Nittany Lions knew they had created something special — something that could be repli- cated year after year. This year, for the event's 20th anni- versary, a new op- ponent will get the White Out treat- m e n t . Wa s h i n g - ton is set to visit on Nov. 9 and will be the 10th different foe to be a part of Penn State's annual fall spectacle and the first from outside of the Eastern or Central time zones. The kickoff time had not been set as of mid-October, but Penn State was hoping for a 3:30 p.m. start or later so that most or all of the game would be played after sundown, "If you're a sports fan, you need to have a White Out on your bucket list. It's something I think everybody should experience." J A M E S F R A N K L I N THREE BEST GAMES Penn State 24, Ohio State 21 Oct. 22, 2016 The only White Out game to have its own Wikipedia page, Penn State's stunner over the second-ranked Buckeyes is an easy choice to top this list. The unranked Nittany Lions fought back after trailing by 14 points early in the fourth quarter and won the game on one of the legendary plays in PSU history: Grant Haley's 60- yard return for a touchdown after a blocked field goal by Marcus Allen with just under five minutes to play. The win, Penn State's first since 1999 over a top-five opponent, catapulted the program back to national prominence and was one of the pivotal moments in what would turn out to be a Big Ten championship season. Penn State 17, Ohio State 10 Oct. 8, 2005 With 1:21 to play and sixth-ranked Ohio State looking to erase Penn State's seven-point lead, Tamba Hali came off the left edge and slammed into unsuspect- ing quarterback Troy Smith, sending the ball skittering across the turf at midfield. It was the first-ever prime time White Out, and the party that began in Beaver Stadium after Scott Paxson pounced on the loose ball continued deep into the State College night. With its win over the Buckeyes, 16th-ranked PSU was back in the mix for a Big Ten title. Penn State 43, Michigan 40 Oct. 12, 2013 One of only two White Out games to require overtime, Penn State's 43-40 triumph over Michigan in 2013 makes this list on sheer entertainment value. The stakes weren't as high as in some other games, with the Wolverines at No. 18 and Penn State unranked. Nevertheless, it was one of the most exhilarating moments in the program's post-Paterno history, a gutsy comeback win that showed PSU still had its mojo even as it coped with a range of debilitating NCAA sanctions. Christian Hackenberg engineered an 80-yard touchdown drive in 23 seconds to tie the score in the final minute, and Bill Belton ended it with a 2-yard TD run in the fourth overtime period. WORST GAME Iowa 21, Penn State 10 Sept. 26, 2009 Penn State was even more amped up than usual for this one, having dropped six of its previous seven games to the Hawkeyes, including a 24-23 heartbreaker in Iowa City in 2008. The rematch began promisingly, with Daryll Clark hitting Chaz Powell for a 79-yard touchdown on Penn State's first play from scrimmage. Then came a 20-play drive that produced a field goal and a 10-0 first-quarter lead. After that, though? Four turnovers. A blocked punt. A safety. Iowa pulled away for a comfortable win, denying the crowd of 109,316 the pay- back win that many had been expecting a few hours earlier. BEST INDIVIDUAL OFFENSIVE PERFORMANCE Trace McSorley vs. Ohio State | 2018 It wasn't enough to stave off a 27-26 loss, but McSorley had an incredible night against the fourth-ranked Buckeyes, racking up a school-record 461 yards of total offense (286 passing, 175 rushing). The valiant performance was his second star turn in a White Out game, coming on the heels of a 358-yard effort in a 42-13 vic- tory over Michigan the year before. BEST INDIVIDUAL DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE Mike Hull vs. Ohio State | 2014 The senior linebacker had one of his all-time best performances in Penn State's 31-24 overtime loss to the Buckeyes, finishing with a career-high 19 tackles, the most by a PSU player in a single game since 2011. Hull also had an interception on the first play of the fourth quarter to set up a Penn State touchdown. — Matt Herb White Out Highs & Lows 2004-23 6 2 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M