Blue White Illustrated

PSU, Nebraska recall 2011 matchup in Beaver Stadium TIM  OWEN The last time Nebraska visited Penn State, it was under very different circumstances than will be the case on Saturday. The date was Nov. 12, 2011, and just days before, the course of Penn State's history had been forever altered. The Jerry Sandusky scandal was beginning to erupt. Athletic director Tim Curley and university vice president Gary Schultz had been charged with perjury; president Graham Spanier and head coach Joe Paterno had been fired. But the Nittany Lions still had a game to play. So with former defensive coordinator Tom Bradley serving as interim coach, Penn State hosted the Cornhuskers. The Lions, led by captains Devon Still and Drew Astorino, walked out of the tunnel with their arms linked, and they also shared a pregame prayer with the opponent. Led by Nebraska assistant coach Ron Brown, the players gathered at mid- N O V E M B E R | OW E N. T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M field to pray for victims of child abuse. The 107,903 fans in Beaver Stadium were silent. Many joined along. "Obviously that was a crazy and unfortunate situation, said Nebraska coach Bo " Pelini "No one wants to be a part of something like that. That was a crazy week for us, but I can't imagine what [Penn State] went through that week. Obviously it was unfortunate. I think that's one of the powers of sports. You saw two different schools and teams come together and fan bases that came to understand that day what the big picture was. There was a much bigger picture than that football game that day. I think everyone was able to put it aside for a couple hours and come together, which I thought was a pretty special [moment]. Not just the prayer beforehand and the moment but just the whole football game. " Safety Malcolm Willis, a sophomore at the time, doesn't have a lot of vivid 2 0 , 2 0 1 3 17 memories of the pregame scene at Beaver Stadium, but he does recall the prayer. "That was really the only thing I remember from the pregame, he said. " Nebraska went on to edge the Nittany Lions, 17-14. Penn State's defense played one of its best games of the season, but it wasn't enough to stave off the Cornhuskers. Penn State hasn't beaten them since. Last year in Lincoln, the Huskers overcame a 20-6 halftime deficit to topple the Nittany Lions, 32-23. When Willis, now a senior, thinks about the Lions' recent history with Nebraska, those results are what come immediately to mind. "The main thing that I remember from playing Nebraska is that I haven't won a game in the last two years that we've played them," he said. "So we have to have a good week of practice and get ready to come out Saturday and win. " B LUE WH I T E ON L I N E .COM

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