Blue White Illustrated

as does one final nonconference game against Temple. Franklin said that his message to his players following the announcement was that "there's nothing being held back from them in terms of opportuni- ties. They have the ability to chase their dreams now. "But we're going to go back to our same approach," he quickly added, "which is to play one at a time – one game at a time, one practice at a time. So that's been our focus, and I think it was received really well." Back in the 1970s, '80s and '90s, fans assumed going into every season that Penn State was bowl bound. Why not? During that three-decade span, the Nit- tany Lions missed out on the postseason only three times. Bowls have been no sure thing since the 2000s began, as Penn State has played in only eight during that 14-year span. When it hasn't been the NCAA standing in the way, it's sometimes been the Lions themselves. But given the way the program has surged in Franklin's first nine months on the job, it looks as though bowls will once again be an expectation. And it's looking less and less farfetched to imagine that one of these years, the Li- ons will be among the contenders for the biggest postseason games of them all. That should create some excitement. ■ 111 E. Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S Penn State All-America running back Ki-Jana Carter has been selected for induction into the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2014, joining coaches Knute Rockne and Dick Vermeil. Carter was a key member of the 1995 Rose Bowl cham- pionship squad that capped a 12-0 season with a 38-20 victory over Ore- gon on Jan. 2, 1995. The Rose Bowl Hall of Fame induc- tion ceremony will take place on Dec. 30 at the Pasadena Convention Cen- ter, two days before the 101st Rose Bowl game. "Growing up in Columbus, Ohio, the Big Ten and the Rose Bowl were every- thing, and I always dreamed about playing in the Rose Bowl," Carter said in a prepared statement. "To play in the Rose Bowl and be the MVP of the game, it was awesome, but now it's the ultimate honor to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. It is pretty overwhelm- ing. "This is an honor that I share with all of my teammates, it just shows how special that year was," he added. "It was only our second year in the con- ference and we go undefeated and to the Rose Bowl. That's pretty special. Without my linemen, my tight ends, my quarterback and the receivers all throwing blocks out there for me, I wouldn't be here." Carter, who finished second in the 1994 Heisman Trophy voting and was a consensus first-team All-American, earned co-MVP honors in the Rose Bowl after rushing for 156 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. He ran for an 83-yard touchdown on the first offensive play of the game, which is the third-longest run in Rose Bowl history and the longest run in Penn State bowl history. The 1994 Nittany Lions won their first Big Ten championship in only their second year in the conference. Penn State became the first Big Ten team to post a 12-0 mark, making the Nittany Lions the first conference team to post an unblemished record since the 1968 Ohio State team. The 1994 Lions were a record-setting bunch, breaking 11 Penn State records and seven Big Ten records. Penn State's 48.1-point scoring average in conference games is a record that still stands. Ki-Jana Carter earns induction into Rose Bowl Hall of Fame

• Cover