Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/86430
Players take issue with the notion that they have nothing to play for this season MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKERS NATE BAUER | N B A U E R@B L U EWH I T E O N L I N E . C O M Michael Zordich plowed into the end zone with 1 minute, 30 seconds left Saturday afternoon, sealing Penn State's 39-28 victory against No. 24 Northwestern. Senior quarterback Matt McGloin raced off the field, recklessly jumping on position coach Charlie Fisher as the two fell to the turf laughing. Sen- ior linebacker Michael Mauti stormed around the sideline, happy to hug any teammates or coaches willing to re- turn the favor. The jubilation that followed the Nit- tany Lions' victory put the lie to a no- tion, expressed by numerous college football pundits following the an- nouncement this past July of severe NCAA sanctions, that this team has nothing to play for. "That's bull," Mauti said. "They don't know what they're talking about. "Their opinion really doesn't matter to us. It's not about them. It's about us. It's about our team." Led by fiery first-year head coach Bill O'Brien, the Nittany Lions have collectively fought the idea that a postseason ban has rendered their season meaningless. If anything, the public's willingness to write them off appears to have given players even more motivation. "Everything we've been through, people are still knocking us down and knocking us down, but we just keep fighting and fighting," senior line- backer Gerald Hodges said. "It's brought us closer and made us be- come a family. "I won't say [the games] seem more emotional, but they definitely seem more personal. Every time we step on the field, we want to let everyone know that we mean business and nothing else." That business involves more than just wins and losses. Having endured more than his fair share of adversity through a five-season career, Zordich DIVE PLAY Zordich was ruled out of bounds on this carry, but he scored from three yards out on the next play, finishing off the scoring in Penn State's 39-28 victory over Northwestern. explained the mentality his team- mates have embraced. "We feel like we have the future of this entire program on this season," he said. "It's on what we do, bowl game or not. We've gotta go out and we have to compete and we want to win for Coach O'Brien, for the next class, for guys who are coming here and just for the program and the uni- versity. "There are a lot of people who care about this place, so that's who we're playing for and that's why we feel like we have so much riding on this." Winners of four consecutive games, the Nittany Lions have put them- O C T O B E R 6 , 2 0 1 2 13 John Beale selves in position to satisfy their own goals while challenging the notions of the skeptics. Still, Mauti main- tained that the Nittany Lions' moti- vations come from within their locker room. "We're going to make this special on our own," he said. "Not because you say it is but because we say it is. All the adversity is outside of here, and we're going to make something of it. "This just has the makings of a re- ally special season, and it's not over yet. That's really what keeps us going. To us, it's all about how many wins. But I think no matter what, when we look back, it's going to be special." B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M