Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/916653
aybe it's the sunshine. Maybe it's the scenery. Maybe it's that dry Southwestern heat, always a refreshing change a9er weeks of sinking temperatures, thickening clouds, diminishing daylight and the occasional dusting of snow. Whatever it is, the Fiesta Bowl has brought out the best in Penn State over the years. Six visits. Six victories. It doesn't get much better than that. Then again, maybe it does. The Nit- tany Lions will be trying to go seven for seven when they face Washington in this year's game. It's their 6rst visit to the Valley of the Sun since thumping Texas, 38-15, on Jan. 1, 1997. It's also the 6rst time since 1985-86 that they've quali- 6ed for New Year's Six bowl games in consecutive seasons, and they'll likely be welcoming back a couple of key play- ers to their injury-depleted o8ensive and defensive lines and will have a rested and ready Saquon Barkley at their disposal, probably for the 6nal time. The program's general upswing, cou- pled with its two-decade absence from the Fiesta Bowl, is expected to inspire a lot of Penn State fans to join James Franklin and company in Phoenix, where the Lions will have a chance to maintain the momentum they built dur- ing their three-game win streak at the end of the regular season. "Penn State travels well. We always have. We always will," Franklin said fol- lowing the announcement of the matchup. "This is a place that takes great pride in their football program. I thought we represented very well last year [at the Rose Bowl]. We've got Penn State grads all over the world and all over the country and speci6cally on the West Coast. I think a lot of our fans here [in Pennsylvania] will make the trip as well. The history is great." Great is not an exaggeration. The Nit- tany Lions have beaten a half-dozen na- tionally ranked major-conference opponents in the Fiesta Bowl. In addi- tion to Texas, they've defeated Arizona State, Ohio State, Southern California, Miami and Tennessee. Along the way, they sti7ed a pair of Heisman Trophy winners in Trojans running back Marcus Allen and Hurricanes quarterback Vinny Testaverde. But none of that history is going to in- P E N N S T A T E V S . W A S H I N G T O N PRAISING ARIZONA M In the heart of the Southwestern desert, a familiar oasis beckons