Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/916653
| M uch has been made in recent weeks of Penn State's proud Fi- esta Bowl history. The Nittany Lions will be looking to go 7-0 in the Val- ley of the Sun when they face Washington at University of Phoenix Stadium on Dec. 30. But the planeloads of longtime Nit- tany Lion fans who descend upon Phoenix won't be the only ones looking to re-experience past glories. Huskies coach Chris Petersen has some fond memories of the place, as well. It was the Fiesta Bowl that propelled Petersen into the national spotlight just over a decade ago. In 2006, his first sea- son as a head coach, he led Boise State to an undefeated regular season and an unlikely berth in a BCS game. The Western Athletic Conference champs were big underdogs against seventh- ranked Oklahoma, but Boise State hit the un- suspecting Sooners with a little bit of everything: a hook-and-ladder on fourth- and-18 with 18 seconds left to play, a halfback option pass out of the wildcat for- mation, and the piece de resistance, a Statue of Liberty play on a two-point conversation that gave the Broncos a 43- 42 overtime victory. It was a spectacular way to start his head coaching career, and it was no fluke. Petersen went on to compile a 92-12 record at Boise State, including another Fiesta Bowl victory in 2010. He left for Washington in December 2013, taking over a Huskies program that been through four coaching changes since 2002 and had been eclipsed by Oregon as the reigning power in the Pacific North- west. As evidenced by his impending re- turn to the Phoenix area, Petersen's tenure in Seattle has been every bit as successful as envisioned. "I've been to two Fiesta Bowls," he said following the announcement earlier this month of the matchup with Penn State. "We also played TCU down there a few years after we played Oklahoma. When we heard that we were coming back, there was a lot of jumping around and smiling faces – until we found out that it was James Franklin's Penn State Nittany Lions. Then we said, 'Uh-oh, be careful what you wish for.' " That was the correct thing to say, of course. Effusive praise for one's opponent is an obligatory part of any postseason presser. But the program that Petersen has built in his four seasons has no reason to fear anyone. He's gone 37-16 since his arrival, including a 22-4 record, a Pac-12 championship and a College Football Playoff appearance in the past two sea- sons. During his tenure at Boise, Petersen was regarded as a great offensive strategist. He had been the Broncos' offensive coordina- tor for five seasons before taking over as V S . W A S H I N G T O N Washington is on a roll heading into bowl game PURPLE REIGN KIND OF A BIG DEAL Vea was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year after a regular sea- son in which he over- whelmed opposing blockers, helping Washington lead the country in run defense. Photo by Scott Eklund/ Red Box Pictures