Joe Pa's 43rd year !!!

Pre-Med & Medical School Multiple Degree Programs
21

<p>Penn State 13 - Ohio State 6.</p>

<p>A classic defensive battle. Penn State had only one penalty (which was declined) and no turnovers. What discipline.</p>

<p>Early in the 4th quarter, with Penn State behind 6-3, Ohio State QB Terrelle Pryor tried to sneak around the right side when Penn State Defensive Back Mark Rubin came up for the tackle and poked the ball out of Pryor's arms. Penn State linebacker Navorro Bowman fell on the ball to give the Nittany Lions the ball on the OSU 38. Penn State backup QB Pat Devlin came in and moved the Nittany Lions down to the goal line, ending the drive with a QB sneak right of Center -- the game's only touchdown.</p>

<p>Now for a well-deserved bye week. Whew!!!</p>

22

<p>After the Bye week, JoePa and Company showed up a little flat at Iowa's Kinnick Stadium.</p>

<p>The storybook ending to a long career doesn't look like it is going to happen, at least not this year.</p>

<p>Starting the game with an error prone 3-and-out and a miffed punt, Penn State gave the ball to the Iowa Hawkeyes on the Penn State 25. In 2 plays, the Hawkeyes were the first team to score.</p>

<p>Although Penn State was eventually able to take the lead and hold it for most of the game, the Hawkeyes kept the game close.</p>

<p>In the middle of the final quarter, with Penn State punting and the Hawkeyes hoping to get the ball to try to take the lead, the Hawkeyes looked like they ruined their chances of an upset when they were called for roughing the kicker. This allowed Penn State to keep the ball and continue their drive.</p>

<p>However, with the wind in Iowa's Kinnick Stadium facing the Nittany Lions, Penn State QB Daryll Clark sent a pass down the middle and the ball soared over the head of his intended receiver and was picked off by Iowa's Tyler Sash with 3:47 to play.</p>

<p>Iowa's QB Rick Stanzi marched the Hawkeyes down the field, and with only 6 seconds left, Iowa picked their Sophomore kickoff kicker, Daniel Murray, instead of their normal placekicker, Freshman Trent Mossbrucker, to attempt the 31-yard field goal. Murray responded with a kick right down the middle between the goal posts.</p>

<p>Iowa 24, Penn State 23.</p>

<p>With only 1 second left, Penn State could not handle the ball on the kickoff and time ran out. The Hawkeyes had won, and JoePa had lost his first game this season. Pending a miracle, Penn State's hopes for the BCS Championship Game are now over. They can still grab the Big Ten Championship and go to the Rose Bowl by winning their next 2 games, but it is somewhat not what we all had hoped for.</p>

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<p>Gomez, apparently the Nittany Lions got lost in the cornfields of Iowa. That was a bad pun that I just couldn't pass up.</p>

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<p>Hey, Michigan's getting better as the season progresses. Nice defense against Minnesota, who only had 1 loss 2 weeks ago, before Northwestern and then the Wolverines.</p>

<p>Now, Fitz and his NU Wildcats are coming to Ann Arbor. Should be an interesting game.</p>

25

<p>JoePa back to work after hip surgery. Doing well. Go JoePa!</p>

<p>Nice regular season. If not for an unfortunate throw into the wind that sailed high into a Hawkeye defender's arms near the end of the Iowa game, JoePa & Co. would probably be playing for the national championship in January.</p>

<p>However, Daryll Clark and the Nittany Lions bounced back and finished the season strong over Michigan State.</p>

<p>BIG TEN CHAMPS!!! OFF TO THE ROSE BOWL!!!</p>

<p>With Oregon beating Oregon State last week, we now have the potential of JoePa going against Pete Carroll and the USC Trojans (assuming USC beats Rick Neuheisel and UCLA this weekend).</p>

<p>JoePa vs. Pete Carroll -- What a game that would be between the two storied football programs!!!</p>