'Historic' 1965 PSU game

[wex18]

I was reading another thread about things we miss about college football, and someone mentioned they're annoyed at all the crawlers at the bottom of the TV screen.

It got me thinking about the 1965 PSU-Maryland game (early December) on NBC, which I believe was the first time a split screen was used from two different sites (split screens were common for same-site events, such as presidential nominating conventions and sporting events such as when a baserunner and fielders were shown simultaneously).

NBC showed preparations for the launch of Gemini 7 in the upper left corner while the rest of the screen showed the game at Maryland.

Until the countdown reached T-minus 30 minutes, the audio was from the game announcers. Once the countdown hit T-minus 30 minutes, the audio was from Cape Canaveral, along with Mission Control announcements. At the same time, the launch took up most of the screen and the game was in the upper-left corner.

The launch was at 2:30 p.m., at which point, the game had hit halftime and the launch was full-screen.

When the game resumed, it was on a split screen (with the game in the upper-left corner), but for a time, the audio was still of the space coverage.

At the end of the game, the game was full-screen. Penn State won (of course -- this was Maryland we were playing) and Paterno finished his first season 5-5.

Does anyone else remember watching this? (You must be 60 or older to participate!)

 

[fbh1]

Are you sure that it was 1965? I was a freshman that year and if I remember correctly... Rip Engle was in his last year as coach. Paterno took over in 1966 and went 5-5... I have a vague recollection of the Maryland game, but I don't remember a "split screen", etc...

 

[wex18]

You're right. It was Engle's last season. I think Penn State finished 5-5 that season, too.

 

[T J]

I was reading another thread about things we miss about college football, and someone mentioned they're annoyed at all the crawlers at the bottom of the TV screen.

It got me thinking about the 1965 PSU-Maryland game (early December) on NBC, which I believe was the first time a split screen was used from two different sites (split screens were common for same-site events, such as presidential nominating conventions and sporting events such as when a baserunner and fielders were shown simultaneously).

NBC showed preparations for the launch of Gemini 7 in the upper left corner while the rest of the screen showed the game at Maryland.

Until the countdown reached T-minus 30 minutes, the audio was from the game announcers. Once the countdown hit T-minus 30 minutes, the audio was from Cape Canaveral, along with Mission Control announcements. At the same time, the launch took up most of the screen and the game was in the upper-left corner.

The launch was at 2:30 p.m., at which point, the game had hit halftime and the launch was full-screen.

When the game resumed, it was on a split screen (with the game in the upper-left corner), but for a time, the audio was still of the space coverage.

At the end of the game, the game was full-screen. Penn State won (of course -- this was Maryland we were playing) and Paterno finished his first season 5-5.

Does anyone else remember watching this? (You must be 60 or older to participate!)

FYI wex18...

• Rip Engle was coach in 1965 when PSU went 5-5, beating MD 19-7, on Dec 4th, at Byrd Stadium in College Park, MD, December

• Joe Paterno's first year as coach was 1966, with a record of 5-5. Paterno's first team beat MD 15-7 on Sept 17th at Beaver Stadium.

Interestingly, Rip Engle's career ended with a win against MD and Joe Paterno's career began with a win against MD... Back-to-back games to end the 1965 season and to open the 1966 season.
​

=========

Good memory wex18. Info about Gemini 7 or VII as it was known...

Crew size 2
Members Frank F. Borman, II
James A. Lovell, Jr
Start of mission
Launch date December 4, 1965, 19:30:03 UTC
Rocket Titan II GLV, s/n 62-12562
Launch site Cape Canaveral LC-19
End of mission
Landing date December 18, 1965, 14:05:04 UTC

Gemini VII

Gemini 7 as seen by Gemini 6​

 

[T J]

Here's the Gemini VII launch wex18, as captured by an individual off of his TV, with his 8 mm camera.

Way back when NASA was well respected and had the Best and Brightest.

Enjoy!

In 1965 Peter Faulkner recorded these images directly from what the TV networks were broadcasting using an 8mm movie camera. They are presented here as they were filmed.This footage contains film of the Atlas-Agena launch, the GT6 launch abort and the launch itself. The audio is synched to the launch footage.

​

 

[SEPATOPTEN]

I was reading another thread about things we miss about college football, and someone mentioned they're annoyed at all the crawlers at the bottom of the TV screen.

It got me thinking about the 1965 PSU-Maryland game (early December) on NBC, which I believe was the first time a split screen was used from two different sites (split screens were common for same-site events, such as presidential nominating conventions and sporting events such as when a baserunner and fielders were shown simultaneously).

NBC showed preparations for the launch of Gemini 7 in the upper left corner while the rest of the screen showed the game at Maryland.

Until the countdown reached T-minus 30 minutes, the audio was from the game announcers. Once the countdown hit T-minus 30 minutes, the audio was from Cape Canaveral, along with Mission Control announcements. At the same time, the launch took up most of the screen and the game was in the upper-left corner.

The launch was at 2:30 p.m., at which point, the game had hit halftime and the launch was full-screen.

When the game resumed, it was on a split screen (with the game in the upper-left corner), but for a time, the audio was still of the space coverage.

At the end of the game, the game was full-screen. Penn State won (of course -- this was Maryland we were playing) and Paterno finished his first season 5-5.

Does anyone else remember watching this? (You must be 60 or older to participate!)

Man that is one cool story. I was born in 1962 so I did not experience this but I always wished I was born just a little earlier so I could have a first hand view of that exciting and tumultuous time in our country's history. Thank you so much for your recollection of that Saturday. Can you imagine, the right stuff guys and PSU football sharing the television screen during the space race.