Old guys....1969 Homecoming game va WVU

[Roar More]

I was fortunate enough to be at all three games posted.

I have never experienced such a swing in emotions as at the Kansas Orange Bowl. What a crazy finish. Afterwards, I ran into a Kansas fan on my way out. Somebody who left immediately after they stopped us on the two point conversion. He made some mocking comment and I laughed at him. That 68-69 defense was special. The Rover Boys, as Joepa called them, in the defensive backfield were unparalleled ball hawks.

After we scored our second TD against Texas, a Longhorn filly sitting behind me dumped her drink on me before she left. Texans refused to believe that a team from the effete East could beat them. They did not handle humiliation well.

 

[psuro]

Thanks for posting the Cotton Bowl video.
Memories of Alberto Vitiello, PSU’s first soccer - style kicker and a lefty at that.

One of only three kids that Joe got from a Junior College, if my reckoning is correct. Mike Alexander was another one (who played with the Raiders for a while) and Ako Poti I think was the third.

Joe also said "I didn't recruit him because he's Italian. I recruited him because I am Italian".

 

[BobPSU92]

Thanks ‘Ro. I’ll never forget my dad, Jim Senior, screaming ”Too many men on the field!”

So that's where your MATHS. prowess stems from. Your dad taught you to count at an early age. You're lucky.

 

[rohrmd9]

What a terrific thread!!!

I remember all of those games and in particular watching the Orange Bowl with my parents in our living room. I remember during the waning moments of that game, the camera cut to Mike Reid who, IIRC, was sitting on his helmet, praying. What great memories!

 

[rohrmd9]

These were the guys.
Mike Smith, Steve Smear, John Ebersole, Dennis Onkotz, Jim Kates, Gary Hull, Mike Reid, Jack Ham
The banner mentioned earlier said "Phuck Penn State"

That looks like one of the photos that was in the book, "11-0 Twice in a Row". It was basically a pictorial account of all the games form the 68 and 69 seasons and I looked through that thing so many times it literally fell apart.

 

[olelion]

That looks like one of the photos that was in the book, "11-0 Twice in a Row". It was basically a pictorial account of all the games form the 68 and 69 seasons and I looked through that thing so many times it literally fell apart.

It's a Getty image and I have no idea where I got it. Hell, maybe it was on here

 

[LemonEars]

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Another one for you old guys.

I was there. Super game. Great crowd. Five of us drove a boat of a Chrysler back to State College after the game only stopping for gas. We had lots of beer and pretzels in the car. That is all we needed to eat and drink.

 

[Woodpecker]

only stopping for gas. We had lots of beer

And apparently very young bladders

 

[LemonEars]

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I was there yelling "mixer" as the vendors marched up and down the bleachers. I recall the annual halftime poster competition. Each frat combined with a sorority and got to prance around the field with a large banner. Most of the banners said things like "Go Lions" or "We Are . . ." Ours said "Muck the Fountaineers". We ended up on social probation for a month.

 

[LemonEars]

And apparently very young bladders

I remember standing on the side of the road peeing in Georgia. Don't remember much else.

 

[psuro]

Woody brings out some brash freshman named Schlichter this day....

 

[Marylovesthelions]

Ah Mary. I imagine our outlook on our aging is much the same and we just define it differently. Although I am a tad younger than you, I call myself old because I am. I embrace it. I think of wonderful old things, like Old Faithful, The Good Old Days, the hauntingly beautiful song Auld (Old) Lang Syne, or, dare I say, myself? I am an old person with young outlook on life and it appears you are as well. All the best Mary!

To me it is a state of mind that I never want to get to. If you move fast enough, you can stay ahead of the wrinkles and the undertaker. My goal is to cause the bankruptcy of at least one undertaker.

 

[BOSCO2]

One of only three kids that Joe got from a Junior College, if my reckoning is correct. Mike Alexander was another one (who played with the Raiders for a while) and Ako Poti I think was the third.

Joe also said "I didn't recruit him because he's Italian. I recruited him because I am Italian".

Al's English wasn't the best. He was a player guest on TV Quarterbacks that year and Fran Fisher asked him what college he was in. His response: "Penn State".

 

[PSUPride1]

One of my very fondest memories is jumping out of the stands and on to the field after we scored the 2 points to win the '69 Orange Bowl game. Even though we knew we were not going to win the NC... Ohio State won it that year... it felt like we had. We should have won it the next year. I have no doubts that our defense would have been too much for the Longhorns to deal with. As far as I'm concerned the '68 & '69 PSU defenses were the best I've ever seen as far as college football is concerned. Unfortunately, we made a bad decision regarding 1969 and our choice of bowl games...we could have chosen the Cotton Bowl and played Texas. At the time the decision was made (before Thanksgiving), it did not appear that the game would be for #1 as it did not look like #1 Ohio State was going to lose its last game to a mediocre Michigan team. Had we made a different choice we would have had an opportunity to beat Texas and get our first NC. I have no doubt that would have been the case. Still frustrates me to this day... in any case I'm glad that I was around to be a witness of the greatest 2 year span of Penn State football.

The Miami game in 87 was my favorite. We should have taken over the college football world after that win but the staff got old.

 

[sluggo72]

One of only three kids that Joe got from a Junior College, if my reckoning is correct. Mike Alexander was another one (who played with the Raiders for a while) and Ako Poti I think was the third.

Joe also said "I didn't recruit him because he's Italian. I recruited him because I am Italian".

I a pretty sure Joe had more than three JUCO's, but you are correct he took very few. Off the top of my head, I believe Roger Jackson was a JUCO transfer (Kenny's brother and a DB) as was Nerraw(sp) McCormick who came at the same time as Ako Poti.

 

[psuro]

I a pretty sure Joe had more than three JUCO's, but you are correct he took very few. Off the top of my head, I believe Roger Jackson was a JUCO transfer (Kenny's brother and a DB) as was Nerraw(sp) McCormick who came at the same time as Ako Poti.

Yeah, you could be correct about Nerraw, but I was not sure about Roger Jackson.

 

[sluggo72]

Yeah, you could be correct about Nerraw, but I was not sure about Roger Jackson.

from the depth chart...
CB *49ROGER JACKSON 12 6-0 184 JC

75 Nerraw McCormack 6-5 294 JC

 

[psugo]

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Another one for you old guys.

My first Penn State game!

 

[psuro]

One from my era

 

[rohrmd9]

One from my era

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I remember watching this game. Look at the blocking at the point of attack and into the 2nd level...damn!!

 

[olelion]

Woody brings out some brash freshman named Schlichter this day....
,

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Man, I was there. Felt that they were very special. Went to many games thta year

 

[psuro]

 

[Roar More]

One from my era

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I was at that game. Alabama fans could not have been nicer afterwards. Very complimentary.