local news article.
Last hurrah for PSU-ND rivalry?
BY DONNIE COLLINS
STAFF WRITER
09/08/2007
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And so, it is ending, this rivalry that gives so much to two college football-crazy states:
Passionate fans. Two of the most tradition-rich teams in the nation. A 12-game series in the 1980s and early 1990s that provided the classic in '87, Craig Fayak's last-second field goal in 1990, Rick Mirer-to-Reggie Brooks to win with 20 seconds to go in '92.
It's Penn State-Notre Dame. One more time.
When the longtime rivals meet at 6 p.m. tonight in Beaver Stadium, they may be doing so for the last time. Despite the passion fans in both states still have for what was one of the best year-ending matchups in the country more than a decade ago, the teams aren't scheduled to meet again during the regular season in the near future.
That's only one of the reasons both teams are going to be looking to make one final impression on their opponent. While the No. 14 Nittany Lions enter the game a prohibitive favorite, the Irish are limping. They suffered a 33-3 defeat at the hands of Georgia Tech in their season-opener last weekend.
It was a loss that saw head coach Charlie Weis' three-quarterback rotation get sacked nine times and fumble three more times deep in Irish territory. The Irish running game finished with negative yards and the Irish defense looked meek as the Yellow Jackets piled up 265 yards on the ground.
"Week to week, you've got to start with a clean slate," Irish All-American safety Tom Zbikowski said. "Because no matter what you did the previous week, whether you won by 30 or lost by 30, it's still a new week. Whatever you did the week before, it's not going to help you or hurt you on Saturday."
While several golden domers said this week that the end of the Penn State rivalry shouldn't constitute the beginning of a rebuilding process in South Bend, facts are facts.
At his press conference on Tuesday, Weis installed true freshman Jimmy Clausen as his starting quarterback for today's game, supplanting opening day starter Demetrius Jones and veteran backup Evan Sharpley. Clausen threw for 34 yards in limited time last week. After spring practice, Weis said Clausen had climbed to the top of the depth chart. An elbow problem slowed his progress somewhat after that, but the innovator of the West Coast-style offense that helped make Brady Quinn a star insists Clausen's time is now.
"If I didn't think he was ready," Weis said of Clausen, "I wouldn't do this."
The game is the second in a two-game home-and-home series between the teams, and Penn State remembers the first one well. The young Lions were convincingly smoked, 41-17, last September in South Bend. Quinn threw three touchdown passes and Zbikowski effectively broke the game open when he returned an Anthony Morelli fumble 25 yards for a touchdown on the first drive of the second half.
"We got embarrassed," cornerback Lydell Sargeant said. "I think that's the consensus among all the players. We got embarrassed."
Notre Dame feels the same way about what happened last week, and maybe for the last time, both teams have a chance to cure their personal embarrassments against each other. Beaver Stadium promises to be a hostile place for Notre Dame. Night games have become famous for their atmosphere in Happy Valley and, for this one, Penn State has asked all fans to wear white shirts.
"I guess a lot of you guys plan to wear white," Zbikowski said. "But none of you guys can play. So it's not going to help you out at all."
At least for a few more hours, the rivalry lives on.
©The Citizens Voice 2007
email this storyEmail to a friendprinter friendlyPrinter-friendlyTop
BY DONNIE COLLINS
STAFF WRITER
09/08/2007
email this storyEmail to a friendprinter friendlyPrinter-friendly
And so, it is ending, this rivalry that gives so much to two college football-crazy states:
Passionate fans. Two of the most tradition-rich teams in the nation. A 12-game series in the 1980s and early 1990s that provided the classic in '87, Craig Fayak's last-second field goal in 1990, Rick Mirer-to-Reggie Brooks to win with 20 seconds to go in '92.
It's Penn State-Notre Dame. One more time.
When the longtime rivals meet at 6 p.m. tonight in Beaver Stadium, they may be doing so for the last time. Despite the passion fans in both states still have for what was one of the best year-ending matchups in the country more than a decade ago, the teams aren't scheduled to meet again during the regular season in the near future.
That's only one of the reasons both teams are going to be looking to make one final impression on their opponent. While the No. 14 Nittany Lions enter the game a prohibitive favorite, the Irish are limping. They suffered a 33-3 defeat at the hands of Georgia Tech in their season-opener last weekend.
It was a loss that saw head coach Charlie Weis' three-quarterback rotation get sacked nine times and fumble three more times deep in Irish territory. The Irish running game finished with negative yards and the Irish defense looked meek as the Yellow Jackets piled up 265 yards on the ground.
"Week to week, you've got to start with a clean slate," Irish All-American safety Tom Zbikowski said. "Because no matter what you did the previous week, whether you won by 30 or lost by 30, it's still a new week. Whatever you did the week before, it's not going to help you or hurt you on Saturday."
While several golden domers said this week that the end of the Penn State rivalry shouldn't constitute the beginning of a rebuilding process in South Bend, facts are facts.
At his press conference on Tuesday, Weis installed true freshman Jimmy Clausen as his starting quarterback for today's game, supplanting opening day starter Demetrius Jones and veteran backup Evan Sharpley. Clausen threw for 34 yards in limited time last week. After spring practice, Weis said Clausen had climbed to the top of the depth chart. An elbow problem slowed his progress somewhat after that, but the innovator of the West Coast-style offense that helped make Brady Quinn a star insists Clausen's time is now.
"If I didn't think he was ready," Weis said of Clausen, "I wouldn't do this."
The game is the second in a two-game home-and-home series between the teams, and Penn State remembers the first one well. The young Lions were convincingly smoked, 41-17, last September in South Bend. Quinn threw three touchdown passes and Zbikowski effectively broke the game open when he returned an Anthony Morelli fumble 25 yards for a touchdown on the first drive of the second half.
"We got embarrassed," cornerback Lydell Sargeant said. "I think that's the consensus among all the players. We got embarrassed."
Notre Dame feels the same way about what happened last week, and maybe for the last time, both teams have a chance to cure their personal embarrassments against each other. Beaver Stadium promises to be a hostile place for Notre Dame. Night games have become famous for their atmosphere in Happy Valley and, for this one, Penn State has asked all fans to wear white shirts.
"I guess a lot of you guys plan to wear white," Zbikowski said. "But none of you guys can play. So it's not going to help you out at all."
At least for a few more hours, the rivalry lives on.
©The Citizens Voice 2007
email this storyEmail to a friendprinter friendlyPrinter-friendlyTop
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