Hail to the Lions-1971 Penn State Football Highlights

[Music] New Year's Day 1972 the Cotton Bowl and State and Texas it was her first meeting in history [Music] a football squad begins to take shape in the spring it is here that a coach coaches here that careful preparation pays off in fall victories Joe Paterno became head coach at Penn State in 1966 over those six years he has been the nation's winningest coach on the final day of spring practice the Penn State staff takes over the coaching reins it was Paterno's day to oversee to set the tone for an 11 game schedule get two times and make it first now look you guys go put a drive together now let's see if you got a little class for the defense today [Music] come on what was the last one you hit they kept ladies at this luck three close it up to now it's good cold so cavaletti didn't run aright though hopefully no small problem was overlooked the defense was young but aggressive the veteran offense was explosive Penn State was ready the season ahead would feature a tough blending of longtime rivals rugged intersectional foes and the three service academies senior like Dell Mitchell rocketed into the new season scoring five touchdowns at navy a preview of things to come [Music] in his first varsity game backup quarterback Steve Jochum hurled the season's longest bomb 86 yards to speedy Jim Scott Navy have tested the mighty lion offense and found it uncontrollable against our me three different Penn State quarterbacks put points on the board John Hufnagel led the rampage pairing with Scott skarzinski Steve Jochum connected with Bob Parsons gobbling up 62 yards [Music] and Jack Connor chef ski picked out fleet Chuck herd for 64 big ones [Music] why tell Mitchell chipped in three touchdowns and a total of 161 chillin yards [Music] States 42 points was the most they've ever scored in 19 battles with army of the three service academies the Air Force provided Penn State with its severus competition the first period was scoreless then John Hufnagel burned the Air Force secondary his partner was Bob Parsons inside an unbending pocket huffnagel had time to hit parsons again and the Lions were 12 inches away from the game's first score everybody in Beaver Stadium knew it would be there Mitchell or Harris for the payoff yard a John Hufnagel was master of the unexpected sophomore Tom Dunn says scored his first varsity touchdown and state led seven to nothing the Falcons struck back and tied the score but Bruce bannon's rush and Ed O'Neill's interception set up another smart call what appeared to be a fullback Slam by Harris proved in reality to be a wide sweep by Mitchell State thirteen air for seven minutes later an eye-popping catch by a well covered Falcon stunned the Lions the conversion inched air force ahead the Lions knew it was time for a big play not the kind you draw on blackboards but the kind aggressive teams make happen keep your eye on number 16 a second look shows the fumble bounced right to an alert John Huck Nagle number 16 who never broke stride [Music] the Lions have clawed back into scoring range three stabs at the veteran air force line failed to find the endzone on fourth and one a decision was made Albert Vidya Lowe kicked from the 22 [Music] the pressure field goal was perfect ten states dried laid off with a two-point win it proves something intangible to the Lions and quarterback John Hufnagel your first game was the big test for us and they're a good team and the way we came back in the second half to win it no Alberta kicking that cut to a goal you know we thought we knew that we could win under pressure Penn State was the only team in 1971 to defeat the three major service academies every school plays several opponents it loves to beat games that make or break a season an example was Penn State Syracuse these two rugged Eastern powers have met 49 times since 1922 this series is unbelievably close State now holds a two-game edge the 1971 version of the lion Orange war quickly turned into a showcase for the Penn State defense Joe Paterno and his staff labored long and hard setting up a defense to neutralize the Syracuse ground strength it worked [Music] defensive and Bruce Bannon won Associated Press lineman of the Week honors number 83 was constantly in the Orange backfield one of 1971's outstanding efforts was this charge by Bannon blocking a Syracuse punt [Music] let's run that one again watch Bannon as he recovered quickly and cleared the path for Gary gray to score the Nittany Lion defense held Syracuse without a point paired with a whitewash of army a week earlier state's defenders had trucked up back-to-back shutouts [Music] another long-standing rival West Virginia hadn't beaten Penn State since 1955 it was scary in 1971 one play turned a close contest into a rout a fumble punt [Music] possession with the Penn State and the Lions had a golden opportunity to break open a third period seven to seven tie [Music] after the recovery John Hufnagel and Franco Harris destroyed the deadlock West Virginia's dreams of upsetting Penn State were shelved for another season Lydell Mitchell continued to assault enemy tacklers like a tornado advancing inland ba9 jointer Necto BOTS and shaka which the holes were there for the taking first of two touchdowns established a new Penn State single year record of 15 after a nip and tuck start the Lions Ward to a 35 to 7 win and stake that come out of a rugged showdown at West Virginia with only minor injuries [Music] the high scoring offense continued untamed against longtime foe Pittsburgh line Dale Mitchell set a pair of NCAA all-time season records one for touchdowns by rushing and one for total points Mitchell tore through the guts of the pit defense for 181 yards shattering the old Penn State record for total offense in a season there was a spectacular performance by the talented senior Penn State's offense total more than 530 yards including a unique scoring play from Hufnagel - don't share to Parsons the touchdown path was established up Nagle's long pitch bound Chuck heard [Music] and Steve jáchym sky-high floater - Gary devs added six more [Music] the Lions would receive a Cotton Bowl invitation immediately following the game the funnel was 55 to 18 and Penn State had licked its three traditional rivals Syracuse West Virginia and Pittsburgh scoring a grand total of 121 points and giving up but 25 [Music] the lines in 1971 took on five intersectional opponents representing the south southwest Atlantic coast and Midwest it was a rainy Saturday in September when the lines met Iowa for the second time in history why Dale Mitchell romp through the Hawkeye's for 211 yards Franco Harris tied an Iowa stadium record with four touchdowns Den State added a Big Ten team to its victim list 44 to 14 against Texas Christian Joe Paterno's out fence had a field day the visitors could not stop the Lions whether it was Bob Parsons or Franco Harris the blue and white thundered at will [Music] when Dale Mitchell followed blocks by Mark Markovic and Dave joiner as the Lions set a new single game total offense record [Music] on defense Penn State looked at the wishbone for the first time and found it no problem the mini lines collected an amazing total of 66 points including ed O'Neill's slick punt return [Music] every lion squad member played in penn state's highest scoring games since 1947 just as TCU was rattled by the state offense Maryland to wondered what hit them Lydell Mitchell greeted the Terps with five touchdowns 209 yards and six new Penn State rushing records it was a day Mitch could have run for governor and made it [Music] John huffnagel hit seven of eight passes one of them targeted Glenn Cole the Lions put 63 points on the board and Maryland wasn't the only tired visitor to University Park Iowa TCU Maryland and North Carolina State had fallen the Lions were 10 and old ranked number five in the nation but trouble was just ahead Tennessee welcomed Alliance to Knoxville with the type of big defensive plays that the great 1968 and 69 Penn State teams often turned on opponents a fumble return a punt return and four interceptions ended States 15 game win streak [Music] it was easy to forget those previous 10 wins but Penn State would have one more chance the Cotton Bowl to regroup and show a football nation it was a good team [Music] senior leadership is important to the success of any college team under Joe Paterno and his staff it is often the key to a winning season the 1971 offense was blessed with many gifted seniors one of the most effective blocking units in Lyon history was led by all-america Dave Joyner the thing you know excites the offensive linemen most is to make a good block you know on the side of a plate at the back has a good run or to make a downfield block possibly in this you know these are the only times you really get any recognition offensive captain heavyweight wrestling champion Dean's List pre-med student Dave Joyner married a state cheerleader and together they enjoyed those autumn Saturdays [Applause] [Music] [Applause] playing alongside Dave Joyner was senior Bob Nichol number 64 me personal satisfaction comes when you a touchdown come though your home or if you knock the guy down when you're blocking him straight on or when a bat comes back there huh no one says you know he did a good job the anchor in the middle of this powerful offensive line was 235 pound Mike Potts number 59 at tight end Bob Parsons didn't block like an ex quarterback Parsons ran this play 11 times in 1971 gaining more than 80 yards bob was a fantastic punter and versatile enough to lead the team and receptions [Music] these were the seniors up front whose primary duty was to clear a path for runners Franco Harris and Lydell Mitchell hampered by injuries in 1971 Franco Harris was as good as any runner in America when healthy he rumbled for over 2,000 career yards and his fourth on the Penn State all-time rushing list Paris's senior partner was number 23 Lydell Mitchell a complete back Mitchell blocked and was second on the team and past receptions often pulling an unbelievable catches but Lydell Michels Trump was running he could single-handedly destroy a secondary Joe Paterno called Mitch the best third down runner we've ever had number 23 was born with great legs and enough desire to run through a wall you get the extra incentive from knowing that defense is geared to try to stop you and he just a simple philosophy that powered Mitchell to gain more than 100 yards in nine out of 12 state games Mitch established twelve Nittany Lion records and three NCAA season scoring marks football fans everywhere will long remember Lydell Mitchell as the young man who scored more touchdowns in a season than any other player in college history he was the summit of State's high-powered offense the young defense matured in 1971 the underclassmen moved in and learned quickly the seniors showed the way they were a reckless crew those state defenders kidding was fun and their captain was senior linebacker Charlie's APEC enjoy knocking the other guy down particularly when he has the ball and it's just you know just a thrill hitting someone and seeing the ball pop up out of some powder bowl Karen creating a fumble and all east offensive guard two years ago number 60 switched to defense and one all-america honors his coach said Charlie say Peck was truly a leader by example [Music] the little big man of the state defense was senior Gary gray this 200 pound linebacker tucked the lines and tackles and interceptions gray dabbled in hypnotism off the field but once in uniform he was all business Frank Aaron hold was the only senior in the front for not big as tackles go number 79 hit with authority and loved to bear hug ball carriers for all these seniors like Frank Aaron hold and Chuck mezco and Glen Cole 1971 was history but Penn State had one more game to put it all together in Dallas on New Year's Day I think if we come away with a victory this would be the biggest biggest victory in Penn State history it's it's just a natural rivalry between Penn State and Texas we've never played before Texas has a great reputation they have a said they've had some great teams in the past few years and if we could beat Texas it'd just be great for Penn State football for the fourth time in the last five years the Lions are in a major bowl a fun week in Dallas includes press conferences and hello from Dolly herself Carol Channing [Music] the 1972 Cotton Bowl is the first meeting ever between Texas Darrell royal and Joe Paterno it is Royals dreaded wishbone offense that worries Paterno but the Nittany Lions meet the challenge early in the struggle Texas is driven to the state 35 this is where the Lions must assert their control over the long horn offense Bruce Bannon leads the assignment the heralded offense of the 70s the wishbone is out guessed out hustled and out hit by Jim les Levesque number 47 by John scorpan number 81 and number 20 Chuck Misco the lions pursuit is beautiful [Music] neither team can score a touchdown in the first half seconds into the third period Jim les Levesque kicks at Texas bumble and Chuck's a Peck runs it down it is time to strike John Hufnagel comes a perfect pass to Bob Parsons and the restless lions are a yard away for the final 36 inches Lydell Mitchell barrels over joiner and Nick toll and Penn State leads for the first time 10 to 6 here's the game-breaker puppy spot scott skarzinski unbelievably alone a 65-yard bomb that stuns the eyes of Texas Penn State takes us 17 to 6 advantage the Swift lion defense forces another turnover Bannen hits Greg Duquette recovers following a pair of field goals John huffnagle sweeps into the end zone to make the final of 32 6r out of the Southwest Conference champions the first time Texas has been held without a touchdown in 80 games [Applause] the Lions had come back they had shown a national TV audience they could play with the best and win Jill Paterno would call it Penn State's most important victory [Music] [Applause] so the Lions complete the season 11 and one 5th ranked nationally winners and 48 of their last 55 games they have finished in the top five three of the last four years in the top ten four of the last five years quarterback John Hufnagel returns to lead the offense in 1972 [Music] puffy will have blocking linemen like number 69 Carl Chaka which and number 73 Craig Lyle opening the holes soccer-style kicker albert video low returns as one of the nation's leaders in kick scoring he holds all of Penn State's extra point marks and his record three Cotton Bowl field goals four beauties to behold 1972 should be a vintage year for the defense linebacker John scorpan number 81 is one of the seven defensive starters to return including Jim Heller number 72 at tackle linebacker Tom Hall and number 47 defensive end Jim loss Levesque at the other terminal Bruce Bannon number 83 finished the season winning the top defensive award in the Cotton Bowl most of the lion's record-setting secondary returns including buddy Ellis number 18 and Greg Duke at number 35 each added four interceptions to the new team record of 28 1971 was a year to remember and in 1972 the Nittany Lions will strive to continue their drive to national prominence [Music]

Channel: Grey Beard

Views: 4,248

Rating: 5 out of 5

Keywords: Penn State, Nittany Lions, College Football, Joe Paterno, Cotton Bowl

Id: X52L3Y5H8eg

Length: 28min 59sec (1739 seconds)

Published: Thu Apr 23 2020