a pride of lions: Brains and Brawn

On all of our trips to the Big Ten cities, we dress in what I call our ‘uniforms’. Basically we are dressed from head to toe in Penn State attire from hats, tee shirts, sweatshirts, and jackets to our proudly displayed Penn State buttons. So most locals know why we have invaded their city.

Usually while we are having a drink or waiting for a table for dinner, someone will approach us to talk about the upcoming game. It is always interesting to hear what a fan from the opposing team thinks about Penn State and what they predict for the outcome of the game. In the past we have heard the range of comments from “you guys are good, don’t beat us too bad”, and “good luck, but not too much”, to “may the best team win”. From my observations, what the opposing fans say to us correlates to the outcome of the game.

For example, Iowa fans didn’t wish us too much luck, and we didn’t have much this year playing them. Last year, Ohio State wanted the best team to win, and we did. Illinois didn’t want us to beat them too badly, so we only defeated them 35 to 17. For me, what was said before the game was definitely connected to the final out-come.

This week we talked with a couple of women at a bar one night about the upcoming game. They didn’t wish us luck or offer any words of encouragement. They just told us that Northwestern doesn’t have football players; they have “smart kids trying to play football”. I’m not sure what they were implying. Hopefully not that Penn State has football players that are all brawn and no brain. Because, even though Northwestern is ranked 30th in academic rankings of over 500 colleges and universities, Penn State is ranked only slightly behind them in 45th place. I think what they said meant that being smart doesn’t equate to winning football games and to win you have to be a “dumb jock”. I disagree and think to win players have to not only be brawny, but they need brains too.

There was truth in what they said about Northwestern players being smart, especially their quarterback Mike Kafka. He played a smart game the quarter and a half he played before leaving the game with an injury. He kept his no huddle, tempo -changing offense on the field by completing 14 of 18 passes and running for 42 yards and a touchdown. Their second possession alone was a 17- play drive that ate up over 7minutes of the clock. In the second quarter, Kafka orchestrated an 8- play drive that spanned 80 yards and a Kafka run for a touchdown! Kafka showed his mental and physical abilities in this quarter.

On the opposite side, Penn State didn’t utilize their brawn or brains in the first quarter. Offensively we hardly had the ball so we couldn’t score any points. Then we made an error by having 12 men on the field for a punt that gave Northwestern a 1st down and the momentum to capitalize on the mistake by scoring a field goal.

During the second quarter it looked as though Penn State was getting their heads on straight when our favorite player caught a pass that looked like a first down with additional yards gained on a great second effort. The officials reviewed the play and ruled that ‘our favorite’s’ elbow touched the ground, negating the extra yards and no first down. Penn State went into the locker room at half- time with a deficit for the first time this season.

The good news is that after half- time the Lions came out and played with a different mental and physical attitude. In the fourth quarter, in a span of five minutes, Penn State scored three touchdowns. The last two scores were one play each and led to our 34-13 victory over the Wildcats.

I guess my theory about what fans say before the game does have some correlation with the final out come. Those women implied “smart kids playing football” can’t win and they didn’t. But maybe they did, it just wasn’t the smart kids from Northwestern, it was the smart kids from Penn State who combined those brains with some brawn to come from behind and defeat the Wildcats.

Pictures from the Penn State- Northwestern game at Evanston, Illinois

The Northwestern Wildcat's equipment truck parked at the stadium.