In a week of stunning scandal, Penn State falls to Nebraska 17-14
A tumultuous chapter that began with the arrest of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky on child sexual abuse charges ended Saturday with Penn State losing its first game in the post-Joe Paterno era.
Penn State running backs Derek Day (24) and Silas Redd (25) embrace during warm ups before an NCAA college football game against Nebraska Saturday. Penn State lost 17-14.
Gene J. Puskar/AP
State College, Pa.
Capping the worst week in school history, No. 12 Penn State couldn't overcome a 17-point deficit and was stopped short on a 4th-and-1 late in a 17-14 loss Saturday to No. 19 Nebraska.
The outcome was secondary in Happy Valley.
A tumultuous chapter that began with the arrest of former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky on shocking child sexual abuse charges ended Saturday with Penn State (8-2, 5-1 Big Ten) losing in its first game in the post-Joe Paterno era. The winningest major college football coach in history was fired Wednesday.
IN PICTURES: Fallout from the Penn State scandal
Rex Burkhead ran for 121 yards and a touchdown for Nebraska (8-2, 4-2) before the Nittany Lions scored 14 points on two second-half touchdown runs by Stephfon Green.
But a key drive ended when Silas Redd was stopped on the fourth down with 1:49 left at the Penn State 38.
Most Penn State fans heeded calls for a "blueout," wearing the school's familiar dark blue in support of victims of child sexual abuse. Fans formed the outline of a blue ribbon in the student section.
"We are ... Penn State," roared the crowd through the afternoon, the signature State College cheer.
But this school's identity has forever changed.
Sandusky, architect of the "Linebacker U." defenses, was charged last weekend with sexually abusing eight boys over 15 years. The athletic director and a university vice president were charged with perjury and failure to report a 2002 allegation to police, and Paterno was fired following mounting fury that he did not do more about one charge – that Sandusky assaulted a boy in the Penn State football showers – than pass it along to his bosses. President Graham Spanier also was fired for similar reasons.
The last time Penn State played a game at Beaver Stadium on Oct. 29, Paterno was feted by Spanier for his 409th career victory, the most in Division I history.
On Saturday, he was nowhere to be found – save for a few fleeting images on the video boards overhead. That was enough to get spontaneous cheers of "Joe Paterno!" ringing through the stands.
Paterno started as an assistant in 1950, then took over as head coach in 1966. It was Penn State's first game without Paterno on staff since Nov. 19, 1949, a 19-0 loss at Pittsburgh
But in many respects, it was like any other fall Saturday in Happy Valley. Massive 6-foot-5 defensive tackle Devon Still hit ball carriers with typical ferocity and the Nittany Lions played another close, low-scoring game – as they have all year.
Penn State's first play from scrimmage was a fullback run up the middle – a Paterno favorite. The offense struggled again.
And someone named "Paterno" wore a path on the sideline wearing jet black Nike sneakers.
Just not that Paterno.
Paterno's son, quarterback coach Jay Paterno, moved down from his usual spot in the press box to relay plays – a job once held by assistant coach Mike McQueary.
McQueary was missing, too, after being placed on indefinite paid leave Friday by the school. His name surfaced as a grand jury witness to the 2002 abuse charge. Sandusky, who retired in 1999 but lives in the area and had access to school facilities, maintains his innocence.
McQueary, Paterno says, told him that Sandusky had behaved inappropriately, but not to the extent of the detailed testimony. Paterno then passed the information on to Curley, but the report was not given to police.
News of the scandal elicited threats to McQueary, the school said, and brought heightened security.
But there were no visible problems during the game. By the second half, the only stress affecting fans was whether the Nittany Lions could get back into the game.
The Cornhuskers built a 17-0 lead, with Burkhead gashing Penn State's staunch D on 25 carries. He motored 14 yards into the end zone with 8:51 left in the third quarter for a 17-0 lead.
Then came the second-half push from Green on Senior Day – his last game at Beaver Stadium. The senior scored from 5 yards with 5:07 in the third quarter, then added a 6-yard run at 5:42 of the fourth to get Penn State within three. Green finished with 71 yards on 17 carries.
But the offense faltered on two late drives, including the fourth-and-1 stop of Redd. Out of timeouts with 49 seconds left, the Nittany Lions got the ball back but could get no farther than their own 46 before time expired.
The fans cheered anyway, and greeted the Nittany Lions with one more chorus of "We are ... Penn State."