The following are resources for information about the Penn State football team's BCS Orange Bowl game against Florida State, as well as other related information.
Nittany Lions' Orange Bowl win delivers 26 percent television rating increase
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Penn State's dramatic 26-23 triple overtime victory over Florida State in the 2006 FedEx Orange Bowl delivered a 26 percent television rating increase from the 2004 Orange Bowl. The Nittany Lions' fourth win in five Orange Bowl appearances earned a 12.3 national rating on ABC Sports, translating to 13.557 million U.S. television homes. The 12.3 rating was substantially higher than the 9.80 rating for the 2004 Orange Bowl between Florida State and Miami (Fla.). The 2005 Orange Bowl hosted the Bowl Championship Series title game and earned a 13.7 rating on ABC. The 2004 Orange Bowl had a 9.70 rating and the 2003 contest had a 9.50 rating on ABC. The 2006 Rose Bowl earned a 21.7 rating, the highest rating for a bowl game since Penn State won the National Championship with a 14-10 win over Miami (Fla.) in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl. That contest earned a 25.1 rating, and was seen by an estimated 70 million viewers, the largest audience ever for a college football game.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15464
Paterno selected AFCA Coach of the Year a record fifth time
Wednesday, January 11, 2006
Penn State's Joe Paterno has been selected the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) National Coach of the Year for an unprecedented fifth time in his illustrious career. The National Coach of the Year honor is Paterno's fifth for the 2005 season, joining the Associated Press, Bobby Dodd, Home Depot/ESPN and The Sporting News. He also was named the Dave McClain Big Ten Coach of the Year after leading Penn State to the conference title and a berth in the FedEx Orange Bowl. Head coach of the Nittany Lions for the last 40 years, Paterno previously was honored by his peers as Division I-A Coach of the Year in 1968, 1978, 1982 and 1986. The only other major college coaches, besides Paterno, to earn AFCA Coach of the Year more than once are: Alabama's Paul "Bear" Bryant (three), USC's John McKay and Texas' Darrell Royal (twice). Paterno will launch his 41st season on Sept. 2 when the Nittany Lions host Akron, the 2005 Mid-American Conference Champion. The annual Blue-White Game will be held Saturday, April 22 in Beaver Stadium.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15421
Penn State Football Letter: Orange Bowl win caps Cinderella season
Friday, January 6, 2006
After midnight on Jan. 3, the stagecoach that brought the Cinderella 2005 Penn State football team to the 72nd FedEx Orange Bowl turned into a pumpkin. But as their ball gowns returned to grass-stained, sweat-soaked uniforms, the Nittany Lions did not flee in glass slippers. Rather, they held fast to their blue-collar work ethic and fought through three overtimes to defeat Florida State, 26-23, and close the season with an
11-1 record and Penn State's fourth Orange Bowl Trophy.
A complete report on the game, including color photos, is available online for Penn State Alumni Association members at http://www.alumni.psu.edu/fbl/
To join the Alumni Association and receive "The Football Letter" and many other benefits and services, visit http://www.alumni.psu.edu/membership/join/
Posluszny facing 6-8 weeks of recovery from knee injury sustained in Orange Bowl
Friday, January 6, 2006
Penn State All-America linebacker Paul Posluszny will be sidelined 6-8 weeks after injuring his knee in Tuesday's 26-23 triple overtime win over Florida State in the FedEx Orange Bowl. The 2005 Butkus and Bendarik Award winner, Posluszny was injured when he attempted to leap over blocker Lorenzo Booker midway through the fourth quarter. Booker's helmet hit Posluszny's right knee, resulting in partial tears of his posterior cruciate ligament and his medial collateral ligament, according to Wayne Sebastianelli, Penn State's director of athletic medicine. The injuries will not require surgery and Posluszny's rehabilitation is expected to take 6-8 weeks, according to Sebastianelli. "I'm obviously glad the injury wasn't serious and won't require surgery," said Posluszny. "We have a great training and medical staff and they have a plan outlined for my rehab. I'm anxious to get started and get ready for the upcoming year." Prior to the injury, Posluszny had recorded five tackles (four solo) and broken up a pass in helping hold the Seminoles to 26 yards rushing on 26 attempts, 12 first downs and just 3 of 17 on third down conversions.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15336
Nittany Lions' Orange Bowl win to re-air Saturday on ESPN Classic
Friday, January 6, 2006
Penn State's thrilling 26-23 triple overtime victory over Florida State in Tuesday's FedEx Orange Bowl will re-air on Saturday, Jan. 7 on ESPN Classic. The Nittany Lions' fourth win in five Orange Bowl appearances will air from 1 to 4 p.m. ET on ESPN Classic. The "Instant Classic" victory lifted Penn State to an 11-1 record and the No. 3 ranking in the final Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. The Lions finished in the Top 20 for the 30th time under Joe Paterno, earning their 13th Top 5 finish under the legendary coach. Penn State's Orange Bowl win also lifted the Nittany Lions back to the top nationally in bowl winning percentage. The Lions have a 24-12-1 post-season record for a winning percentage of 66.2. Georgia Tech is second (22-12, 64.7) and Southern California is third (28-16, 63.6). Penn State is tied for third nationally in bowl wins (24) with Tennessee.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15318
Did You Know: Penn State re-takes national lead in all-time bowl winning percentage
Thursday, January 5, 2006
Penn State's Orange Bowl win lifted the Nittany Lions back to the top nationally in bowl winning percentage. The Lions have a 24-12-1 post-season record for a winning percentage of 66.2. Georgia Tech is second (22-12, 64.7) and Southern California is third (28-16, 63.6). Penn State is tied for third nationally in bowl wins (24) with Tennessee. Coach Joe Paterno, who owns a 354-117-3 record in 40 seasons, also added to his all-time bowl records. He owns a 21-10-1 mark in bowl games and is the leader in post-season wins (21) and appearances (32). His 67.18 winning percentage is third-best all-time among coaches with at least 11 bowl appearances, trailing only Bobby Dodd (69.2, 9-4) and Bobby Bowden (67.24, 19-9-1).
Nittany Lion football finishes No. 3 in final national polls
Thursday, January 5, 2006
Penn State has earned its 13th Top 5 finish in the national polls under Joe Paterno, claiming the No. 3 ranking in the final Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls, released early this morning (Jan. 5). The Big Ten Champion Nittany Lions also were No. 3 in the final Bowl Championship Series rankings and earned the conference's automatic berth into the BCS. Penn State capped an 11-1 season with a dramatic 26-23, triple-overtime victory over ACC Champion Florida State Tuesday in the FedEx Orange Bowl in Dolphins Stadium. Freshman Kevin Kelly kicked the game-winning 29-yard field goal to capture the first triple-overtime game in BCS and Penn State history to the delight of the multitude of Penn State fans in the stadium. The Nittany Lions won their fifth straight game and earned their 13th season of at least 11 wins under Paterno. Only a last-second touchdown by Michigan separated Penn State from its sixth undefeated season under Paterno.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15298
Did You Know: 18.7 million watched Penn State in the Orange Bowl
Thursday, January 5, 2006
Did you know... Penn State's triple overtime, 26-23 victory over the Florida State Seminoles in the Orange Bowl was the most-watched television program in America on Tuesday night, according to Nielsen Media Research? The contest drew an estimated 18.7 million viewers. Penn State is no stranger to large national viewing audiences, either. According to Fiesta Bowl records, the Nittany Lions' win over Miami in the Jan. 2, 1987 Fiesta Bowl -- which gave Penn State its second national title -- was watched by more than 52 million people, remaining to this day the most-watched college football game in history. By comparison, 34 million watched this year's national title game between Texas and USC.
Dispatch from the Orange Bowl: 'Orange' you glad you stayed up late?
Wednesday, January 4, 2006
For weeks, merchandise has touted the 72nd FedEx Orange Bowl game as a Jan. 3 clash. All that memorabilia probably should have used Jan. 4 as the date instead. For in the end, that's when the most vivid memories of this late-developing classic were made on the field of play. In a game featuring more drama and twists, agony and ecstasy, and momentum swings than one day could handle, Penn State took an early lead, rallied from a second quarter deficit created by two big Florida State plays, and survived not one, not two, but three overtimes to defeat the Seminoles, 26-23, and capture its first Orange Bowl championship since the Nittany Lions downed LSU 16-9 on Jan. 1, 1974.
Read the full final dispatch at http://live.psu.edu/story/15296
For game day photos, go to http://live.psu.edu/still_life/2006_01_04_football/index.html online.
Nittany Lions cap dream season with triple-overtime Orange Bowl victory
Wednesday, January 4, 2006
Kevin Kelly and the Nittany Lions proved the adage that the third time's the charm. In the third overtime period of the 72nd FedEx Orange Bowl, Penn State's defense held Florida State to a field goal attempt, which Gary Cismesia bounced off the right upright and missed. Kevin Kelly -- who had chances to win the game at the end of regulation and in the first overtime, ended the five-hour contest when he converted a 29-yard field goal on the ensuing series. Meeting for just the third time in their storied histories, Penn State defeated Florida State 26-23 in triple-overtime in front of 77,773 at Dolphins Stadium in South Florida. Kelly's game-winning attempt at the end of regulation sailed wide left, but he had another chance to win the game on Penn State's first overtime possession when the Nittany Lion defense held and Cismesia missed his 44-yard kick. Kelly's second game-winning try also went left, forcing a second overtime period. "I was upset after the first miss but upbeat after the second," said Kelly after the game. "I figured what are the odds of missing a third try?"
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15287
Vote for Paterno as best college football coach of the season
Wednesday, January 4, 2006
Penn State football Coach Joe Paterno has been honored with virtually every coaching award this season, and now fans can help him win yet another accolade. MSNBC currently is asking fans to name the best college football coach this season. With nearly 16,000 votes cast so far, Paterno holds a slight lead over Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis. To cast a vote for Paterno, visit http://msnbc.msn.com/id/10324379/ online. Fresh off last night's 26-23, triple-overtime Orange Bowl victory over Florida State, Paterno and the Nittany Lions end their season at 11-1 this year, giving Paterno an overall 354-117-3 career record. Paterno already has been named Home Depot Coach of the Year, as well as national coach of the year by both the Associated Press and The Sporting News, and has been recognized as the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Region 3 Coach of the Year.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15290
Dispatch from the Orange Bowl: Rallying to chop down the Seminoles
Monday, January 2, 2006
Something just didn't seem quite right. It wasn't the troublesome sound system that would plague the Miami Beach Convention Center throughout the day. It was something else in the air that seemed odd even before that. Driving over Biscayne Bay, amidst the swaying palms guarding turquoise blue waters on a postcard-perfect 81 degree day, one seemed eons removed from the Penn State football atmosphere. It was almost a feeling of being in a foreign land, in the wrong place -- albeit an idyllic one -- at the wrong time. But then, while driving through the beach hamlet's art deco district near famous South Beach, a blue window flag flutters past on Alton Street. Then a bus bearing "Love Ya Lions" signs rumbles off the causeway. Still more cars carrying Lion fans join the parade, some with windows bearing blue-and-white soap messages. With a turn on to Convention Center Drive, Happy Valley is re-created some 1,000 miles south of Pennsylvania, as more than 20,000 Penn Staters converge for a college football rally that would dwarf the attendance of many college football games.
Read the full third dispatch at http://live.psu.edu/story/15266
For photos from the pep rally, go to http://live.psu.edu/still_life/2006_01_02_rally/index.html
Bradley talks about defensive preparations for Orange Bowl
Monday, January 2, 2006
Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Bradley met with the media during an Orange Bowl press conference on Sunday, Jan. 1, where he discussed aspects of the Nittany Lion defense heading into Tuesday's bowl matchup with Florida State. "Our preparations are going fine," he said. "The hardest thing for us right now is trying duplicate Florida State's speed. You don't play a game in two months, it makes things a little bit difficult and you kind of get lulled to sleep by your scout team. How much do go against your first group? You always have to be careful because of injuries, so trying to get a look at their speed and some of the things that they do with Washington, Booker and the wideouts has been difficult for us. Now all we are worried right now is that their legs are ready to go because if we are not quick there's nothing we can do that will matter anyway."
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15265
Paterno is first multiple winner of Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year Award
Sunday, January 1, 2006
Joe Paterno has become the first multiple winner of the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year, earning his fourth national coaching honor for the 2005 season. The announcement was made on ESPN at halftime of Friday's Peach Bowl. Paterno previously won the Bobby Dodd Trophy in 1981. The legendary mentor has been selected 2005 National Coach of the Year by the Associated Press, The Sporting News and ESPN/Home Depot, in addition to Big Ten Coach of the Year. Paterno also was the AFCA Region 3 Coach of the Year and is a finalist for the AFCA and FWAA coaching honors. "What makes this award special is the fact that Coach Dodd was such a great example of what college football is all about," Paterno said.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15264
Dispatch from the Orange Bowl: Lions as Florida snowbirds
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Penn State's Orange Bowl bid has evoked memories of great teams, outstanding players, legendary coaches and memorable games involving the Nittany Lions and south Florida's New Year's Day college football classic. However, while Penn State's last Orange Bowl trip came 20 years ago, the city of Miami has played gracious host to Penn Staters two other times since that 1985 national championship clash with Oklahoma. Ironically, my first Penn State bowl experience - as a freshman in 1990 - featured nearly identical circumstances to this year's game. Playing in the same stadium as this year's Orange Bowl, the Nittany Lions and Florida State Seminoles squared off under the direction of two coaches at the cusp of their status as legends. That inaugural Blockbuster Bowl in 1990 -- played in what was then known as Joe Robbie Stadium, later known as Pro Player Stadium, and now called Dolphins Stadium -- showcased a Penn State team that had dropped its first two games of the season.
Read the full second dispatch at http://live.psu.edu/story/15261
Hall discusses Penn State offense at Orange Bowl press conference
Friday, December 30, 2005
Penn State offensive coordinator Galen Hall met with the media during an Orange Bowl press conference on Friday, Dec. 30, where he discussed aspects of the Nittany Lion offense heading into Tuesday's bowl matchup with Florida State. I really think the way we ended up last year, the Michigan State game (2004) really did a great thing for our whole confidence," he said. "Joe (Paterno) saw we had a lot of the same players coming back, if we can go on and play as good and stay together as a team, and don't get all split up, stay together as a team, and that's what Joe preaches us and what we all preach, we can be a pretty good football team together. And that's what happened. We sort of settled together offensively."
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15263
Cappelletti set for induction into Orange Bowl Hall of Fame
Friday, December 30, 2005
The Regions Bank Orange Bowl Hall of Honor will induct three new members this year that have made a significant impact on the FedEx Orange Bowl, including former Penn State standout John Cappelletti. Joining Cappelletti, the 1973 Heisman Trophy winner, in the 2006 induction class will be running back Alonzo Highsmith (Miami, Fla.) and defensive tackle Ron Simmons (Florida State). The trio of standouts will be inducted Monday, Jan. 2 at the AvMed Orange Bowl Coaches Luncheon. A halfback, Cappelletti was instrumental in the Nittany Lions earning their first 12-0 season, capping the 1973 campaign with a 16-9 win over LSU in the 1974 Orange Bowl. He rushed for 1,522 yards during his senior season, a total that remains fourth highest in a season in Penn State history. A consensus All-American, Cappelletti averaged 5.3 yards on his 286 carries and scored 17 touchdowns in '73. He rushed for 1,117 yards and 12 touchdowns in 1972 in his first season on offense. Cappelletti's 2,639 rushing yards, compiled in two seasons, remain ninth highest in school history.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15262
Dispatch from the Orange Bowl: I-95 Blues (and Whites)
Thursday, December 29, 2005
A bowl game is more than a reward to Nittany Lion football players for a successful season. For fans -- including this one -- it's a mid-winter vacation opportunity, a respite from biting northern winds to enjoy one final football encore in the warm southern sun. While many fans have taken to the friendly skies to reach south Florida with ease and comfort, even more are headed to Miami by putting rubber to the road. For most, that means a daunting 1,000-mile plus trek down Interstate 95. On bowl trips, I-95 brings out the blue and white pride. While the Penn State window stickers and magnetic paws pervasive among vehicles in central Pennsylvania barely garner a second glance back home, on the freeway from Virginia southward they are diamonds in the asphalt rough, a sight for road-weary eyes, evoking the obligatory honk of the horn, smiling face and thumbs up from the legions of Blue and White-clad travelers that outnumber even the South of the Border billboards. It's the rare time on the interstate where pumped fists between drivers is well-intentioned.
Read the full first dispatch at http://live.psu.edu/story/15260
"White Out" declared for Penn Staters attending Orange Bowl
Monday, December 26, 2005
Penn Staters will take their trademark Beaver Stadium "White Out" south for the FedEx Orange Bowl match-up with Florida State. The Penn State student body is calling on all Nittany Lion fans to wear white and unite as one to the support the team during the Jan. 3 game. The Penn State football team also will wear white as the visiting team in the 72nd Annual Orange Bowl. During the 2005 season, Penn State's student body elevated the spirit and Beaver Stadium game day atmosphere to new heights in nationally televised Big Ten clashes with Ohio State and Wisconsin. ESPN College GameDay, on hand for the OSU game, declared Penn State's student section "the best student section we've ever seen." Penn State received more than double the number of requests for tickets than it was allotted for the Orange Bowl.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15259
Paterno meets with the media in Florida during bowl preparations
Friday, December 23, 2005
Joe Paterno met with the media on Thursday, Dec. 22 at the Delray Beach Marriott as the Nittany Lions continued preparations for the FedEx Orange Bowl vs. Florida State on Tuesday, Jan. 3. "We've always come a little early," said Paterno when asked about the team's pre-Christmas arrival. "We come down three or four days early.It's good because we can get the kids together without a lot of distractions. We'll move to Miami on Saturday and the families will come in that day. I'll let them (players) go for a couple of days and then we'll get back to work."
Read the full transcript of Paterno's media session at http://live.psu.edu/story/15258
Penn State Football Story Orange Bowl Special hits the airwaves next week
Thursday, December 22, 2005
The Penn State Football Story Orange Bowl Special presented by Nationwide will hit the airwaves beginning Monday, Dec. 26 and running through Tuesday, Jan. 3. The 30-minute show features season highlights as well as interviews with coaches and players. Six Pennsylvania television stations and eight regional and national cable networks will air the show at various times. The Pennsylvania broadcast channels carrying the special are WFMZ-TV in the Lehigh Valley, WTAJ-TV in Altoona/Johnstown/State College, WJAL-TV in Chambersburg/Hagerstown, WHTM-TV in Harrisburg/Lancaster/York, WNEP-TV in Scranton/Wilkes Barre and WPSU-TV in State College. The cable networks carrying the show are CSN-Chicago, CSN-Michigan, CN8 Mid-Atlantic, CN8 New England, FSN-Pittsburgh, YES Sports Network, SunSports Florida and CSTV national.
Read the full story and view the broadcast schedule as of Dec. 21 at http://live.psu.edu/story/15227
Paterno named national coach of the year by AP, The Sporting News
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
A day prior to reaching his 79th birthday, Penn State head coach Joe Paterno received two early gifts when he was recognized by both the Associated Press and The Sporting News as the national college football coach of the year. Paterno led the Lions to a 10-1 record, a Big Ten co-championship and the conference's BCS bid after a tie-breaker with Ohio State favored the Nittany Lions. Now in his 40th season as Penn State's head coach, Paterno is No. 2 all-time in NCAA Division I-A football victories with 353 wins. The all-time leader in bowl victories with 20, Paterno's squad received a berth to the FedEx Orange Bowl after finishing third in the BCS standings. The Sporting News also announced its 2005 All-America teams, which included Lions Tamba Hali and Paul Posluszny as first team selections and Alan Zemaitis on the publication's second team.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15234
Florida's Emerald Coast voices Blue and White pride
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
There's plenty of Blue and White on the Emerald Coast of Florida, and they're letting their voices be heard as Penn Staters from around the country converge on the Sunshine State to watch the Nittany Lion football team play in the Orange Bowl on Jan. 3. A recent Penn State Newswire story cited that 16 alumni chapters in Florida stretch "from Tallahassee to Miami." This geographic generalization prodded the pride in Pensacola and aroused the anger in Niceville -- locales as far as 200 miles west of Tallahassee at the tip of Florida's panhandle -- as Newswire readers wrote to make their presence and Penn State pride known. Although as far from Miami -- the site of the 72nd Orange Bowl -- as one can get within the state of Florida, the Emerald Coast Chapter of the Penn State Alumni Association is an award-winning group serving Penn Staters from northwest Florida to southern Alabama.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15226
Orange Bowl pep rally set for Jan. 2 in Miami
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
The Penn State Alumni Association and Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics will pump up and prime the Nittany Lion faithful gathered in Miami for the FedEx Orange Bowl when they host the Penn State Pep Rally at 2 p.m., Monday, Jan. 2 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Penn State head football coach Joe Paterno and the Nittany Lion football team, University President Graham B. Spanier, Alumni Association Executive Director Roger Williams, Penn State cheerleaders, the Blue Band, and the Nittany Lion mascot will all participate in the pep rally and help ready students, alumni and friends for the next day's FedEx Orange Bowl game. The Penn State Pep Rally is free and open to all Penn Staters and fans. Doors to the event will open at 1 p.m.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15210
Robinson named SIOncampus.com Player of the Year
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Penn State senior quarterback Michael Robinson (Richmond, Va.) has received SIOncampus.com's Football U Award after leading the Lions to a FedEx Orange Bowl berth and a Big Ten co-championship with a 10-1 campaign. The online publication's Football U Award recognizes Robinson as the best college football player in the country. Robinson, who this year became the 10th player in Nittany Lion history to finish in the Top 5 in the Heisman Trophy balloting, was honored with this year's Silver Football Award as the Big Ten Player of the Year. In leading Penn State to the Big Ten championship, Robinson broke Penn State's season record with 2,882 yards of total offense (262.0 ypg). The previous mark was set by All-American quarterback Kerry Collins, who had 2,660 yards during Penn State's unbeaten 1994 season. Robinson has thrown for 2,097 yards and 16 touchdowns and ran for 785 yards and 11 touchdowns, including two 100-yard rushing games.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15229
Bowl-bound Penn Staters invited to blue and white New Year's Eve bash
Monday, December 19, 2005
Penn Staters headed to Miami for the Orange Bowl can still have a blue and white New Year's Eve by attending Penn State's New Year's Eve Celebration with President Graham Spanier, sponsored by the Penn State Alumni Association. The Penn State New Year's Eve Celebration will begin at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Dec 31 in the grand ballroom of the InterContinental Miami at 100 Chopin Plaza. The evening will feature a cocktail reception with heavy hors d'ouevres, a performance by the renowned Penn State musical theatre students, dancing and a dessert buffet before ending at 1 a.m. on Jan. 1. Tickets to Penn State's New Year's Eve Celebration are $150 per person and are available online at http://www.doddsathletictours.com/pennstate/bowl or by calling 866-373-7370.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15211
Did You Know: Florida is home to thousands of Penn Staters
Monday, December 19, 2005
Did you know...that 14,147 Penn State alumni reside in Florida, 37 percent of whom (5,247) are members of the Penn State Alumni Association. The alumni association also has 16 chapters in Florida, stretching from Tallahassee to Miami. Thousands more alumni are expected to flock to the Sunshine State in the coming days, as Penn State prepares to face Florida State in the 72nd FedEx Orange Bowl, to be played in Miami on Tuesday, Jan. 3. The game will kickoff at 8 p.m. ET and will be aired nationally by ABC.
'Huddle Up' has special Orange Bowl edition on WPSU-TV
Thursday, December 15, 2005
Penn State faces Florida State in the Orange Bowl, and the excitement is all the talk on "Huddle Up," a special presentation of "Pennsylvania Inside Out" on WPSU-TV at 11 a.m. and encoring at 10:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 17. The program can be seen again at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 27. Joining host David Price are Mark Brennan of FightOnState.com, former Penn State fullback John Greene, and Kellie Goodman, sports director of WTAJ-TV 10 Sports. They will tackle the nuances of the Paterno/Bowden hype and try to unravel the mystery behind Penn State's being chosen to play the 22nd-ranked team in the country instead of a higher-ranked team. They also break down what it will take for the Nittany Lions to overcome the Seminoles of Florida State. "Pennsylvania Inside Out" can be seen at 7 p.m. weeknights on WPSU-TV, which serves 29-counties of central Pennsylvania.
My Miami: Broiled dolphin and palmetto bugs
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Penn State alumnus Paul Levine has provided a personal guide to South Florida and the Orange Bowl. A lawyer, novelist and screenwriter, Levine is the author of "Solomon vs. Lord," a legal thriller set in Miami. "First, the good news from Miami," he writes. "Hurricane season is over. The crime rate is down. And palmetto bugs don't bite. Now the weird news. There are no sharks in Shark Valley. The morgue is on Bob Hope Road. And vultures endlessly circle the courthouse. No, not lawyers in Porsches. Real vultures with five-foot wingspans. This is a place where the county commission once named a street after a major drug smuggler and the chairwoman of the Chamber of Commerce had her Uzi stolen from a bedroom night stand. Okay, I confess. As a writer of crime fiction, I see Miami through tinted lenses. But having lived there 30 years, South Florida no longer seems exotic. So let's de-mythologize the place. Take away the palm trees, the ocean, the chatter of foreign languages, you've got, well ... Shamokin...."
Read the full text of Levine's personal guide at http://live.psu.edu/story/15073
A timeline of Penn State Orange Bowl memories
Tuesday, December 13, 2005
Penn State's appearance in this year's Orange Bowl marks the Nittany Lions' fifth appearance in the Miami postseason contest and their first there since the Jan. 1, 1986 game against Oklahoma. In the four previous contests, all played under the direction of Coach Joe Paterno in three decades, the Lions have a 3-1 record. In each of the four games, Penn State entered with an undefeated record, but never earned a national title following any of their Orange Bowl appearances. Now take a look back at each of Penn State's Orange Bowl appearances, with a glimpse of what was happening off the field at Penn State each year.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15082
Paterno named Coach of the Year, Posluszny wins Butkus, Bednarik Awards
Monday, December 12, 2005
Penn State has captured two of the of the biggest annual awards in college football, with Joe Paterno earning the Home Depot Coach of the Year and linebacker Paul Posluszny winning the Bednarik Award, presented to the nation's top defensive player. On Saturday, Posluszny picked up another honor, winning the 21st Butkus Award. Presented by The Downtown Athletic Club of Orlando, Inc. (DACO,) the prestigious award given to the nation's top linebacker was announced at the Butkus Award Gala at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress Reso in Orlando. In addition to the awards, Posluszny and senior defensive end Tamba Hali were named to the Walter Camp and Football Writers Association of America All-America teams. In his 40th season as head coach, Paterno has led the Nittany Lions to a 10-1 record, a share of the Big Ten Championship and the conference's automatic berth into the Bowl Championship Series. Penn State will clash with ACC Champion Florida State in the 72nd FedEx Orange Bowl on Jan. 3, 2006 in Dolphins Stadium.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15037
Orange Bowl packages, including student options, still available for official tour
Thursday, December 8, 2005
Since it was announced on Sunday that Penn State would play in the FedEx Orange Bowl, more than 1,500 alumni, students and other fans have been booked on the "Official Penn State Bowl Tour" through the Penn State Alumni Association. More tour packages are now available, including a two-day student package that comes with a game ticket. Dozens of different airfare-inclusive and land-only tour packages were offered as part of the "Official Penn State Tour" with varying lengths of stay -- from game day only to five-night packages -- and various prices ranges.
For more information on the official tour, visit http://live.psu.edu/story/15023
Orange Bowl tips
Thursday, December 8, 2005
Penn State alumnus Tom Peeling, suburban editor of The Palm Beach Post in West Palm Beach, Fla., has been to the Orange Bowl to see all four previous Penn State appearances there. The native Floridian is looking forward to seeing lots of Nittany Lion fans at this year's Orange Bowl when the Nittany Lions take on the Florida State Seminoles at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 3, and he's offering tips to those who are planning to visit.
Read the story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15025
Penn State selection to Orange bowl 'a no-brainer'
Wednesday, December 7, 2005
Orange Bowl committee member Phil Smith said in a press conference Wednesday (Dec. 7) at Beaver Stadium that the committee, comprised of 100 active members, decided unanimously that the game should feature Big Ten co-champions Penn State. Coach Joe Paterno, meanwhile, said Florida State will provide a great challenge for his squad.
Read the story at http://live.psu.edu/story/15004
Paterno comments on matchup with Florida State in the Orange Bowl
Monday, December 5, 2005
During Sunday's FedEx Orange Bowl teleconference, Penn State football coach Joe Paterno offered some thoughts on the Nittany Lions' post-season matchup with Florida State in the Orange Bowl, the fifth visit to the south Florida bowl game in the program's history.
Read Paterno's comments during the Orange Bowl teleconference at http://live.psu.edu/story/14950
ESPN.com poll: Which team will win the Orange Bowl?
Monday, December 5, 2005
An online poll being conducted by ESPN.com which asks which team will win the game and which players will have the greatest impact in the Jan. 3 matchup. The poll also asks fans to chime in on the two legendary coaches that will go head-to-head in this game: Penn State's Joe Paterno and Florida State's Bobby Bowden.
To cast your votes in the ESPN.com poll, visit http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/sportsnation/polling?event_id=1866 online.
Vote for Penn State play as 'Game Changing Performance' of the year
Monday, December 5, 2005
The dramatic 36-yard touchdown pass from Penn State senior quarterback Michael Robinson to freshman wideout Derrick Williams with 51 seconds to play at Northwestern on Sept. 25 is one of four candidates for the "Pontiac Game Changing Performance" of the year, a poll conducted by ESPN benefiting a school's scholarship fund. Fans wishing to vote for Williams' game-winning catch may do so once a week until Jan. 2 at: http://r.espn.go.com/espn/contests/05GameChangingPerformance online.
Read the full story at http://live.psu.edu/story/14948
Penn State football gets Orange Bowl bid, will face Florida State
Sunday, December 4, 2005
The Penn State Nittany Lion football team, fresh off a 10-1 regular season and first Big Ten championship since 1994, learned its post-season reward Sunday afternoon -- a date in the Orange Bowl with the Atlantic Coast Conference champion Florida State Seminoles (8-4).
Read the story at http://live.psu.edu/story/14947
Official Penn State bowl tour planned
Friday, November 11, 2005
The Penn State Alumni Association is busy planning the "Official Penn State Bowl Tour" -- the first bowl trip for the Nittany Nation since a Jan. 1, 2003, trip to the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla. Read the story at http://live.psu.edu/story/14583
Still Life: Football 2005 year in review
The 2005 Penn State football season -- not just the games, but events surrounding the games -- has been documented in pictures on Penn State Live.
View the photo index at http://live.psu.edu/story/14522