Penn State Countdown: 68
Just thinking about the 2004 season causes my stomach to knot up. It was almost impossible to think of a happy moment from that season other than the season ending victory over the Spartans that denied them a bowl bid.
Deep in a 6-game losing streak, the Lions simply could not find an answer to its inept offense. But moment #68 not only defined the rest of the season, but marked the turnaround for a program that saw rock bottom.
On the road, the Nittany Lions took a 22-16 lead with just under 5 minutes remaining in the game before Indiana drove to the Lion’s 1-yard line.
On three downs, Penn State’s defense led by Paul Posluszny and Derek Wade made critical stops to prevented the Hoosiers from penetrating into the endzone. On fourth down, Indiana made their intentions crystal clear when they lined up in a stacked I-formation with 3 running backs behind the quarterback.
Indiana’s Chris Taylor got the call and tried to carry the ball up the middle where he met Paxton, Posluszny, Chisley, Cronin and Zemaitis who stopped him cold saving the victory for the Lions marking the program’s turnaround. Penn State has won 42 of the 53 games since Indiana 2004.
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