The following is a fanpost submitted by one of the readers of NittanyWhiteOut.  If you want to see your work on this site, please feel free to contact us. With football season now over, we’re continuing our look back at the past decade with Geoff Alaishuski’s list of Penn State’s biggest stinkers from 2000 to 2009.

In the first installment of this series, I detailed numbers 10 through 6 of the 10 worst Penn State football moments of the last 10 years.   Read on to find out which moments checked in at 5 through 1.

5. April 1, 2007 – Apartment fight

If ever the motto “Success with Honor” motto was called into question, it was on that evening.  Six Nittany Lion players were handed a variety of charges including criminal trespass, burglary, criminal solicitation, and assault following a melee that occurred in the Meridian Apartments.   Linebacker Jerome Hayes was quoted about the fight, “There was chaos for five straight minutes.  Three to five minutes of total craziness, people everywhere.”  Several of the players who were involved in the fight, including Hayes, Anthony Scirrotto, Justin King, Chris Baker, Lydell Sargeant and Tyrell Sales, were suspended for the summer semester and lost playing time in the beginning of the 2007 season.

The fight was another disappointing black mark on Penn State football in what seemed to become an ongoing trend of Penn State players’ names hitting the crime blotter.  In 2007 alone, 17 players were charged with 72 criminal counts.  This led to an ESPN Outside the Lines documentary that reported on the spike in criminal activity on the Penn State football team.  Joe Paterno was interviewed for the show and his comments were portrayed negatively in the media.

4. November 4, 2006 – Joe Paterno fractures leg

On a day where the Nittany Lions could generate little offense, tight end Andrew Quarless caught a short sideline pass in the 3^rd quarter at Camp Randall Stadium.  Unfortunately, Coach Paterno was too close to the action and was rolled up on the play by Quarless and Wisconsin linebacker DeAndre Levy.  Paterno was carted off the sidelines having fractured the top of his tibia and also suffered ligament damage to the knee.

It would have been a nasty injury for anyone standing on the sideline, let alone Paterno who would be turning 80 the next month.  We know that he eventually recovered from the injury, but at the time, Penn State fans started to again wonder if this would be the end of Paterno’s reign as head coach.

3. September 23, 2000 – Adam Taliaferro injury

I strongly debated putting this as the #1 bottom moment of the decade.  The only reason I put it at #3 was because I’m sure many Penn State fans did not even see it happen.  I had already turned off my television as Penn State was about to drop a 45-6 trouncing at the Horseshoe.  In the 4^th quarter, true freshman cornerback Adam Taliaferro saw mop-up duty.  When tackling Ohio State’s tailback Jerry Westbrooks, Adam’s helmet hit Westbrooks’ thigh bursting the fifth cervical vertebra in his neck and also bruising his spinal cord.  He was paralyzed, leaving him with no movement from the neck down.

Adam had immediate successful surgery in Ohio but was only given a small chance of ever walking again.  The Penn State community poured out their support to Adam and his family.  Through Adam’s dedication and 8 months of grueling rehabilitation, he learned to walk again.  In 2001, Adam led the Nittany Lions out of the tunnel jogging onto the field for their season opener against Miami.

His story was a courageous one that was portrayed magnificently in the book Miracle in the Making by Sam Carchidi and Scott Brown (a must read for any Nittany Lion fan.)  Adam went on to graduate from Penn State and Rutgers law school and is currently a lawyer in the Philadelphia area.

2. November 8, 2008 – PSU loses to Iowa

Daniel Murray.  That kicker’s name will be etched in my brain for as long as I’m on this earth.  On a blistery cold day in Iowa City, Murray kicked a 31 yard field goal with one second left to lift Iowa to a 24-23 victory, dashing the 3^rd ranked and undefeated Nittany Lions hopes of playing in the BCS National Championship game.

The Nittany Lions opened the game with a horrendous 3 and out and Iowa scored two plays later on a Shonn Greee 14 yard TD.  But Penn State rallied to lead 13-7 at halftime and 23-14 going into the 4^th quarter.  However, a second Shonn Greene TD and the aforementioned field goal gave Iowa their first win against a top 5 team since 1990.

Did Daryll Clark come back to early after his concussion two weeks prior in the Ohio State game?  Did the lack of heaters on the sideline affect the Nittany Lions?  Did the referees make a bad call on the Anthony Scirrotto pass interference ? [Devon: Yes]  Should Daryll Clark have been passing in the redzone with less than four minutes remaining?  All are good excuses but the real reason Penn State lost was that Iowa outplayed the Nittany Lions that night.

1. October 15, 2005 – PSU loses to Michigan

As time expired, Chad Henne threw a dart to Mario Manningham for a TD to give then #8 Penn State its only loss in a magical 2005 season, 27-25.  It was Michigan’s 7^th straight win over the Nittany Lions.

“That’s as wild a game as I’ve ever been in – just unbelieveable, said Michigan coach Lloyd Carr about the game.  “It was a great football game.  Our kids hung in there,” said Joe Paterno.  “I’m proud of them.  I’m disappointed for them.”

It was truly an epic game.  Unfortunately the heart-breaking ending was not the one Nittany Lions fans hoped for.  Both teams came from behind.  Both teams scored TDs in the final minute to take the lead.  The two teams combined for 39 4^th quarter points after scoring only 13 in the first 3 quarters.

There were positive memories, like Michael Robinson’s first of two TD runs, Alan Zemaitis’ fumble return for a TD, and Kevin Kelly’s two point conversion run (all of which happened in 17 seconds).  There was the 13 play, 81 yard drive in the final 4 minutes where Robinson converted on a 4^th and 7 to sustain the drive.

But there were things we would like to forget – the last second TD to Manningham, kicking the ball off to Steve Breaston in the final minute, and a mysterious 2 seconds that were added back to the clock on the last drive. [Devon: that were suspiciously tacked on only after Lloyd Carr started bitching to known Michigan homer/referee Dave Witvoet. But this isn't my article]

For me, Penn State losses always sting.  But the reason I chose this as the Bottom Moment of the last 10 years was that Penn State played well and, for a variety of reasons, did not deserve to lose that game.  Yet they did, in gut-wrenching fashion, and it cost them a chance at the national championship.

Follow Geoff on Twitter and let him know what you think of his list: @The_Nit.

Releated Posts:

1. The Ten Worst Moments of The Decade That Was: #10-#6
2. Great Moments in the Penn State/Ohio State Rivalry, Part 2
3. The Penn State All-Decade Team: Tight End
4. The Penn State All-Decade Team: Guards
5. The Penn State All-Decade Team: Wide Receivers