Message Games—

“Message Games” are not statement games, per se, but a friendly reminder to the other team (typically a rival) that Penn State is still a real problem for you… “Penn State still lives rent-free in your head”… Joe Paterno’s classic “message game” was, without a doubt, the 7-6 win over Pitt in 1975… #2 on Joe’s list was likely this Iowa game 20 years later…

1995 at Iowa—Hawkeyes on the menu

It was Penn State’s third year in the Big Ten, and Iowa, an opponent that had had appeared with some regularity on the PSU schedule in the 70’s and 80’s, was on tap for the third straight year… Back-to-back narrow home losses to Wisconsin and Ohio State had spoiled the follow-up to PSU’s first Big Ten Championship and the Lions were not going to let Iowa pour any more cold water on the ‘95 season which had seen them open 1-2 in the league…

The game in Iowa City could be considered an example of the classic “don’t poke the bear” game, or in this case, don’t poke the lion... It was reported by various contemporary media that rowdy Iowa fans at Kinnick Stadium welcomed the Nittany Lion team by throwing beer cans, a whiskey bottle, a frozen chicken, and a pig’s head onto the field ahead of the game… PSU was 4-2 and ranked #19 coming in to play #18 Iowa and was not impressed by the Hawkeye menu nor intimidated by it… Wally Richardson and split end Bobby Engram teamed up to drop 41 points on the Hawkeyes in a 41-27 win with the legendary Keith Jackson in the booth calling the game for ABC… Richardson hit Engram for 2 TDs in the fourth quarter—a 13-yarder and later a 43-yarder on 3rd and 10 that blew the game open (Engram had 7 catches for 150 yards)… Fullback Jon Witman scored 3 times from the one and tailback Stephen Pitts rushed for a then-career best 132 yards on 12 carries in the victory (Pitts also returned 6 kicks in the game for 150 yards giving State outstanding field position)… Kim Herring also came up with a clutch interception of Iowa’s Matt Sherman with 5 and a half minutes to go to set the stage for the final TD… It would be Penn State’s third straight win over Iowa since joining the conference including a 31-0 shutout at Iowa in 1993 and 61-21 blowout at Beaver Stadium in 1994… 

Message sent…

For Other Message & Statement Game Stories—CLICK HERE

2013 at Wisconsin—2012 was not a fluke

2023 vs. Iowa—The Whiteout Shutout

1975 at Pitt—Not here, not now