Penn State vs. Wisconsin 2012
Penn State vs. Wisconsin 2012—
The “Mauti Bowl” at Beaver Stadium
This pseudo-bowl game is one of the most “politically” important games in the post-Paterno era… Without question… It’s the difference between perceived success and descent into mediocrity… The game makes statements on many levels in the midst of a crisis that could have permanently damaged the track of Penn State football moving forward… It sent a clear message that the Nittany Lions were down, but were going to survive… They were also going to honor the player that Bill O’Brien banked on to keep the whole program afloat…
team leader who held team together after sanctions leveled PSU in July, Sr. LB Michael Mauti is sidelined with a knee injury suffered the game before vs. Indiana and team honors him on Senior Day by wearing his jersey #42 on left side of their helmets (PS had not worn numbers on helmet sides since 1974 and had never worn a number in this fashion that was not that of the player wearing it) & fellow LB Gerald Hodges changed his number from 6 to 42 for that game (story goes that Hodges actually wore Mauti’s #42 jersey and that Brad Spider Caldwell’s wife removed the Mauti nameplate the night before the game and sewed the Hodges nameplate on the 42 jersey), and the year 2012 was added to the façade of the suites honoring past champion teams… (Mauti stats for 2012---95 tackles, 4 sacks, 3 INTS)…
Penn State Pulls the Upset
Zach Zwinak has the biggest game of his career ruishing 36 times for a career high 179 yards (6 yards in the OT) and 1 TD and a 2 point conversion… the TD came on a 1st period 78 yard drive on which Zach carried the ball 9 times for 41 yards… the last 3 yards gve PSU the TD and a 7-7 tie in a game at Beaver Stadium which would serve as a bowl game of sorts for the embattled team which opened 0-2 under Bill O’Brien but would finish 8-4, 6-2 and 2nd in the Big Ten leaders Disivion… key moment came in the 4th quarter… PSU down 14-13… 13:42 to go… Lions looking at 4th and 6 to go from the Wiscy 41 yard line…. Matt McGloin in the pistol with Zwinak to his right… 2 WRs to the left along with the TE Jesse James… Zwinak moves out to the right as the safety valve for McGloin who begins dancing to his left looking for a receiver and a first down… Wiscy sold out on downfield coverage and did not pressure McGloin… James meantime moved from the middle of the field to the left and was inexplicably allowed to slip away from the LB covering him with the deep help all eyeing the WRs…. He was wide open at the 26 when McGloin hit him with the pass… James rumbled up the left sideline easily avoiding two Badgers near the pylon to score the TD that put PSU on top (inexplicably the safety, albeit late, could not close the gap on James despite having a good angle)…. 21-14 (following the Zwinak 2 point Con)…. A Jacob Fagnano (Safety) INT (the only 1 of his career) of Curt Phillips killed one attempt to tie it, but with 18 seconds left Phillips delivered the short 4 yard TD pass to force OT… Sam Ficken was 3 for 3 on FGs for the day and his 37 yarder put PS up 24-21 in the first OT…. After a dropped potential INT by LB Glenn Carson almost ended the game on 3rd down, Wisconsin’s Kyle French misses a 45 yard FG wide left… and Penn State stuns the Badgers, 24-21 in OT…. Leaving Wiscy winless in 3 OT games that season… and Helping to send a 5-loss Badgers team to the Big Ten title game and the Rose Bowl to rep the Big Ten… PSu actually had a better record than 8-4
