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Illinois 24, Virginia 3 Postgame
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<blockquote data-quote="sully" data-source="post: 1790879" data-attributes="member: 628008"><p>Now that's what I'm talking about <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite16" alt=":love:" title="Love :love:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":love:" /> <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite16" alt=":love:" title="Love :love:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":love:" /><img src="/inc/chief.gif" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":chief:" title="Chief :chief:" data-shortname=":chief:" /></p><p></p><p>I was just a little 10ish year old twerp when my family took me to the epic game against Penn State (Illinois' defense was #2 in the nation at the time). Completely sold out crowd and the atmosphere was incredible! </p><p></p><p>Yeah in the end Illinois blew a 21-0 lead but I'll never forget how amazing of a game experience it was for me and everyone I attended with. Loud af doesn't begin to describe how intense it was. Not to mention Illinois had the nation's 2nd ranked defense at the time. </p><p></p><p>here's a little trip down memory lane and a friendly heads up to the Generation Tik Tokers on the potential of a loud Illinois football home game. </p><p></p><p>[SPOILER="THE COMEBACK DOWN 21-0 EARLY, PENN STATE DUG DEEP AND PULLED OUT A MEMORABLE VICTORY"]</p><p></p><p>Mere excellence can turn into greatness in one defining moment.</p><p>For Ali it was 15 rounds in Manila, for Doug Flutie six seconds in</p><p>Miami, for Secretariat two minutes and 24 seconds at Belmont Park.</p><p>For Penn State's 1994 football team it was six minutes at Memorial</p><p>Stadium in Champaign, Ill.</p><p>''No one,'' said Penn State senior quarterback Kerry Collins,</p><p>''will ever forget 96 yards at Illinois.''</p><p>The scene looked as if it had been shipped in from the prop shop:</p><p>the field shrouded in a haunting fog, the home team clinging to a</p><p>31-28 lead -- and the dream of a marvelous upset -- with 6:07 to</p><p>play. There were the Nittany Lions, backed up to their own four-yard</p><p>line, faced with the task of negotiating the rest of the rug against</p><p>one of the nation's top defenses.</p><p>As good as Penn State had been in its previous eight games, it was</p><p>even better now. The Lions drove those 96 yards in 14 plays, thrice</p><p>converting on third down. Collins completed all seven of his passes,</p><p>for 60 yards. Of the final drive, Collins said afterward, ''There was</p><p>no tension. All eyes were on me, and everybody was very focused.''</p><p>With 2:00 left Penn State had moved to the Illinois 34-yard line.</p><p>Collins then threw 16 yards to Bobby Engram for a first down. After a</p><p>run for no gain and a nine-yard completion to Engram, the Lions faced</p><p>third-and-one at the Illinois nine. From there fullback Brian Milne</p><p>crashed over the right side for seven yards. One play later Milne</p><p>scored his third touchdown of the day, with 57 seconds left, to give</p><p>the Lions a 35-31 lead. It was the first time all day they had led,</p><p>having started their remarkable comeback from a 21-0 first- quarter</p><p>deficit.</p><p>Illinois did move the ball to the Penn State 31, but on the last</p><p>play of the game, quarterback Johnny Johnson was intercepted in the</p><p>end zone by safety Kim Herring. Afterward Penn State guard Marco</p><p>Rivera said, ''I'm still in shock that we won.'' The win clinched a</p><p>trip to the Rose Bowl for the Lions and made Joe Paterno the first</p><p>coach since Tennessee's Bob Neyland in 1951 to have led teams to all</p><p>four major bowls.</p><p>The Lions had come to Champaign averaging 533.5 yards (best in the</p><p>country) and 48.4 points (second best in the country) per game. For</p><p>its part, Illinois, though a frustrated 6-3, possessed the nation's</p><p>No. 2 scoring defense (11.3 points per game). The first omen of</p><p>trouble for the visitors came on the morning of the game, when a</p><p>power outage at the Lions' hotel forced them to eat pizza instead of</p><p>the arranged meal, which sat uncooked in the hotel kitchen.</p><p>The Lions suspected that the Illini defense would be stingy, but</p><p>they could not have foreseen the creditable performance by the</p><p>Illinois offense. Seizing on two rare Penn State mistakes -- a fumble</p><p>by tailback Ki-Jana Carter and an interception of Collins -- the</p><p>Illini's usually inconsistent offense ran out to a 21-0 lead in the</p><p>first quarter. By the half Penn State had rallied to within 28-14,</p><p>and Paterno saw reason for optimism. ''I told the kids at the half</p><p>that if we played our game, didn't lose our poise and didn't try to</p><p>make big plays, we'd be all right,'' said Paterno after the game.</p><p>By the third quarter it was clear that Penn State had righted</p><p>itself. The Lions' defense was performing better (it would hold</p><p>Illinois to a single field goal in the second half), so the only</p><p>question was whether enough time remained for Penn State to come all</p><p>the way back. With 7:50 to play, Milne slammed over from five yards</p><p>out, slicing the Illini lead to 31-28. Illinois punted on its next</p><p>possession -- a 67-yard missile by Brett Larsen -- and the Lions had</p><p>their chance to rise to greatness.</p><p>''I knew we had kids with a lot of character,'' Paterno said when</p><p>it was over. ''I never thought that we couldn't do it.''</p><p>[/SPOILER]</p><p>[URL unfurl="true"]https://vault.si.com/vault/1995/01/18/the-comeback-down-210-early-penn-state-dug-deep-and-pulled-out-a-memorable-victory[/URL]</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="sully, post: 1790879, member: 628008"] Now that's what I'm talking about :love: :love::chief: I was just a little 10ish year old twerp when my family took me to the epic game against Penn State (Illinois' defense was #2 in the nation at the time). Completely sold out crowd and the atmosphere was incredible! Yeah in the end Illinois blew a 21-0 lead but I'll never forget how amazing of a game experience it was for me and everyone I attended with. Loud af doesn't begin to describe how intense it was. Not to mention Illinois had the nation's 2nd ranked defense at the time. here's a little trip down memory lane and a friendly heads up to the Generation Tik Tokers on the potential of a loud Illinois football home game. [SPOILER="THE COMEBACK DOWN 21-0 EARLY, PENN STATE DUG DEEP AND PULLED OUT A MEMORABLE VICTORY"] Mere excellence can turn into greatness in one defining moment. For Ali it was 15 rounds in Manila, for Doug Flutie six seconds in Miami, for Secretariat two minutes and 24 seconds at Belmont Park. For Penn State's 1994 football team it was six minutes at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. ''No one,'' said Penn State senior quarterback Kerry Collins, ''will ever forget 96 yards at Illinois.'' The scene looked as if it had been shipped in from the prop shop: the field shrouded in a haunting fog, the home team clinging to a 31-28 lead -- and the dream of a marvelous upset -- with 6:07 to play. There were the Nittany Lions, backed up to their own four-yard line, faced with the task of negotiating the rest of the rug against one of the nation's top defenses. As good as Penn State had been in its previous eight games, it was even better now. The Lions drove those 96 yards in 14 plays, thrice converting on third down. Collins completed all seven of his passes, for 60 yards. Of the final drive, Collins said afterward, ''There was no tension. All eyes were on me, and everybody was very focused.'' With 2:00 left Penn State had moved to the Illinois 34-yard line. Collins then threw 16 yards to Bobby Engram for a first down. After a run for no gain and a nine-yard completion to Engram, the Lions faced third-and-one at the Illinois nine. From there fullback Brian Milne crashed over the right side for seven yards. One play later Milne scored his third touchdown of the day, with 57 seconds left, to give the Lions a 35-31 lead. It was the first time all day they had led, having started their remarkable comeback from a 21-0 first- quarter deficit. Illinois did move the ball to the Penn State 31, but on the last play of the game, quarterback Johnny Johnson was intercepted in the end zone by safety Kim Herring. Afterward Penn State guard Marco Rivera said, ''I'm still in shock that we won.'' The win clinched a trip to the Rose Bowl for the Lions and made Joe Paterno the first coach since Tennessee's Bob Neyland in 1951 to have led teams to all four major bowls. The Lions had come to Champaign averaging 533.5 yards (best in the country) and 48.4 points (second best in the country) per game. For its part, Illinois, though a frustrated 6-3, possessed the nation's No. 2 scoring defense (11.3 points per game). The first omen of trouble for the visitors came on the morning of the game, when a power outage at the Lions' hotel forced them to eat pizza instead of the arranged meal, which sat uncooked in the hotel kitchen. The Lions suspected that the Illini defense would be stingy, but they could not have foreseen the creditable performance by the Illinois offense. Seizing on two rare Penn State mistakes -- a fumble by tailback Ki-Jana Carter and an interception of Collins -- the Illini's usually inconsistent offense ran out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter. By the half Penn State had rallied to within 28-14, and Paterno saw reason for optimism. ''I told the kids at the half that if we played our game, didn't lose our poise and didn't try to make big plays, we'd be all right,'' said Paterno after the game. By the third quarter it was clear that Penn State had righted itself. The Lions' defense was performing better (it would hold Illinois to a single field goal in the second half), so the only question was whether enough time remained for Penn State to come all the way back. With 7:50 to play, Milne slammed over from five yards out, slicing the Illini lead to 31-28. Illinois punted on its next possession -- a 67-yard missile by Brett Larsen -- and the Lions had their chance to rise to greatness. ''I knew we had kids with a lot of character,'' Paterno said when it was over. ''I never thought that we couldn't do it.'' [/SPOILER] [URL unfurl="true"]https://vault.si.com/vault/1995/01/18/the-comeback-down-210-early-penn-state-dug-deep-and-pulled-out-a-memorable-victory[/URL] [/QUOTE]
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