Death
Silent Joe
may have
to speak up
For as long as I can remember, Joe
Paterno has downplayed the importance
of the Associated Press and United
Press International polls, attaching little
significance to the rankings they submit
weekly during the football season.
After Penn State crushed West
Virginia, 49-28, earlier this season, an
unsuspecting sportswriter asked
Paterno what the big victory would
mean to the Lions' ranking in the polls.
The 30 or so scribes in the lockerroom
braced themselves for the recorded
statement they thought Paterno would
issue.
Lo and behold, it came . . . "I don't
know where we are ranked now and
frankly, I don't give a darn."
There it was. Writers had witnesses
something more dependable than prune
juice, timex watches, Ford trucks and
rainy days in Happy Valley.
Paterno once again reiterated his
position on the ridiculous, meaningless
college football polls. If Joe weren't such
a nice guy, he would have blurted out,
"Why do you guys continue to ask me
about our ranking? Polls, polls,
polls . . . What do they mean?"
What do they mean anyway? In
college football, they mean quite a lot,
whether Paterno likes it or not. As long
as the NCAA refuses to adopt a national
championship playoff format, polls will
continue to be one of the most important
,criteria of a team's worth. They will
continue to determine which teams go to
which bowls, which teams receive the
most money, and ultimately, which
team will be proclaimed the best in
college football.
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I don't think the polls should deter
mine these things, but as long as they do,
they will have to be regarded as an
important facet of college football.
Surely Joe, of all people, must realize
the role that the rankings play 'in big
time college football. Back in 1969,
Paterno was in the center of a raging
controversy over polls and ratings along
with Texas coach Darrell Royal, Bud
Wilkinson, President Richard Nixon
(heaven forbid) and the press.
That was the season, you'll recall,
when the Lions went undefeated and
beat Missouri in the Orange Bowl, yet
took a back seat to Texas when "Tricky
Dick" unilaterally declared the
Longhorns the No. 1 team in the nation.
Lion fans felt in their hearts that Penn
State was the best team in the nation.
For some, that was enough. The heck
with them we know we're the best,
they said.
But for most, that feeling wasn't
enough. They wanted Penn State to be
recognized by fans across the country as
the best team in college football and as
long as the Lions were not ranked No. 1,
they knew that would never happen. You
can't be the best unless the pollsters say
you're the best.
In 1973, when Penn State went 12-0, the
same story all over again, although on a
much smaller scale. The Lions disposed
of three bowl teams, Stanford (a one
point loser to USC) and a strong LSU
team that year. Yet, State never ad
vanced any further than fifth in the
rankings.
Yes, the polls certainly do determine
who's the best team in the nation. But
maybe just as crucially, they determine
bowl matchups and the all-important
money that goes along with them. Enter
the 1977 Penn State team.
For Penn State and its fans, the Fiesta
Bowl bid was one big letdown. Nearly
everyone in Happy Valley had been
counting on an Orange Bowl bid or, at
the very least, a Sugar Bowl bid.
There were a number of reasons why
the Lions didn't receive the Orange Bowl
bid the decision to move the Penn
State-Pitt game back one week,
Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer's
politicking, and Paterno's refusal to
blow his own horn and get involved in
that politicking.
But if you look beyond them, you'll see
that rankings had a lot to do with it. Both
Arkansas and Penn State had identical
records, but the Razorbacks were
ranked ahead of the Lions.
"1 told the Orange Bowl officials that I
wanted the highest ranked team they
could get," Switzer said in an AP story.
Switzer said he felt the Sooners would
have a better chance at winning the
national championship if they beat a
higher ranked team.
Not only did the Lions lose a chance to
go to Miami, but they lost nearly $850,000
the difference in television revenue
between the Orange and Fiesta Bowls.
Is Paterno really telling the truth
when he says he doesn't care about polls
and the rankings? If he doesn't care, he
should. The polls cost the Lions the No. 1
ranking in 1968, 1969 and 1973, and this
year they played a role in their loss of an
Orange Bowl bid and the $l.l million in
revenue that goes along with it.
Collegian sports
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Pitt wide receiver Gordon Jones was held in check by the reasons why Penn State shut down the Panther offense,
Lions, catching just two passes one of the major
!-inn State-Pittsburgh: The statistics
TEAM STATISTICS
First Downs
Rushes-Yards
Passing Yardage
Return Yardage
Passes (att.-comp -int )
Punts
Fumbles-Lost
Penalties-Yards
Penn State
Pittsburgh
First Quarter
PS Field goal 34 Bahr 4:38
Pitt Cavanaugh 1 run (Schubert kick) 10:43
Second Quarter
PS— Field goal 31 Bahr 1:91
PS Gum an 52 punt return after handoff (run failed
12.55
Third Quarter
No scoring
Fourth Quarter
PS Field goal 20 Bahr 11:28
Pitt Jones 17 pass from Cavanaugh (run failed)
INDIVIDUAL. STATISTICS
Hushing
Penn State M Suhey 13 for 36 yards: Torrey 11 for
'We've had a good season anyway'
For Pitt, cliffhanger not end of the world
By NEIL RUDEL
Daily Collegian Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH In a morgue-like Pitt locker
room, the general consensus was that, despite the
heartbreaking loss to Penn State, this was a good
season, one to be proud of.
After all, if the Panthers hadn't lost All-America
quarterback Matt Cavanaugh early in the season,
most believed they would have been on the inside
looking out instead of vice versa.
"I'm not going to let this loss take away from our
year," Cavanaugh, who the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
have expressed interest in as making the NFL's
first draft pick, said.
"I'm sure it would have been a lot nicer if we
would have won today but we've had a good
season," he said. "At the beginning of the season we
had a lot of holes to plug. I didn't know how good we
would be."
Cavanaugh, whose size, passing and running
ability was apparent even in defeat, shouldered the
blame for the loss.
"I don't think I threw a good pass all day," he
Today's Sports Index
Penn State 1977-78 Winter Sports Schedules
Cagers open season tonight against Maryland
Wrestlers prep for Penn State Invitational
Tough slate greets Lady Lion basketball team
Globetrotters invade Rec Hall: A review
Kathy Mills national cross country champ
Harriers finish 12th in NCAA Championships
Booters eliminated from playoffs in second round
. . . Page 24
Penn State Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Walker 12 for 66 yards; Jacobs 15 for
86, Cavanaugh 12 for minus -48, Sims 2 for 20
Passing
Penn State Fusina 13 of 27 for 146 yards (two inter
cepted).
Pittsburgh Cavanaugh 14 of 29 for 204 yards ( three
intercepted)
13-27-2
7-40 3
1-0
6-37
9
0
14-29-3
9-346
4-1
8-50
3-15
6-13
Penn State Shuler 2 for 14 yards, Cefalo 2 for 57,
Geise 3 for 28, Fitzkee 3 for 45, Torrey 1 for mmus•3;
LaPointe 1 for 10; M Suhey 1 fora
Pittsburgh Gaustad 4 for 77 yards; G Jones 2 for
38; Walker 2 for 21; Jacobs 3 for 17, Taylor 2 for 38,
Reutershan 1 for 13.
Penn State Geise 1 for 19 yards, Torrey 1 for 10
Hutton 1 for 17
Pittsburgh G Jones 1 for 20 yards; Heath 1 for 10
McCray 1 for 12, Reichard 1 for 15
38, Geise 22 for 75, Fume 5 for 11; Cefalo 2 for minus
Pass Receiving
Punting
Penn State Fitzkee 7 for 40 3 average
Pittsburgh Gasparoovtc 9 for 34 6 average
Fumble Recoveries
Penn State—Banks 1.
Punt Returns
Penn State Guman 1 for 52 yards.
Pittsburgh G Jones 3 for 46 yards
Kickoff Returns
said, obviously recalling the two he completed to
Penn State's Ron Hostetler at most inopportune
moments for the Panthers.
"I think the turning point came with that first
interception," he said. "That would have made it 14-
3.,,
Cavanaugh then showed he has a little Joe
Paterno in him.
"I thought they (Penn State) played well," he
said. "Especially their front five, they put on a good
pass rush."
Pitt coach Jackie Sherrill, who posted an 8-2-1
record in his first season as Panther head coach,
said the double reverse punt return was the straw
that broke the Panthers' backs.
"It was a game of big plays," he said. "Theirs
was the punt return."
But he wasn't surprised to see it.
"You expect anything, anytime," he said. "And
they called it at the right time. We had the people
there but missed the tackles."
There were positive signs, he said, even though
the outcome was a negative one.
. . Page 22
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Interception Returns
Penn State Hostetler 2 for 0 yards; Hutton I for 0
Pittsburgh—Jury 1 for 0 yards; Felder 1 for 3.
Penn State Banks 3 unassisted and 2 assists for 5,
Clark 5 and 4 for 9, Sidler 3 and 2 for 5, Millen 5 and 2
for 7, Lally 3 and 4 for 7; Donaldson 2 and 2 for 4, De-
Paso 3 and 3 for 6, R Hostetler 3 and 5 for 8, Guman 3
and 0 for 3; Petercuskie 0 and 5 for 5; Hutton 4 and 2
for 6, Hettinger 1 and 0 for 1, D Hostetler 0 and 2 for 2,
Coder 0 and 1 for 1, Bradley° and 3 for 3; Kubin 1 and 1
for 2, Urquart 1 and° for I
Pittsburgh DiCiccio 5 unassisted and 9 assists for
14, Silvestri 3 and 5 for 8; Boyarsky 6 and 7 for 13,
Holloway 4 and 5 for 9, Green 5 and 7 for 12; Pelusi
2 and 5 for 7, Chesley 3 and 8 for 11, Delaney 0 and 3
for 3; Wilson 3 and 3 for 6, Felder 3 and 0 for 3, Jury
5 and 1 for 6, Messner 1 and 0 for 1, Reutershan 1 and 0
for 1, Meyer 0 and 1 for 1; Thomas 1 and 0 for 1
Tackles for Losses
Penn State Banks 1 for 8 yards, Clark 1 for 11
Lally 2 for 16, Hostetler 2 for 6, Petercuskie 1 for 3
Pittsburgh DiClem 1 for 3 yards, Silvestri 1 for
10, Green 3 for 16, Wilson 1 for 2
Passes Broken Up
Penn State Guman 1, Urquart 1
Pittsburgh Green 1, Delaney 1, Felder 1
1
S . 1
40 4.---"1 46 "'
With Joe Lally (84) and Matt Millen (60) leading the way,
Mike Guman looks downfield on his punt return in the
seetiiiii - quarter of - Penn SVate - rg -- 15:13 Win o;er Pitt last
"I was pleased with the way we came back to
score again," he said. "That's a sign of a good
football team."
Sherill, like his quarterback, looked at the bright
side.
"We turned into a better football team than I
expected," he said "We had a very good year and
were pleased with our players. We've got a lot of
young players coming back."
Not among those, however, are Cavanaugh and
senior tailback Elliott Walker.
Walker, whose 66 yards left him 18 shy of 1,000
yards for his career, insisted that his crucial two
point conversion attempt, that would have
deadlocked the game, was good.
"I thought I had made it," he said. "I guess one of
Penn State's players stood up and indicated I didn't.
Freddy (Jacobs) and Matt ( Cavanaugh) talked to
the ref but he said I was short. I thought I made it."
Walker was held to zero net yards in the first half.
He praised Penn State's defense for its effort vs. the
run and Pitt's vaulted offense, the No 1 scoring
team in the country.
hursday, December 1, 1977-15
PITTSBURGH The sicker they
come, the harder they fall.
Case in point: the foul mind who, for
the second straight year, sent to Lion
quarterback Chuck Fusina letters which
threatened the life of his mother as he
tried to lead the Lions to victory in the
, Pitt-Penn State game.
"I really don't like to talk about it,"
Fusina said in reference to the series of
hate letters that started arriving three
weeks prior to the game each year.
"I imagine it was a really devoted Pitt
fan or a gambler that really wanted
them to win," Fusina said.
Last year the plot worked, to a certain
extent, according to the junior from
McKees Rocks.
"It affected me a little last year, but
this year it just didn't work," Fusina
said. "I hope nothing more conies out of
"What can you say? I just hope he
found it's not worth all the stamps and
time he spent trying to get to me."
Plus the time spent getting to his
mother.
It's bad enough when some sickie tries
to threaten a football player; but when
he tries to go through that person's
mother, things are really getting per
verted.
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Sometimes it's hard to remember
when the Pitt-Penn State contest was a
game just like any other. Two teams
playing football and a bunch of fans
watching. In recent years it has rapidly
developed into a grudge match of sorts.
The "Catch-22" is that the grudge is
more between the fans than the players.
The sad point of it all is that my friends
in the media have largely been at fault in
fueling the fire between the two sides.
"This was a good, clean game and I'm
quite upset about all the bitterness talk
perpetrated by the media," Lion coach
Joe Paterno said in a serious tone after
his charges had hung on to win last
Saturday.
"I'll get out of coaching if I must get
bitter. Football is too good a game to
have it ruined by browbeating, bad
press, and bitterness."
All three points Paterno mentioned
were integral parts of the build-up to the
game. Integral, but unnecessary.
"It wasn't a bitter thing between us,"
Paterno stressed vehemently when one
scribe continually pressed him on the
idea that there was bad blood between
the Pitt and Penn State teams because of
"In the second half we moved the ball a lot better
than we did in the first two quarters," he said.
"Their defense is the type that strings out the
running options. They had good lateral movement "
Sherri' 1 credited his defense for a top notch output.
"Del ensively, I thought we played well," he said
"Take away seven points on the punt return and
look what you've got, three field goals."
The Pitt coach attributed the fact that the game
wasn't as high-scoring as anticipated to a mild
off ense
"I guess we kept everybody in their seats," he
said. "We got ourselves into too many second and
third and long plays. We weren't as consistant on
first downs as we should have been."
Talk of the wet field and how a date change might
have ruined the Panthers came up.
"Footing was not that had It slowed down out
cuts a little hit," Sherrill said, denying a writer s
implication that the date change cost his team
"I would have preferred to play them on a dry
field but that's no excuse," he said. "I don't think
the snow was a factor in the outcome of the game
We just came up short."
Saturday. After taking a handoff from Jimmy Cefalo,
Guinan ran for 52 yards and a touchdown, the play that
put the Lions ahead to stay
the bowl situation. "It was just a good
game between two good teams," he said.
"We have to get this away from this
bitterness thing . . . all this crap you
guys are writing . . ." Paterno said in
reference to the media's continuance
buildup of the game, some putting Pitt in
a good light, some Penn State, and many
making their own guesses about the bowl
situation
Personally, I was sick to the very pit of
my stomach of reading inflammatory
articles in both the regular Pittsburgh
papers and The Daily Collegian's
counterpart on the Panther campus, The
Pitt News.
Many of the writers tried to lay the
blame of the Orange Bowl fiasco directly
on Paterno's shoulders, implying that he
personally nixed the deal to put the
winner of the Pitt-Penn State game in
the Orange Bowl, a charge he denied.
It seemed that straight news reporting
was out, and the search for the big scoop
was on, fanning the flames between the
respective teams' fans flames that
had been too hot for too long even
without the buildup.
Listening to a popular radio call-in
sports show a couple of days before the
game, I heard a few irate Pitt fans call in
and voice remarks that were full of hate
for Paterno and his team. It was
becoming much more than a ball game.
After the contest, Paterno seemed to
be quite fed up with the media situation.
"Pitt fans start to ride Penn State fans
and Penn State fans start to browbeat
Pitt fans . . but that's their problem,
not ours. We just wanted to play foot
ball."
Unfortunately, there probably won't
he any end to the problem. Sure, the
letters will probably stop and the hate
between the people will simmer for a
while, but next year it will more than
likely be more of the same thing.
"It's no good when you try to
browbeat, then you draw bitterness
. . . ," Paterno said. "If it comes down to
bitterness, then that's the day I get out of
coaching."
"There wasn't any problem between
the players," Lion guard Eric Cun
ningham said. "We got along pretty
good."
Perhaps it's time fans on both sides
started to realize the gravity of the
situation and put the energy from their
hate and bitterness into something more
constructive
A good start would be to put some
pressure on the NCAA to come up with
some sort of national playoff system, or
at least put the bowl selection process
into a more orderly system with bids
waiting until the end of the regular
season.
Let's forget about hate and just play
ball.
And to that sickle out there, I hope you
lost a bundle.
Photo by Ken Keeper