American college football season
1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football |
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Co-national champion (FACT, Sagarin) Eastern champion Orange Bowl champion |
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Conference | Independent |
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Ranking |
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Coaches | No. 2 |
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AP | No. 2 |
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Record | 11–0 |
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Head coach | |
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Offensive scheme | I formation |
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Defensive coordinator | Jim O'Hora (4th season) |
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Base defense | 4–3 |
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Captains | - Tom Jackson
- Mike Reid
- Steve Smear
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Home stadium | Beaver Stadium |
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Seasons |
The 1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 1969 NCAA University Division football season. Despite posting its second consecutive undefeated, untied season, the Nittany Lions did not have a shot at the national championship. President Richard Nixon said that he would consider the winner of the December 6 matchup between the Texas Longhorns and the Arkansas Razorbacks, then ranked at the top of the polls, and the real voters do not seem to have differed. Paterno, at the 1973 commencement, was quoted saying, "I'd like to know how could the president know so little about Watergate in 1973 and so much about college football in 1969?"[1] Then Pennsylvania Governor Raymond P. Shafer got the White House's attention with Penn State's two-season undefeated streak. A White House assistant called Paterno to invite him and the team to the White House to receive a trophy for their accomplishment. Paterno has stated many times that he responded with, "You can tell the president to take that trophy and shove it."[2]
Penn State declined an invitation to play the Texas/Arkansas winner in the Cotton Bowl Classic,[citation needed] instead playing sixth-ranked Missouri in the Orange Bowl. Penn State beat Missouri 10–3, while Texas beat Notre Dame 21–17 and was recognized as the consensus national champion.[3]: 120 Penn State was selected co-national champion by FACT and Sagarin, both NCAA-designated major selectors.[3]: 111
Schedule
Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
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September 20 | at Navy | No. 3 | | | W 45–22 | 28,796 | |
September 27 | Colorado | No. 2 | | | W 27–3 | 51,402 | |
October 4 | at Kansas State | No. 2 | | | W 17–14 | 37,000 | |
October 11 | No. 17 West Virginia | No. 5 | - Beaver Stadium
- University Park, PA (rivalry)
| | W 20–0 | 52,713 | [4] |
October 18 | at Syracuse | No. 5 | | | W 15–14 | 42,291 | |
October 25 | Ohio | No. 8 | - Beaver Stadium
- University Park, PA
| | W 42–3 | 49,069 | |
November 1 | Boston College | No. 5 | - Beaver Stadium
- University Park, PA
| CBS | W 38–16 | 46,652 | |
November 15 | Maryland | No. 5 | - Beaver Stadium
- University Park, PA (rivalry)
| | W 48–0 | 46,106 | [5] |
November 22 | at Pittsburgh | No. 4 | | | W 27–7 | 39,517 | |
November 29 | at NC State | No. 3 | | ABC | W 33–8 | 24,150 | [6] |
January 1, 1970 | vs. No. 6 Missouri | No. 2 | | NBC | W 10–3 | 77,282 | |
- Homecoming
- Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
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Game summaries
Pittsburgh
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Penn State | 7 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 27 | Pittsburgh | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| 1 | | PSU | Harris 24-yard run (Reitz kick) | PSU 7-0 | | 2 | | PITT | Esposito 6-yard run (Cramer kick) | Tied 7-7 | | 3 | | PSU | Pittman 4-yard run (Reitz kick) | PSU 14-7 | | 4 | | PSU | Pittman 17-yard run (Reitz kick) | PSU 21-7 | | 4 | | PSU | Abbey 18-yard run (kick failed) | PSU 27-7 | |
[7]
NC State
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | • Penn St | 3 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 33 | NC State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | |
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Scoring summary |
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| Q1 | | PSU | Reitz 27 yard field goal | PSU 3–0 | | Q2 | | PSU | Pittman 5 yard run (Reitz kick) | PSU 10–0 | | Q2 | | PSU | Mitchell 1 yard run (Reitz kick) | PSU 17–0 | | Q3 | | PSU | Pittman 5 yard run (kick failed) | PSU 23–0 | | Q4 | | PSU | Reitz 35 yard field goal | PSU 26–0 | | Q4 | | PSU | Pittman 13 yard pass from Burkhart (Reitz kick) | PSU 33–0 | | Q4 | | NCST | Walker 71 yard interception return (Sharp pass from Bowers) | PSU 33–8 | |
[8]
Personnel
1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster |
Players | Coaches |
Offense | Defense Pos. | # | Name | Class | DE | 89 | John Ebersole | Sr | LB | 33 | Jack Ham | Jr | DL | | Gary Hull | DB | | Paul Johnson | LB | | Jim Kates | DB | | George Landis | LB | 35 | Dennis Onkotz | Sr | LB | | David Radakovich | DL | | David Rakiecki | DT | 68 | Mike Reid | Sr | DL | | Steve Smear | LB | | Mike Smith | DB | | Neal Smith | | Special teams | - Head coach
- Coordinators/assistant coaches
- Legend
- (C) Team captain
- (S) Suspended
- (I) Ineligible
- Injured
- Redshirt
Roster |
Post season
NFL Draft
Eight Nittany Lions were drafted in the 1970 NFL draft.
Awards
References
- ^ Anderson, Shelly (November 17, 2006). "Research shows Nixon hurt '69 Lions". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
- ^ Rudel, Neil (April 24, 1994). "Snub by Nixon helped Penn St". The Beaver County Times. Beaver, Pennsylvania. p. B15. Retrieved July 6, 2021 – via Google News.
- ^ a b 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
- ^ "Unbeaten Penn State blanks West Virginia". San Antonio Express/News. October 12, 1969. Retrieved January 21, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Pittman scores 3 in 48–0 win". Sunday News. November 16, 1969. Retrieved January 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Penn State rumbles past Wolfpack 33–8". The Roanoke Times. November 30, 1969. Retrieved January 22, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Onkotz' Run Leads Penn State Past Pitt, 27-7." Palm Beach Post. November 23, 1969
- ^ "Penn State Rumbles, 33-8." Palm Beach Post. 1969 Nov 30. Retrieved 2015-Apr-30.
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Bowls & rivalries | |
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Culture & lore | |
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People | |
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Seasons | |
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National championship seasons in bold |