State College, Pa. —- They came to Penn State following a 4-7 record in 2004, but four years and two Big Ten Championships later, the 17 seniors on the Nittany Lions are leaving as a group that brought Penn State back to national prominence.
“I have been proud of them for four years,” Penn State head coach Joe Paterno said of his senior class. “The last few, we probably let a couple of them slip away from us that we probably should have handled, but they’ve been consistent. We have had our problems … (but) these guys, when we have made some tough decisions, have stuck with us.”
Saturday’s Big Ten Championship marks the third in Penn State history, with the first two coming in 1994 and 2005 (which was also clinched against MSU). Aside from going out with another Big Ten title, senior wide receiver Derrick Williams, who had four receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown, said his final game in Beaver Stadium — complete with a pregame ceremony — was “almost a perfect ending.”
“Everything has been great throughout my career here,” said Williams, whose class went 40-10 in the past four seasons. “We captured two Big Ten Championships in the four years that I was here. I am part of the first team ever to win the Big Ten title here at Beaver Stadium, it means a lot.”
Career day for Clark
Admist a school-record 557 total yards of offense, senior quarterback Daryll Clark had a career day for the Nittany Lions as well.
Clark, a 6-foot-2, 231 pound Youngstown, Ohio native, threw for four touchdowns and a career-high 341 yards on 16-for-26 passing, along with running in a touchdown.
Williams may be biased because he practices with Clark everyday, but Williams said he believes Clark is one of the premiere players in the nation.
“I think he did really well,” Williams said of Clark’s play. “Like I said, Daryll to me is the best quarterback in the country, the best athlete. He is a guy that just loves the game. You know he is very into it — I would want him more than any other quarterback.”
JoePa corner
Not only did Penn State earn its 800th win in program history, but Paterno added to his legacy by improving his career record to 383-126-3 in the 43 years he has been the head coach of the Nittany Lions.
On Friday, Paterno was caught on camera telling students at a pep rally he was planning on coming back for the 2009 season — even though he has not yet signed a contract with the university.
When asked about his Friday night remarks, Paterno confirmed what he’s been saying all season.
“I am planning on coming back, yeah,” Paterno said. “I never planned otherwise. Everyone is making a big deal out of the fact that I don’t have a contract signed. I have never even asked to do that … right now I have no plans to leave. We’ll see what happens.”
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