1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

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. At the time, national champions were selected before bowl games were played. 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 Shafer, got the White House's attention with Penn State's 2 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]

1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Co-national champion (FACT, Sagarin)
Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy
Orange Bowl champion
Orange Bowl, W 10–3 vs. Missouri
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 2
APNo. 2
1969 record11–0
Head coach
Captains
Home stadiumBeaver Stadium
(Capacity: 48,284)
1969 NCAA University Division independents football records
Conf  Overall
TeamW L T  W L T
No. 2 Penn State      11 0 0
No. 17 West Virginia      10 1 0
No. 12 Houston      9 2 0
No. 5 Notre Dame      8 2 1
Buffalo      6 3 0
Villanova      6 3 0
Florida State      6 3 1
Colgate      5 3 1
Air Force      6 4 0
West Texas State      6 4 0
Boston College      5 4 0
New Mexico State      5 5 0
Southern Miss      5 5 0
Syracuse      5 5 0
Army      4 5 1
VPI      4 5 1
Georgia Tech      4 6 0
Miami (FL)      4 6 0
Pittsburgh      4 6 0
Dayton      3 7 0
Marshall      3 7 0
Northern Illinois      3 7 0
Tulane      3 7 0
Utah State      3 7 0
Idaho      2 8 0
Navy      1 9 0
Xavier      1 9 0
Rankings from AP Poll

Penn State declined an invitation to play the Texas/Arkansas winner in the Cotton Bowl Classic, instead playing sixth-ranked Missouri in the 1970 Orange Bowl. Penn State beat Missouri 10–3, while Texas beat Notre Dame 21–17 and was Consensus National Champion.[3]:120 Penn State was selected co-national champion by FACT and Sagarin, both NCAA-designated major selectors.[3]:111

Schedule

DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 20at NavyNo. 3W 45–2228,796
September 27ColoradoNo. 2W 27–351,402
October 4at Kansas StateNo. 2W 17–1437,000
October 11No. 17 West VirginiaNo. 5
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
W 20–052,713
October 18at SyracuseNo. 5W 15–1442,291
October 25OhioNo. 8
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
W 42–349,069
November 1Boston CollegeNo. 5
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
CBSW 38–1646,652
November 15MarylandNo. 5
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
W 48–046,106
November 22at PittsburghNo. 4W 27–739,517
November 29at North Carolina StateNo. 3ABCW 33–824,150
January 1, 1970vs. No. 6 MissouriNo. 2NBCW 10–377,282
  • Homecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries

Pittsburgh

1 234Total
Penn State 7 0713 27
Pittsburgh 0 700 7

[4]

NC State

1 234Total
Penn St 3 14610 33
NC State 0 008 8

[5]

Personnel

1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
RB Don Abbey
WR Charlie Adams
QB Chuck Burkhart
WR Wally Cirafesi
QB 25 Mike Cooper Jr
RB Gary Deuel
WR 88 Greg Edmonds Jr
RB Fran Ganter
RB 34 Franco Harris So
OL Bob Holuba
OL Tom Jackson
WR Pete Johnson
C 56 Warren Koegel Jr
WR Jim McCord
RB 23 Lydell Mitchell So
TE Wayne Munson
QB, P 13 Bob Parsons So
RB 24 Charlie Pittman Sr
RB Joel Ramich
OT 78 Vic Surma Jr
RB Charlie Wilson
OG 60 Charlie Zapiec Jr
Defense
Pos.#NameClass
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
Pos.#NameClass
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.

RoundPickOverallNamePositionTeam
1st77Mike ReidDefensive tackleCincinnati Bengals
3rd658Charlie PittmanRunning backSt. Louis Cardinals
3rd2072Dennis OnkotzLinebackerNew York Jets
4th1795Steve SmearBaltimore Colts
4th2098John EbersoleLinebackerNew York Jets
7th23179Don AbbeyDallas Cowboys
8th17199Paul JohnsonWashington Redskins
12th17303James KatesWashington Redskins

Awards

References

  1. Anderson, Shelly (November 17, 2006). "Research shows Nixon hurt '69 Lions". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
  2. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=19940424&id=ar0iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fLUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1354,5314383
  3. 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  4. "Onkotz' Run Leads Penn State Past Pitt, 27-7." Palm Beach Post. November 23, 1969
  5. "Penn State Rumbles, 33-8." Palm Beach Post. 1969 Nov 30. Retrieved 2015-Apr-30.
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