1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy
Orange Bowl champion
Orange Bowl, W 10–3 vs. Missouri
Conference Independent
Ranking
Coaches No. 2
AP No. 2
1969 record 11–0
Head coach Joe Paterno (4th season)
Captain Tom Jackson
Captain Mike Reid
Captain Steve Smear
Home stadium Beaver 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
Rutgers   –    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
Northern Illinois   –    3 –7 –0
Tulane   –    3 –7 –0
Utah State   –    3 –7 –0
Navy   –    1 –9 –0
Xavier   –    1 –9 –0
Rankings from AP Poll

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]

Penn State declined an invitation to play the Texas/Arkansas winner in the Cotton Bowl Classic, instead playing an inferior sixth ranked Missouri in the Orange Bowl, which they won 10-3, while Texas beat Notre Dame 21-17.

Schedule

Date Opponent# Rank# Site TV Result Attendance
September 20 at Navy No. 3 Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium • Annapolis, Maryland W 45–22   28,796
September 27 Colorado No. 2 Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania W 27–3   51,402
October 4 at Kansas State No. 2 KSU Stadium • Manhattan, Kansas W 17–14   37,000
October 11 No. 17 West Virginiadagger No. 5 Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania (Rivalry) W 20–0   52,713
October 18 at Syracuse No. 5 Archbold Stadium • Syracuse, New York (Rivalry) W 15–14   42,291
October 25 Ohio No. 8 Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania W 42–3   49,069
November 1 Boston College No. 5 Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania CBS W 38–16   46,652
November 15 Maryland No. 5 Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania (Rivalry) W 48–0   46,106
November 22 at Pittsburgh No. 4 Pitt Stadium • Pittsburgh (Rivalry) W 27–7   39,517
November 29 at North Carolina State No. 3 Carter Stadium • Raleigh, North Carolina ABC W 33–8   24,150
January 1, 1970 vs. No. 6 Missouri No. 2 Miami Orange Bowl • Miami (Orange Bowl) NBC W 10–3   77,282
*Non-conference game. daggerHomecoming. #Rankings from AP Poll released prior to game. All times are in Eastern Time.

Game summaries

Pittsburgh

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

[3]

NC State

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

[4]

Roster

1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos.#NameClass
C 56 Warren Koegel Jr
RB 24 Charlie Pittman Sr
G 60 Charlie Zapiec Jr
 Defense
Pos.#NameClass
DT 72 John Ebersole Sr
LB 33 Jack Ham Jr
LB 35 Dennis Onkotz Sr
DT 68 Mike Reid Sr
 Special teams
Pos.#NameClass
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured
  • Redshirt

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 Smear–Baltimore Colts
4th2098John EbersoleLinebackerNew York Jets
7th23179Don Abbey–Dallas Cowboys
8th17199Paul Johnson–Washington Redskins
12th17303James Kates–Washington 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. ↑ "Onkotz' Run Leads Penn State Past Pitt, 27-7." Palm Beach Post. November 23, 1969
  4. ↑ "Penn State Rumbles, 33-8." Palm Beach Post. 1969 Nov 30. Retrieved 2015-Apr-30.
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