STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — About 150 miles from here, through the Allegheny Mountains and down Interstate 76, there is a tiny town about one hour west of Philadelphia.
You’ve probably never heard of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, and if you have heard of Downingtown, Pennsylvania, it’s probably because of Auntie Anne’s, the pretzel shop franchise founded there.
There is something else from Downingtown — someone else, in fact.
Will Howard, the starting quarterback for the Ohio State Buckeyes, grew up there, a kid who dreamed of playing for Penn State, who never got an offer from the university, who went to Kansas State and, then, returned for the first time on Saturday to a roaring, white-blanketed Beaver Stadium in a Big Ten showdown between the No. 3 and No. 4 teams in the country.
They make movies about this stuff, usually about revenge and redemption.
Well, on a sunny Saturday in Happy Valley, Howard got the last laugh of this featured film. He got his redemption, his revenge. He got his victory, 20-13, over the school that never offered him a scholarship.
“There’s no feeling like it, man,” he said afterward.
Howard’s QB keepers on the final drive — three for 14 yards — milked the clock dry, secured the victory and sent him into an emotional on-field celebration that projected a very obvious message: This wasn’t just any ol’ game.
“We did it, man!” he screamed at teammates before a long embrace with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly. Among the celebrating Ohio State players — maybe it was Howard, maybe it wasn’t — someone yelled out, “F*** them!’”
No, this was not any ol’ game.
Even their coach, Ryan Day, acknowledged afterward the magnitude of it. “We didn’t say it publicly,” he told reporters. “We said that behind closed doors [this week]. It’s a big game for us.”
Various Buckeyes delivered during the victory. Their quarterback got his revenge in his home state (he rebounded from a pick-6 and a fumble into the end zone); their coach got a rousing victory to quiet the doubters (there are plenty of them); their maligned offensive line pushed around the Penn Staters (176 yards rushing); and their defense, at times exposed this season, played their most complete game of the year (Penn State didn’t score an offensive touchdown).
A fourth-quarter goal-line stand from coordinator Jim Knowles’ group sealed the deal. Penn State had four snaps inside the 4-yard-line. It got two yards.
“Held our ground,” said Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimoloau.
While speaking to reporters, Tuimoloau gripped onto a book, “Total Release Performance: A New Concept in Winning.” It’s a short, 32-page booklet from author Wes Neal that “shows a new perspective on winning and losing,” according to a description.
“I read it before the game,” Tuimoloau said with a smile.
For Penn State, the perspectives were all the same. Under coach James Franklin, the Nittany Lions lost an eighth consecutive game to Ohio State and an 11th straight to AP top-five teams. Their offense didn’t crack the 300-yard mark, converted just three third downs and, during the first three quarters, had two plays over 20 yards.
They tried everything, it seemed. For instance, five different Penn State players took snaps (two quarterbacks, two running backs and a tight end). They attempted a handful of cute trick plays that went nowhere, and then, when down on the goal line with a first down at the 3, they ran up the middle three times.
“We didn’t get it done,” Franklin said afterward.
While entering the tunnel, Franklin jawed with two fans. Boos rained down toward him. “Fire Franklin!” was shouted.
“I understand the frustration [from fans],” he said in the post-game news conference. “Guys in the locker room are just as frustrated, if not more, but college football has changed.”
It has, indeed. Money has never been more important. Resources are paramount. Patience is thin.
Franklin is 1-10 against Ohio State. In 11 seasons, he’s 6-21 in games against those with plenty of resources (the Buckeyes, Michigan and SEC teams). Penn State feels like it’s close to its competitors in off-the-field investments for, perhaps, the first time in years, AD Pat Kraft said earlier this week.
But on Saturday, on the field, it was more of the same. Few explosive offensive weapons. Late-game miscues. Silly clock management.
Get this: Penn State’s first completion to a wide receiver came 29 minutes into the game.
Meanwhile, on the other sideline, there was a Pennsylvania kid with plenty of weapons at his disposal. Howard hit eight different receivers and escaped some critical would-be sacks.
But his most impressive trait? Resiliency, after a few massive miscues.
He threw a pick-6 to put the Buckeyes in a 10-0 hole early. He then fumbled into the side of the end zone while going in for a score in the second quarter. He missed a couple of wide-open touchdown passes, too.
He owned it afterward, describing it as “probably the worst” game of his season.
And, yet, he “willed” the win to happen, Day said.
The guy from Downingtown did it.
“He had a look in his eye all week that he was not going to lose this game,” Day said. “He wanted to be a Nittany Lion. He refused to lose.”
