Brendan Smith vividly remembers the last time Penn State came to Evanston in 2005. A true freshman, Smith made the first start of his career against the undefeated Nittany Lions. It was his birthday.
“Fifteen minutes before the game coach Jerry Brown came up to me and told me, ‘I forgot to tell you on Thursday, but you’re starting,'” Smith recalled.
With a minute-and-a-half left in the game, Northwestern had Penn State backed up deep in its own territory. However, after converting a long fourth down, the Nittany Lions scored the game-winning touchdown five plays later to cap off a 17-point fourth quarter rally. The Nittany Lions went on to win the Big Ten and finish the year ranked third in the country.
“It was a memorable game,” said Smith, who led the team in tackles that game. “It just didn’t end the way we wanted to.”
This time around, another member of the secondary is hoping to get a better birthday present.
Sophomore Jordan Mabin, who turns 21 on Saturday, is playing on his birthday for the second time in his career – in high school his team won a playoff game on Halloween.
For Mabin to remain undefeated on his birthday, the Wildcats’ defense is going to have to contain one of the most explosive offenses in the country. Since losing to Iowa five weeks ago, the Nittany Lions are averaging 36 points per game. Quarterback Darryl Clark has averaged 231.5 passing yards in those four games while tossing eight touchdowns.
“They execute really well and they make you pay for mistakes,” redshirt freshman safety Jared Carpenter said. “They’re very efficient in what they do.”
Just as impressive is the Nittany Lions’ defense, historically a hallmark of Penn State teams. This year’s group ranks in the top 10 nationally in seven major statistical categories, including first in scoring defense and third in total defense.
Senior quarterback Mike Kafka said limiting turnovers will be crucial for a NU victory.”Teams that play Penn State kill themselves,” he said. “Ball control is going to be huge.”
NU has its first home night game of the year and its first home game on Halloween since 1992. To add to this heightened atmosphere, NU has played well against Penn State in Evanston recently. The teams’ past three games at Ryan Field have been decided by an average of six points.
“Our last three games with Penn State here at home have been great football games,” coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “There’s something about Ryan Field at night that makes it seem that much more fun.”
For the players the excitement is palpable.
“This is Northwestern football,” Mabin said. “We’re going to come out playing lights out. We’re going to play physical, fast and it’s going to be a blast.”
