Chapter 25

Monday afternoon our team reviewed the video from the Michigan game. The coaches were mostly complementary as we reviewed the game. Coach Schroeder got on my case again about my blocking on a couple running plays. He got after Damian too for dropping a couple passes late in the game.

The coaches reminded us that we couldn't get complacent after our victory. We flew out to Lafayette, Indiana on Friday to play Purdue. The Boilermakers play a spread offense like we did. If we were careless, they'd beat us and any chance at a BCS bowl game and the national championship would evaporate. Coach Burton warned us we were going to have hard practices this week to make sure we were ready to play on Saturday.

Kelly and I both were swamped with homework during the week. She studied hard for her philosophy exam on Wednesday. My Math 111 exam was on Thursday. I had to make arrangements with Dr. Blanchard to take Friday's Econ midterm early since the team bus was departing at 9:30 on Friday morning and the class was at 10:10 am. Dr. Blanchard arranged for his grad assistant to give me the test at the Lasch Building study center at 8:00 am on Friday morning.

I was pleased when I left Osmond Lab after I completed my Math 111 midterm on Thursday morning. I knew I had done well. There was a chance I might have aced the test. I called Kevin Lee, my tutor, after lunch and thanked him. Normally we met for a tutoring session in the afternoon, but both of us agreed that it wasn't necessary that day since I wouldn't have any new homework to do.

Kelly felt she did well on her midterm on Wednesday. She was relaxed, amorous and ready for fun on Thursday evening. Damian kindly left us have privacy in our room. Poor Kelly had to settle for fifteen minutes of mutual oral stimulation for satisfaction that evening. I really HAD to study for my Econ exam. I needed to get a good grade.

I went to breakfast on Friday with Christian, G. J. and Damian. Kelly didn't have classes until 10:10 and had no interest in an early breakfast. I didn't blame her. I wouldn't get up early either if it weren't for my Econ test.

I headed over to the Lasch Building and met Dr. Blanchard's grad assistant in the study center. The test was hard. I thought I did well enough on the multiple choice portion of the exam. Dr. Blanchard had two excellent essay questions. Hopefully I answered them to his satisfaction. I hung out in the player's lounge for half an hour until it was time to get on the buses for the airport.

This was my ninth travel game in the last thirteen months, so it was getting routine. I studied the game plan and notes on our opponent on the trip out. Our athletic department put us up in the Hilton Garden Inn. The Wabash River was visible east of our hotel.

After a catered dinner at the hotel we had a team meeting followed by position meetings. The coaches dismissed us at 8:30 pm. Jay, Damian, Trevor, Christian, G. J., Shawn Byrd and I headed for the pool to relax for awhile. When we were tired of swimming we hung out in Jay and Shawn's room until curfew.

The buses delivered us to Ross-Ade Stadium around 10 o'clock Saturday morning after breakfast at our hotel. ESPN was televising our game at noon. The Boilermaker's stadium was a traditional older stadium. It seated around 62,500 fans in a horseshoe shaped arena. The stadium had a fantastic looking natural turf, very well drained. That fact was going to useful. It rained over night and we still had low threatening clouds. More rain was predicted in the afternoon.

The stadium was filled with gold and black dressed Boilermaker faithful when we came out to start the game. We won the coin toss. I managed a thirty-four yard return on a low bouncing kickoff. We went to work at our 41 yard line.

Purdue had studied us carefully. They were absolutely determined that I would not beat them deep. They gave me a ten yard cushion and kept an extra d-back deep in case I beat the first guy. Our opponents were smart and well coached but physically overmatched. Our skill guys were faster than theirs. Our offensive line was bigger and able to dominate the line of scrimmage.

Hassan beat single coverage on the fifth play of the drive and sprinted into the end zone untouched to put us ahead. Andrew Perkins booted the PAT through to give us a lead of 7-0.

The Boilermakers ran a spread offense just like we did, except with slower players. Jake Washington, Trevor Conwell and our other defensive lineman were too big to move off the line of scrimmage. Purdue was stopped after three plays and punted the ball back to us.

Things didn't improve for Purdue. I caught a couple passes on the next drive, taking what Purdue gave me – about 12-15 yards each time. I managed to bull ahead a few yards after each catch before the Boilermaker players swarmed me and stopped me. Shawn was able to run wide for good gains every time he ran the ball. Zack took us on a nine play drive for another touchdown.

Purdue found out what I already knew about Tyler Madden. He demonstrated his ability by making a hellacious hit when he came flying up to pound the ball carrier. With Tyler, Cuch, Karol, Josh and Brendan backing up our strong defensive line, the Boilermakers were stymied.

Our advantage had increased to 21-0 before Purdue finally scored on a long field goal in the second quarter. Coach Burton decided it was time for to try my reverse option play. It was a gutsy call. We had the ball on our own 32 yard line at the time. I keyed on the cornerback covering Hassan Jackson as we ran the play. He stayed with Hassan covering him as they ran downfield. I kept the ball and ran downfield. Hassan made a great block, pushing his man towards the center of the field as I ran by along the sideline. The free safety tried to catch me but took a bad angle. I cut back as he missed me and sprinted for the end zone. The crowd was nearly silent as our Blue Band struck up our fight song to celebrate my touchdown. Score: 28-3 Lion's favor.

The rain that had been threatening finally cut loose after Andrew Perkins kicked the ball down to Purdue. The wind swirled through the stadium as the storm intensified. Our defense stuffed the tailback on three consecutive plays.

I was nervous as I waited for the punt to come to me. The wind caught the ball and pushed it out of bounds so I didn't need to handle the ball. Coach Burton was satisfied to pound the ball down the field to finish out the first half of the game.

Our second string took over in the second half. Damian and Wyatt Smith pounded the ball at Purdue in the second half, denying them possession of the ball. The Boilermakers finally managed to score a couple touchdowns late in the game when our third string went in. The final score was 31-17 our favor.

No one on our team lingered on the field after the game was over. Reporters caught up with us in the locker room. I did half a dozen interviews as I dressed. The coaches had us on the buses around 5:00 pm. The travel coordinator made sure everyone had a box dinner for the drive to the airport.

I worked on homework on the flight home. We arrived back on campus in State College a little before midnight. Kelly and Leigh Ann invited some of the other football "widows" to the movies that evening, since they were missing their boyfriends. Stephanie, Bev and Keneisha joined Kelly and Leigh Ann in greeting us when we got off the bus. Kelly was in an amorous mood, but I had to give her a rain check. I was too tired from the day's activities to oblige my girlfriend.

--oooOooo--

Damian and I slept in on Sunday morning. I met Jay after I showered and dressed. The storm that dumped on us in Indiana had followed us home. The day was gray, cold and dismal. Jay was going to get his Mustang and then pick Kelly and me at the parking lot beside Beaver Hall. I headed across the commons through the rain to Beaver Hall. Jay picked us up outside a few minutes later. We headed for Stephanie's apartment and then on to the Waffle Shop.

I decided to have the strawberry waffles that Steph had last weekend. Kelly ordered the cinnamon-apple waffles. Steph had the strawberry waffles too. Jay went with a western omelet. The four of us savored our breakfast, talked and enjoyed each other's company for nearly forty-five minutes. Kelly and Steph quickly had become close friends. Officially Jay and Stephanie weren't a couple yet. It was as distinction without meaning. They spent every free moment together they could manage. Jay dropped Kelly and me off at Pollock Commons after breakfast. Jay and Stephanie headed back to her apartment. Kelly and I grabbed a newspaper at the Mix and headed back to my room to enjoy the paper and each other's company. We spent an hour together.

When I read the sports section, I let Kelly know that Florida beat Vanderbilt handily. Gators fans cheered the return of their hero, Elijah Carter. Ed spent the first three quarters on the bench. He relieved Elijah in the fourth quarter, adding an extra touchdown to a game that had been long decided. The paper said Gators fans thought things would improve now that their hero was back on the field. Unfortunately their two losses had dropped them out of the top ten and cost them a shot at the BCS championship.

Kelly went back to her room around 2:30 pm. She needed to study for her Comm 260 midterm on Monday. I had a Poly Sci midterm on Wednesday, so I spent the afternoon studying. I checked my e-mail before I headed out for dinner.

An e-mail Andy sent me on Friday night reported that my high school was righting itself. The Wolverines celebrated their homecoming by blasting underdog Eastern 52-10. Matt "The Mad Bomber" Sauder threw six touchdowns, matching Ed's school record again. Andy caught three of them, Dave Mitchell caught two more and Cody Stevens caught the last one.

Andy teased that he and the other captains were going to need to discuss ego control measures to deal with Matt. He had played spectacularly but it was against Eastern and Drumore, two of the weaker teams in our league. I e-mailed back to Andy and told him to remind Matt that LS, the Braves and any team he faced in the playoffs would be much tougher than his first two opponents.

I headed over to the Lasch Building for my daily workout after dinner. I popped in the player's lounge to see who was hanging out before I went over to the weight room. The guys had the Patriots-Giants game on the TV. Just as I walked in the room, I heard Joe Buck, the game announcer, " ... Groff, rookie linebacker, made the tackle for a three yard loss."

"Huh?" I asked Cuch Cuchiella, who was sitting in a chair by the TV, staring at the screen. "Who'd they say made that tackle?"

"Andrew ... uh, Groff?" Cuch replied.

"I don't believe it!" I exclaimed.

Troy Aikman, the play-by-play man added to Joe Buck's call, "Groff is a promising young man promoted from the practice squad this week. He played college ball at the University of Delaware."

"You know him?" Cuch asked.

"Yeah, we played together in high school," I explained. "His dad told me he was only going to training camp with the Giants on a lark. He's supposed to be in pharmacy school now."

"I guess your friend did better in training camp than he expected," Cuch replied.

"Yeah, I guess," I agreed. I shook my head as I headed for the training room. Andy Groff is playing in the NFL?!?! Who would have thought that five years ago when we were playing together?

I ran into Zack at the training room. He was surprised that I hadn't heard about Andy making the Giants' practice squad at the beginning of the season. Zack stayed in touch with Andy this summer. That wasn't surprising – they were classmates as well as teammates. Andy decided to postpone pharmacy school and enjoy the ride in football as long as it lasted. He didn't expect his NFL career would last long.

Kelly and I met up later in the evening before bedtime and watched about a quarter of Sunday Night Football. We had to take whatever time was available during the week to have time together.

--oooOooo--

The polls came out Sunday evening. They moved our team up to #4 after our victory over Purdue. LSU stayed at #1, followed by USC, and Texas. Notre Dame was #5 and Ohio State was #6. Our game against Ohio State in three weeks was shaping up to be important, both nationally and for the leadership of the Big Ten.

Our opponent next week was Northwestern, they were 5-1, having lost to Michigan State a couple weeks earlier. They weren't ranked in the Top 25. They hadn't played Michigan, Ohio State, Wisconsin or us yet. They were going to be underdogs against each of those teams as they played them in the rest of the season.

Coach Burton preached that we couldn't take Northwestern for granted. Not everyone on the team got the message. The coaches and the captains both chewed us out during Tuesday's and Wednesday's practices for goofing around too much. Thursday's practice went better. We all had the message that Homecoming Weekend would be a horrible time to lose.

Kelly and I both were pleased when we received our midterms back from last week. I had a 93 on my Math 111 test and an 87 on my Econ test. Kelly had an 83 on her philosophy midterm. That encouraged us to make sure we did well on this week's midterms. I knew I had aced my Poly Sci test when I finished it. Kelly was confident about her news writing midterm too.

Kelly and I ran into Cameron Miller and Joel Peterson at breakfast on Thursday. They told us about the big bash Omega Chi was throwing on Saturday night. They insisted that we had to go to the party. We were "family" as far as the brothers at Omega Chi were concerned. We promised to put in an appearance.

Our meeting gave me a chance to fill in Cam and Joel on what the football team was doing for the Thon in February. I had recruited two players from each class. Anders and Cuch represented the seniors, Tyler Madden and Andrew Perkins represented the juniors, Trevor and I represented the sophomores while Chip and Jared Cantrell represented the freshmen. Kelly and Leigh Ann were organizing the support team for the dancers and contacting their friends and family for donations.

Anders, Cuch and I planned to hit up team alumni for donations for the Thon. Homecoming weekend was to be our kickoff for the fundraising. Joel and Cam were pleased with my report on our plans.

Usually Kelly and I had managed to find some privacy on Thursday evenings. Unfortunately Jen and Damian both stayed in their respective rooms that evening. Kelly and I had to settle for walking downtown around ten o'clock and grabbing grilled stickies together at the Penn State Diner.

Kelly and I had breakfast together Friday morning before our first classes. I headed for the Forum for Poly Sci. Kelly didn't have philosophy until 11:15. Kelly and I met for lunch and then walked together to History 20.

Dr. Brennan asked us to turn in our ideas for our next term papers. I planned to do my paper on feeding, clothing and training the Continental Army at Valley Forge in the winter of 1777-78. Kelly proposed to do a paper on the miracles of Trenton and Princeton in 1776. The day's lecture was about the American efforts led by Ben Franklin to draw France into the American Revolution. The lecture was fascinating as always. Ben was a cagey old fox. We were fortunate to have him on our side during the Revolution.

I walked with Kelly back to our dorms after class. We exchanged kisses and hugs before we parted. I needed to study some video with Zack and Chip at the Lasch Building before practice. We wouldn't be together again until we went out to dinner with Mom and my sister Liz after the game tomorrow.

Zack and the other captains kept our team focused through Friday's practice. The coaches drilled us hard to make sure we were ready to put on a good show for the homecoming crowd.

The team had an early dinner at the Training Table and then headed over to the IM Building for the homecoming parade. About forty or fifty teams, clubs and other student organizations were marching in the parade, interspersed with floats. Almost all the floats were prepared by fraternities and sororities on campus.

The State College Area High School Band led off the parade. Half a dozen floats, bands and marching groups went ahead of the football team. We followed the Sigma-Sigma-Sigma/Tau Epsilon 'The Lion King' float. It was hilarious. They had Disney's Pumbaa and Timon chasing the Nittany Lion around the float.

The parade followed Curtin Road to Bigler, southeast on Bigler then right on Pollock, left onto Shortlidge and south on College Avenue. The parade headed five blocks down College Avenue to Burrowes Road where we turned right and headed back to Pollock Road and the end of the parade. The team drew a lot of cheers as we hiked the route through the crowds of students, alumni and locals.

The crowds headed over to the Old Main lawn when the parade was over. The football team took seats on the terrace in front of Old Main. A couple speakers warmed up the crowd before Coach Paterno spoke. He introduced Coach Burton who verbally stoked the fires higher. The cheerleaders, the Blue Band and the Alumni Blue Band all performed for the crowd. The team walked back to the Lasch Building and caught buses over to Toftrees for the night.

The parade and pep rally delayed our evening. Coach Burton had an hour long team meeting that didn't end until after ten o'clock. I hung out with Damian and our other friends until our eleven o'clock curfew.

I noticed a missed call when I went back to my room. Mom had called to let me know that she and Liz had arrived at their room at the Hampton Inn north of State College. She wished me good night and asked me to be careful at the game. Moms! How do you "be careful" while you're playing football?

--oooOooo--

Our game with Northwestern was being televised, but only on ESPN2 at noon. This matchup wasn't considered a big draw by the TV networks. Breakfast was at 8:00 am, followed by checkout and the return trip to the Lasch Building.

We went through our final preparations and then grabbed a light lunch at the Training Table before we dressed. The blue buses picked us up and hauled us over to the stadium. We finished dressing and then headed out to the field to warm up.

I caught some passes with Zack to help him get ready. I fielded a few balls from our punter, Steve Cobb. Christian shagged a few more balls after I was ready. I stopped by the two Kyle's Krazies signs to talk with Kelly, Bev, Jen and Cindy and then the guys from East Halls.

Our undefeated 1994 team was having a reunion that weekend. Anders pulled me aside as practice was finishing up. He wanted to introduce me to some of the team members. I immediately recognized one member of the four "old-timers" watching our warm-ups – Kerry Collins. I had seen him playing on TV for most of my life. Anders introduced me to Kerry, Ki-Jana Carter, Kyle Brady and Bobby Engram. The four greeted us warmly.

"So you're the next guy to pass me on the career reception list," Bobby teased.

"Oh, I doubt that, sir," I said politely. That drew a chuckle from all four of the former teammates.

"Call me Bobby, please," Bobby Engram said. " ... and yes, you'll be chasing my record for reception yardage someday. This season is only half over and you're close to beating my sophomore record."

"I don't know about that, Mr ... uh, Bobby," I answered. "I'd love to talk to you sometime."

"I'll be around after the game," Bobby answered. "I'll see in the locker room."

"That would be great," I agreed. I noticed the field was emptying. "I'd really like that."

I headed back inside to do my final preparations for the game. I was jazzed at the idea that I could spend a little time talking with Bobby Engram, one of the best receivers in Penn State's history.

The sell-out crowd in the stadium was cheering wildly when our team took the field. Our captains took the center of the field. Northwestern won the coin toss and chose to accept the kickoff to start the game.

Northwestern ran a very balanced offense. They also were notoriously slow starters. This day wasn't an exception. They made one first down before their drive stalled. I managed to return the punt fourteen yards to set up our offense.

Zack and our offense didn't need many plays to score. I went in motion and ended up in the slot. Zack hit me on a slant when I cleared the short zone in the defense. Northwestern lost track of me and I was able to sprint into the end zone untouched.

Northwestern took the ball back and went nowhere. They punted back to us after three plays. Coach Burton wanted Christian and Tanner Riggs to get more experience, so they were our primary kick and punt returners for the day. Christian had a nice twelve yard return on the punt.

Northwestern adjusted their defense after getting burned on the previous two drives. Our coaches adjusted quickly too. Shawn O'Conner carried the load on the third drive, carrying seven of the first ten plays. We were down to the Wildcats' 27 yard line on the eleventh play. The Wildcats pulled people in closer to the line and threatened to blitz.

Zack recognized the switch as we lined upon the line. I expected him to give me one of our sight adjustments and have me sprint deep. Instead Zack called an audible, switching the play to a tailback screen. I sprinted downfield at the snap looking like a deep receiver. A quick look back told me Shawn had swung out into the flat while the two linemen provided lead blocking. I ran a few more steps and then blocked the defensive back towards the center of the field.

Moments later Shawn came flying by us, between me and the sideline. I managed to tie up my guy long enough to keep him from tackling Shawn as he ran by. I trailed Shawn as he ran, ready to block anyone else out of the way as he sprinted for the end zone.

I ran into the end zone three steps behind my friend. Shawn tossed the ball to the referee after the ref signaled touchdown. Shawn and I exchanged high fives and then I gave my buddy a big bear hug. Anders and Hassan joined us celebrating the score as we basked in the cheers of the huge crowd.

I looked around for Zack as we turned to head back to the sideline. It was strange that Zack hadn't joined us. He almost always jogged down to the end zone and joined our celebration.

We found out why when we turned. Two of our linemen were eye to eye with a Wildcat defensive end, shoving him away. Two referees hurried to the scene of the confrontation, trying separate everyone. When the crowd dispersed I found out why our guys were so mad at the DE. Zack was on his knees in the backfield, leaning down, his head on the ground. A yellow flag lay on the ground near my friend.

Shawn, Anders, Hassan and I jogged over as the trainers headed out to tend our quarterback. I collared J. T., our center. "What in the hell happened?"

"The God damned son of a bitch!" J. T. replied. "He nailed Zack after the ball was gone. I'm gonna get the SOB!" J. T. bristled and took a step towards the Wildcat defensive end.

"Chill man," Mahmoud Greene said, attempting to placate J. T. He pushed J. T. away from the confrontation. "Chill! We'll take care of him on the field later."

I was surprised by Mahmoud. He's the only sophomore starter on the offensive line. Usually he is very quiet and reserved. Mahmoud backed J. T. away from our opponents.

The trainers helped Zack to his feet. They escorted him as he walked unsteadily to our sideline and then back to the benches. He had a dazed, out-of-it look on his face.

The referee announced a fifteen yard unnecessary roughness penalty for a late hit on the quarterback, the penalty to be assessed on the kickoff. Andrew Perkins booted the PAT through the uprights to give us a 21-0 lead.

Coach Adams had me catch some passes for Jay while he warmed up on the sidelines. The Wildcats finally managed to get their act together a little. They exploited our over emotional state to patch together a drive that netted them a field goal.

Tanner Riggs did a good job on the kickoff, turning the ball over to the offense at our 36 yard line. In spite of being younger than all but one of the guys in the huddle, Jay took control, just like a captain takes command of his soldiers. Jay and the coaches channeled the offensive lines' anger, making sure most of our running plays went off tackle right over the defensive end that took Zack out of the game.

Jay performed superbly that afternoon. He led us to four more touchdowns in the next two quarters. I was his favorite receiving target, ending the day with nine catches for 167 yards and two more touchdowns. Jay's only drawback on the field was a reluctance to call an audible when the defense was different than expected. All in all, my buddy played superbly.

The coaches pulled the first string after the first drive in the third quarter. Jay continued to play with his second string until the beginning of the fourth quarter when Glenn and the young guys took the field.

Northwestern managed only a touchdown and another field goal as our team rolled to victory. The final score was Penn State 52, Northwestern 13.

The doctor reported Zack had a minor concussion. They took him over to the Mount Nittany Medical Center for tests, but he was expected to be fine after a night's rest.

After I dealt with the media, showered and dressed, Bobby Engram caught up with me. He teased me about doubting my own abilities. I was one catch short of his sophomore season record with five more games to play. I appreciated him taking time to talk with me. He introduced me to more members of the 1994 team. It gave Anders and me an opportunity to make a pitch for the Thon. We collected contact information so we could make a formal pitch for donations later in the fall.

I met Mom, Liz and Kelly outside the Lasch Building. I was surprised to see Leigh Ann with the group.

"I hope you don't mind, Kyle," Kelly explained. "I invited Leigh Ann to join us for dinner. She's at loss about what to do with Zack in the hospital."

"Sure it's fine," I answered. "Is there any more word on Zack? How's he doing?"

"I talked with him a few minutes ago," Leigh Ann replied. "They've finished up with the tests. He has a grade 2 concussion. The doctors want him to stay overnight so they can watch him."

"Thank God!" I replied. "I'm glad he'll be OK. We're going to need him to win out this season."

"Jay seemed to do a good job today," Kelly commented.

"Jay played well," I agreed. " ... but Zack is the best here, maybe the best in the whole country. We expect tough games against Ohio State, Illinois, Wisconsin and Michigan State. We have to win them all to have a shot at the national championship this season." I hesitated for a second and swallowed hard. "I want him around to help our team, but most of all I want him around because he's a true friend. I wouldn't be here without his help."

"My boyfriend is special," Leigh Ann responded. Mom and Kelly agreed with her observation.

"Maybe we should go visit him after dinner," Kelly suggested.

"No, we can't do that," Leigh Ann said. "The doctor said he shouldn't have visitors tonight. He has a terrific headache and is still dizzy. They want him to have a quiet night to rest."

We agreed with Leigh Ann, rest was what Zack needed for the evening. The five of us headed across campus for downtown. Kelly and I suggested that Mom and Liz needed to be introduced to one of State College's traditions – the Penn State Diner.

The wait for seats at the diner wasn't too bad since this was an early game. Fewer fans were in a rush for dinner after the game. Mom generously offered to pay for dinner for everyone, including Leigh Ann. We placed our order and talked while we waited for our food.

Liz talked about her boyfriend Alex Mueller. Alex had finally worked up the courage to ask Liz to go steady after school started. They had to work at finding time together this fall. Liz made the varsity field hockey team. Alex was the goalie on the varsity soccer team. Alex had taken her to our high school's football game the previous night.

Liz related the course of the game for us. Matt, the Mad Bomber, had been busy again, passing deep every opportunity that was presented. The Wolverines had blown out Sadsbury 48-10. Andy had another big night, pulling in eight passes for 110 yards and three touchdowns.

Her ex-boyfriend, Cody Stevens, had a good night too. He gained over a hundred yards rushing and scored two more touchdowns. Our neighbor and Liz's close friend, Dave Mitchell, had scored the other Wolverine touchdown.

Even though the Wolverines were only 2-2, the student body fully expected the team to make the playoffs and to make another run at the state championship. Liz related how Matt's ability to deliver the deep pass had righted things in the land of red and white football.

So far Matt managed to keep his dramatic success in proper perspective, undoubtedly with help from Andy and the other team captains. If any students tried to suck up to him or fawn over him, Matt would just say, "It's nothing special. I'm just out having fun and playing some ball."