UNIVERSITY PARK, PA, Sept. 30 — The Nittany Lions could have sulked following their loss to Ohio State, but they didn’t, and the result was an important victory over Big Ten rival Northwestern. The final score of 33–7 doesn’t reflect the complete dominance of the Lions over all aspects of the game. What’s more important is that some significant problem areas for Penn State showed some signs of resolution during the game.
The standout individual achievement award goes to Deon Butler, who broke O.J. McDuffie’s long-standing record for completion yardage in a single game. McDuffie had 212 yards in 1992 against Boston College; Butler eclipsed that with 11 receptions for 217 yards. The articulate sophomore received a call from McDuffie after the game and later humbly reflected that his great day was partly a result of the maturation of Anthony Morelli.