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1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Co-national champion (FACT, Sagarin)
Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy
Orange Bowl champion
Orange Bowl, W 10–3 vs. Missouri
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 2
APNo. 2
1969 record11–0
Head coachJoe Paterno (4th season)
CaptainTom Jackson
CaptainMike Reid
CaptainSteve Smear
Home stadiumBeaver Stadium
(Capacity: 48,284)
Seasons
← 1968
1970 →
1969 NCAA University Division independents football records
v · d · e Conf     Overall
Team W   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

The 1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 1969 NCAA University Division football season. 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,Template:CN instead playing sixth-ranked Missouri in the 1970 Orange Bowl. Penn State beat Missouri 10–3, while Texas beat Notre Dame 21–17 and was Consensus National Champion.[3]:120 Penn State was selected co-national champion by FACT and Sagarin, both NCAA-designated major selectors.[3]:111

Schedule[]

DateOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 20at NavyNo. 3W 45–2228,796
September 27ColoradoNo. 2W 27–351,402
October 4at Kansas StateNo. 2W 17–1437,000
October 11No. 17 West VirginiadaggerNo. 5
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
W 20–052,713
October 18at SyracuseNo. 5W 15–1442,291
October 25OhioNo. 8
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
W 42–349,069
November 1Boston CollegeNo. 5
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
CBSW 38–1646,652
November 15MarylandNo. 5
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
W 48–046,106
November 22at PittsburghNo. 4W 27–739,517
November 29at North Carolina StateNo. 3ABCW 33–824,150
January 1, 1970vs. No. 6 MissouriNo. 2NBCW 10–377,282
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game

Game summaries[]

Pittsburgh[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 7 0 7 13 27
Pittsburgh 0 7 0 0 7

[4]


NC State[]

by Quarter 1 2 3 4 Total
• Penn St 3 14 6 10 33
NC State 0 0 0 8 8

[5]

Roster[]

1969 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
QB 25 Cooper, MikeMike Cooper Jr
WR 88 Edmonds, GregGreg Edmonds Jr
RB 34 Harris, FrancoFranco Harris So
C 56 Koegel, WarrenWarren Koegel Jr
RB 23 Mitchell, LydellLydell Mitchell So
RB 24 Pittman, CharlieCharlie Pittman Sr
T 78 Surma, VicVic Surma Jr
G 60 Zapiec, CharlieCharlie Zapiec Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
DE 89 Ebersole, JohnJohn Ebersole Sr
LB 33 Ham, JackJack Ham Jr
LB 35 Onkotz, DennisDennis Onkotz Sr
DT 68 Reid, MikeMike Reid Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
P/QB 13 Parsons, BobBob Parsons So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster

Post season[]

NFL Draft[]

Eight Nittany Lions were drafted in the 1970 NFL Draft.

Round Pick Overall Name Position Team
1st 7 7 Mike Reid Defensive tackle Cincinnati Bengals
3rd 6 58 Charlie Pittman Running back St. Louis Cardinals
3rd 20 72 Dennis Onkotz Linebacker New York Jets
4th 17 95 Steve Smear Baltimore Colts
4th 20 98 John Ebersole Linebacker New York Jets
7th 23 179 Don Abbey Dallas Cowboys
8th 17 199 Paul Johnson Washington Redskins
12th 17 303 James Kates Washington Redskins

Awards[]


References[]

  1. Anderson, Shelly (November 17, 2006). "Research shows Nixon hurt '69 Lions". http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06321/739083-198.stm. Retrieved January 31, 2007.
  2. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2002&dat=19940424&id=ar0iAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fLUFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1354,5314383
  3. 3.0 3.1 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records. National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. http://fs.ncaa.org/Docs/stats/football_records/2018/FBS.pdf. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  4. "Onkotz' Run Leads Penn State Past Pitt, 27-7." Palm Beach Post. November 23, 1969
  5. "Penn State Rumbles, 33-8." Palm Beach Post. 1969 Nov 30. Retrieved 2015-Apr-30.
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