Thirty years ago, one of the greatest offenses in college football completed a legendary comeback as Penn State defeated Illinois.
Three years ago, one of the most forgettable offenses in Nittany Lion history showed its futility again … and again … and again, as Penn State lost to Illinois in nine overtimes, the longest game in college football history.
A group that bore much more resemblance to the 1994 Penn State team that was honored Saturday than the 2021 version needed another fourth-quarter score to put away another scrappy Illinois team, though this one got in its own way more than the Fighting Illini did.
The No. 9 Nittany Lions leaned on their two thoroughbred running backs, a bounce-back defense, and two savvy coordinators who directed those respective units in an uncomfortably comfortable 21-7 win over 19th-ranked Illinois.
