September 15, 2002 HAPPY VALLEY HEADACHE Penn St. cruises past Nebraska 40-7, Huskers drop to 3-1 By Jim D. Berryman MissingNebraska.com Editor Well at least Colorado got whacked too. In an evening short on bright spots if you’re a Husker fan, Colorado losing by a bigger margin to USC is about the only solace Husker fans could come up with Saturday night. Most would sooner forget what happened to the Huskers in Happy Valley. The #25 Penn St. Nittany Lions cruised past #7 Nebraska 40-7 Saturday night in University Park, PA. Penn St. football is back. The Huskers are back too…back to answering the question “Is this the beginning of the end?” The first half was closer than the final score indicates. Penn St. got on the board first in the second quarter with a 7 yard touchdown run by Larry Johnson. But Nebraska bounced back and drove 84 yards in 8 plays to tie the game at 7-7. Then the Huskers were thrown to the Lions. Penn State led 13-7 at halftime, but in the 3rd quarter, the Nittany Lion offense exploded for three touchdowns, and added another in the final quarter. Fans at the game were chanting “Overrated”. Nebraska quarterback Jammal Lord posted decent rushing numbers in the loss. He carried the ball 14 times for 111 yards. He completed 8 of 16 passes. However he threw 3 interceptions. Nebraska’s Dahrran Diedrick rushed 16 times for 71 yards. Thunder Collins did not play. The Husker defense struggled to stop Penn State’s short pass, as the Lions just kept moving up and down the field, sometimes at ease. Final yardage: Penn St. 476 Nebraska 328. Nebraska has a week off and then heads to Ames for a Big 12 showdown with Iowa State on September 28. So, are the chants of “overrated” from the Beaver Stadium fans justified? Depends on whom you ask. One thing’s for sure, the Huskers have work to do. Now we have our proof. Nebraska - Penn St. Stories, Pics, and Links: 09-15-02: Penn St. routs Nebraska More from Omaha World Herald 09-15-02: Blackshirts suffer... More from Omaha World Herald 09-15-02: Thrown to the Lions More from Lincoln Journal Star 09-15-02: PSU crushes hapless Huskers More from Lincoln Journal Star 09-15-02: Fluke? Or just the beginning? More from Lincoln Journal Star 09-15-02: Unhappy Valley More from Grand Island Independent 09-15-02: Roar Restored More from State College CentreDaily Huskers on ESPN.com Husker Hot Pics Photos from AP Husker Game Watch Locations Nationwide Post Feedback