Penn State coach Joe Paterno will lead his Nittany Lions against the Midshipmen and their option attack in 2012. (AP photo)
Bring on Joe Pa and the Nittany Lions.
Fresh off putting a scare in Ohio State last season, Navy will travel to Happy Valley to face Penn State on Sept. 15, 2012.
“Playing Penn State again will bring back many memories for our alumni and friends of Navy Football,” said Navy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuck. “The opportunity to visit one of the most impressive stadiums in all of college football and take on the challenge of this storied program will be very inspiring to our coaches and student-athletes.”
Navy and Penn State have played 37 times, mostly in the 1960s and 1970s. Penn State holds only a slight edge over the Midshipmen in the all-time series 18-17-2. The last time the two teams played was 1974, when Navy beat the Nittany Lions 7-6.
The real question will be if Penn State’s ageless coach Joe Paterno will still be stalking the sidelines of Happy Valley. At 83, the all-time Div. 1 wins leader among coaches keeps the Nittany Lions in the hunt for the Big Ten title each year. Last year, Penn State beat LSU in the Capital One Bowl.
Navy fans interested in traveling up to Happy Valley for the game would be wise to look into booking a hotel soon. Hotel reservations are treated like gold in the small Pennsylvania college town on a Saturday game day.
