Unbelievable In Happy Valley

at halftime

Larry Johnson: 20 rushes, 283 yards, 4 TDs (6 yard; 78; 11; 38)

HALFTIME: Penn State 48, Michigan State 0

HALFTIME!!!!!

 

Now that is the draft pick I want! I guess his stock just soared!

 

Not me, last time we got Penn State guys, they sucked here. Well Collins wasn't too bad, but Carter got hurt as soon as we drafted him and was no factor.

 

279 yards officially, didn't even play in the second half.

 

http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaaf/news/ap/20021123/ap-pennst-johnson.html

 

WOW! I hadn't seen anything on the game yet, missed it...and damn mad I did. That performance could very well vault Johnson into the lead for the Heisman.

 

That kid is something else. I heard him speak last week and he was really humble. That's something that I really respect. LJ kept giving credit to his teammates and to previous Penn State runners that have paved the way for him. Seems like a great kid. I would love to get him in the draft if our QB's not there. I bet he's avg'd around 7.5-8.0 yards per carry for the season- that's unbelievable.

 

It’s Larry Johnson Day

By Ray Parrillo
The Philadelphia Inquirer

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — There was the long, heartfelt bear hug he received from his teary-eyed younger brother before the game. There was the embrace he received from his proud, smiling father. And during play there were pats on the back and fist bumps from numerous teammates.
Otherwise, no one laid a hand on Larry Johnson on Saturday. Certainly, no one wearing a Michigan State uniform.
Playing his final game at Beaver Stadium, Penn State’s amazing tailback took center stage and gave the 108,755 spectators what they came to see, and he made sure they didn’t have to sit too long in the frigid weather to see it.
As the No. 15 Nittany Lions rolled to a 61-7 rout of dispirited Michigan State in the final regular-season game, Johnson became the ninth Division I-A running back in college football history to gain 2,000 yards in a season.
Coming into the game, the fifth-year senior needed 264 yards to do what no other Penn State running back had ever done. An impressive number, indeed. But by the time he jogged off the field for the halftime break, Johnson had a stunning 279 yards and four touchdown runs on only 19 carries, an average of 14.7 yards per carry.
The run that put him in the company of 2,000-yard runners such as Barry Sanders, Marcus Allen, Mike Rozier and Ricky Williams was a basic sweep on second and 8 from the Michigan State 38-yard line. The Spartans (4-8 overall, 2-6 Big Ten) had 10 defenders around the line of scrimmage. Johnson broke into the secondary, cut to his left, and his turbocharged legs took it from there for the 38-yard TD.
‘‘We knew he only needed about 15 yards or so, and when he broke loose the offensive linemen were so excited we wanted to race down there with him,’’ said tackle Matt Schmitt, one of 22 seniors in their final home game. ‘‘Then we realized we weren’t fast enough to catch him. Our goal before the season was to help him get 1,000 yards. Getting 2,000 seemed beyond comprehension.’’
After the game, a spokesman from the Capital One Bowl, formerly the Citrus Bowl, said it was likely Penn State (9-3, 5-3) would be invited to play in the New Year’s Day game at Orlando. The opponent will be from the Southeastern Conference.
As Johnson raced down the sideline and past the 2,000-yard barrier, cameras flashed throughout the stands, as though a rock star had just made an entrance. Fans chanted ‘‘Larry ... Larry’’ and ‘‘LJ for Heisman ... LJ for Heisman.’’
‘‘All week everybody was like, ‘You’re going to get it, you’re going to get it,’’’ Johnson said. ‘‘I just tried to prepare myself for the game. Today was a great day.’’
There were still 2 minutes, 38 seconds remaining in the half when Johnson soared past the 2,000-yard mark. But it would be his final carry. The score was 48-0. He had 2,015 yards, including 1,396 yards in the final six games, and he had become the first running back to average more than eight yards a carry (8.03) during a season, breaking the former mark of 7.8 held by Rozier, the Camden native who won the Heisman Trophy while at Nebraska in 1983. In Big Ten games, Johnson averaged 8.8 yards a carry, the best since the conference began keeping records in 1939.
He already had broken his own single-game school record a week earlier with 327 yards at Indiana. He’s on the verge of becoming Penn State’s first rushing champion. He had assured the Nittany Lions of a quick and decisive victory with earlier TD runs of 11, 78 and 11 yards. He became the first back in the 107-year history of the Big Ten to run for more than 2,000 yards in the regular season.
What else could Johnson do? Aside from waiting to hear whether he will be invited to Manhattan along with other finalists for the Heisman Trophy, which will be presented on Dec. 14.
As he has during his record-setting journey, Johnson refused to stump for Heisman votes. The reward he wants is a chance to play in the NFL next season.
‘‘I’ve gotten everything I could ask for this season,’’ he said.
When Johnson ran out of the tunnel for the last time — each senior was introduced individually — he received a standing ovation. He ran to the sideline and hugged his father, defensive line coach Larry Johnson Sr., and then his brother, junior receiver Tony Johnson. This was the last time the two of them would play together in State College, where they attended high school.
‘‘Everybody was joking around this week about who would cry when we were introduced,’’ Larry Johnson said. ‘‘My brother started crying, and then he got me crying.’’
‘‘This was the last time we ran out together and played on the same field,’’ Tony said. ‘‘It got kind of emotional for both of us.’’
Five of the previous eight running backs to gain 2,000 yards in a season won the Heisman Trophy.
‘‘I know Larry would love to get the chance to go to New York and be among all those great players,’’ Larry Johnson Sr. said. ‘‘I know it would be special to him to be a part of that. As his father, it’s been special to see the things he’s done this season.’’
‘‘There can’t be three or four players any more important to their football team than he is to ours,’’ coach Joe Paterno said. ‘‘I think he’s a great player, and I think he deserves every bit as much consideration to be voted the No. 1 player in the country as anyone else.’’
Larry Johnson’s big day overshadowed an excellent performance by yet another Johnson — wide receiver Bryant, who is no relation. The talented senior returned a punt 81 yards for a TD and caught a 41-yard scoring pass.
Notes. Bryant Johnson moved into second place all-time among Penn State receivers with 2,008 yards. ... Larry Johnson’s 20 rushing touchdowns this season rank third in school history. His four 200-yard games are also a school record, breaking the fomer mark of three set by Heisman Trophy winner John Cappelletti in 1973. His 140 points are second in school history behind Lydell Mitchell’s 174 points in 1971.

 

Seems like we had a Larry Johnson here in Charlotte before, that we gave an $84 million dollar contract, and he really earned it!!!

Lets keep the Larry Johnsons and Penn State guys out of here. Just another jinx on us.

 

He'd work well here in this type of offense. A true power runner with quick burst.

Everyone always moas about passing Eddie George. Same type player here.