European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - January 15, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Sports Penn state lacks Flash but wins keep piling up by Bod hover staff writer cd for s Neilt Bob Hoyer is to in a Luale Olvinn state. Afler .1 Century of steady but Al times unspectacular successes i can slate  Terai Kiuly rallied to College football s Pinnacle in the Tare and hype of the f k Mii bowl ill Tempo Ariz Liy Smyl Fiering rhe High scoring Offe Nii of  s glamorous hurricanes in the showdown below eco he nation s top rated College learns on . 2, the nit Lany Lions played a familiar spoiler s role. With Hie Victory they Bartugh to ,1 lifting close their firs 100 years on the Gridiron. Do fens has always been he  of Penn slate football and in wins never More evident Ihnn in the finals i As the Light i flickered Oul on he no. 1 hurricanes. The t i-10 upset of the nation s no. 1 team Vas in shocker to those familiar with the  character of Penn slate foul Ball. For a Century Penn stale learns Cut from the same Tough fiber have been upsetting the Dorls. Year in Ami year Oul the methodical often monotonous Success of  Blue and while has been Bede Iling opponents. They re no flashy. They look l e season extended the Lions string of non losing seasons to 48 consecutive years an Mcaa record hat stretches the imagination. Millions of fans can remember a Penn slate learn that lost More games than it won the Lions posted a 3-4-1 log in 93fl for their last losing season. Since then they ran off 26 consecutive winning seasons settled for identical 5-5 records in 1065 and i %6 and have tacked on 20 More winning campaigns. The combined 48-year Mark of 370 wins 113 defeats and 12 lies is a .759 winning percentage. Frank Leahy s awesome Noire Dame teams Earl red Batik s undefeated West Point cadets of world War ii and Buri Wilkinson s Oklahoma sooner who blasted to a record 47 consecutive victories All have come and gone during Penn stale s Streak. Com Hing More  any other element is Given credit for the Lions enduring Success. In the 2uih Century no coach has left Perm slate with a. Penn slate hires or the Long term. Except for 1949, when Joe Bedenk signed a ont year contract Penn slate has been directed by just four head coaches in Fitt years. Hugo be Ltd 19ih-29 Bob Higgins 1930-40 Ripen be 1950 65 and Joe Palerno 10fifi to present compiled respective winning records of 6h, fat &7 and 01 percent. Bedink fullback on Bezdek s l 23 Rose bowl  and a Hig Flins ii Sislan led the Lions to 1 5-4 record in 1949. Reluctant to Lake the Job he agreed to coach for one i or while a search was conducted for a new coach. The search ended with the hiring of Engle from Brown where he had produced an Ivy league Champion. Although different in background personality and coaching philosophy .1 thread of consistency runs through the tenures of the four coaches. Bezock born in Prague Czechoslovakia Bezdek was varsity fullback for four years Al the University of Chicago former big ten powerhouse under Amos Alonzo Stagg. Chicago was 38-4-2 during Bezdek s playing Days. Combative and cocksure Bezdek had an innovative football mind. He pioneered use of the screen pass Quick kick and inside kick. His teams were undefeated in 1920 and 1921, his 1922 Loam lost 14-3 to Southern California in the 1923 Rose bowl Higgins. An All american end under Bezdek Higgins teams featured hard nose defense and a battering single Wing offence similar to Hose taught by Jock such Erined at Pitt and Bernie Bierman Al Minnesota his 1947 team was undefeated rated fourth nationally in the a poll and lied sum 13-13in the 1948 Cotton bowl. Engle. They called Engle the Gray Eagle for his t Hatch of Gray hair and aggressive style of play. Engle opened up the offence wit i increased passing while continuing to emphasize defense. He led the Lions to consecutive wins Over Alabama and Oregon in the first instalments of the Liberty bowl. He split two Gator bowl appearances defeating Georgia tech and losing to Florida. Paturno. He Earle backed Engle s last team at Brown and joined Engle s staff in route to Law school. Paterno s taste for coach ing cancelled plans for a Legal career. Since he became head coach his cams have gone through six regular seasons undefeated. Wild the fiesta bowl Victory Palerno has Appl Mio coach of put Emo gets a Victory ride after Penn stale s Victory in the Letla bowl. Compiled a 12-5-1 bowl record. His combined regular and postseason record of 199-44-2 ranks ninth All Lime in wins and is among the lop 10 in winning percentage. Bezock Higgins and Engle have been elected to the College half of Fame. Paterno is sure to follow Dick Harlow predecessor of Bezdek was elected to the Hall of Fame for a lifetime coaching record of 150-68-17 at Penn state Western Maryland co Gale and Harvard. Harlow s in tinny Lions were 20-b in three seasons 1915-1917. A professor of ornithology Harlow built a reputation for gelling the most out of cams of limited Talent. Among the first to use a stunning defense he was National coachoftheyearinl93g. Harlow earned two varsity Sellers while playing on slate s first great learns. Old timers still talk about the 1912 team that galloped Over Ohio slate 37 0, Pitt 3b-0 and Villanova 71-0, Cornell a 29-6 victim was the Only learn to score on the 1912 Cam. The Ohio slate game ended abruptly in the third Quarter when the Buckeye coach led his earn Osythe Field because of continued rough play of the Lions from 1912 through 1986 a in stale teams have gone undefeated and untied in regular season play eight times. The 1911,1920 and 1921 teams were undefeated bul tied. From the 1923 Rose bowl through the i9i7 fiesta bowl Penn stale learns Are 15-7-2, third Best Afler Southern Ca i 21 Al and Oklahoma s 18. B-1. Penn state has been a steady source of pro Talent. Linemen linebackers and running backs in particular continually Imprest pro scouts because of the Way they have been coached. Beginning with Lennic Moore a Stancl Oul with the Baltimore Colts in the 1950s, Penn stale runners have shaken up nil defences Lydell Mitchell and Franco Harris played Side by Side in the same lion Backfield from 196b-1970, then graduated respectively to the Colls and the Pittsburgh s feelers John Cappellotti Iho 1973 Heismann Winner Shook off a series of injuries to earn his spurs Wilh the los Angeles rams. The Chicago bears mall Suhey and the Seattle sea Hawks Curt Warner top acc rusher in 1986, Lead the current crop of former Lions. However Penn slate administrators and coaches Blanch Al any suggestion they Are operating a football factory. For years they Point out the vast majority of slate Gri elders Cam degrees Many Ridders Are top students some accept the Challenge of pro Ball before launching into chosen careers. Mike Reid music major and outland trophy Winner at tackle with the undefeated 1968-69 learns played Long enough with the Cincinnati bengals to become an All pro lineman then headed for a music career As piano so. John Shaffer quarterback on the 1986 learn became the latest in a Long line of academic All americans future lion foes Alabama notre Dame Texas beginning in 19b9and such traditional opponents As Pitt West Virginia Maryland and Syracuse will continue to take aim Al stale s non losing record. No doubt in some future year a combination of i cams will gel the Besl of hat program and end the Lions . Must gamblers Aren t Belling on that happening soon. 16 Tripet nag Zine i Nuiry is j3b7