Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/1410640
1 2 O C T O B E R 2 0 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M head coach James Franklin was just as impressed with the excitement in the week leading up to the Lions' 44-13 vic- tory over the defending Mid-American Conference champions. "It was awesome," he said. "In some ways it was emotional, to be honest with you. Thursday night, you start seeing the RVs coming into town, which is cool. Friday, you felt the electricity in town. Saturday, driving the blue buses from the hotel over to the stadium and the wel- come that we got — it was unbelievable." A month earlier, at Penn State's foot- ball media day, Franklin had talked about his desire to bring back a normal game day experience. But his hopeful outlook was tempered by concern about the re- surgence of COVID-19 over the summer. He urged fans to get vaccinated and wear a mask when necessary in the hope of creating the preconditions for a familiar- looking football season. "All of us making some choices and sacrificing together is going to give us the best opportunity to fill that stadium up, to have a home-field advantage, to be able to bring a significant impact to our community and our state," he said. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 56 percent of Pennsylvanians — 7.16 million people — had been fully vaccinated as of mid- September, with another 1.83 million people having received their first shot. The state's daily vaccination rate — first and second shots — was up nearly 10 percent from mid-August to mid-Sep- tember. Penn State athletics director Sandy Barbour said in August that the univer- sity was not going to require proof of vaccination to attend sporting events, nor was it going to mandate masks in outdoor areas unless the guidance from the CDC changed. "We really feel like the decision that we've taken is one that, to the highest degree, balances health and safety, and personal choice and liberties," Barbour said. When Penn State did finally take the field for its first home game after open- ing the season in a packed Camp Randall Stadium at Wisconsin a week earlier, the JOE KRENTZMAN & SON, INC. • Buyers and Brokers of Steel, Iron and Nonferrous Metals • Industrial Scrap Buyers • Container Service Available • Large Service Territory Since 1903 Lewistown, PA • Hollidaysburg, PA • DuBois, PA (800) 543-2000 • www.krentzman.net F irst i n S cra p The 105,323 fans who filled Beaver Stadium were the most for a Penn State home opener since the 2008 season. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL