Penn State football: Best wins over 2024 opponents – UCLA

We are under seven Saturdays until Penn State football opens its 2024 campaign against West Virginia on August 31. This seems like a great time to bring back the series that started during the last offseason, which looks back at the Nittany Lions‘ greatest victories over opponents on the upcoming schedule.

This season West Virginia, Illinois, Ohio State, and Maryland are once again on the schedule. You can find historical lookbacks for each of those opponents on my profile.

There’s also not much worth including Bowling Green or Kent State this season. The Nittany Lions lead the combined series 8-0, mostly in dominant fashion. However, a quick shout-out to the 1998 win over the Falcons. It was Joe Paterno’s 300th victory, and this humble writer was in attendance.

Penn State football enters 1968 in the midst of a winning streak

Mandatory Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State football and UCLA have met only six times, all between 1963 and 1968. The Bruins lead the series 4-2, so there’s not much of a choice for a best win. The 1968 matchup was the better of the two victories in terms of importance for the Nittany Lion program.

When Penn State traveled to Los Angeles in mid-October 1968, the Nittany Lions were on a streak. They had not lost a game since around the same time the previous season. In fact, their last loss was to UCLA, 17-15, in Beaver Stadium. Since the loss to the Bruins, the Nittany Lions had won 10 games, with their only non-loss being a tie against Florida State in the 1967 Gator Bowl.

Penn State entered the contest with the Bruins 3-0 and ranked No. 3 in the country. The Nittany Lions earned victories over Navy, Kansas State, and on the road at West Virginia.  Paterno, who was just in his third season as head coach, had not beaten UCLA in two previous tries.

The Bruins started the season ranked No. 16, but after home wins over Pitt and Washington State, had risen to No. 8 in the polls. However, things went south at Syracuse in a loss the week before the Penn State game.

The Bruins were 2-1, but despite Penn State’s high ranking and better record, the Nittany Lions entered the contest as underdogs. At the time, East Coast football was not well respected. More on that later.

Two ships passing in the night

The Nittany Lions stifled the Bruins at every opportunity during the contest. Defensive tackle Mike Reid would lead a fantastic effort by the defensive front. Future Pro and College Football Hall of Famer Jack Ham blocked a punt, which was returned for a touchdown.

Penn State football would go on to notch the upset of the Bruins, 21-6.

Highlights of the contest can be found around the nine-minute 40-second mark of the video.

After the game, the directions of the two teams were complete opposites. UCLA, hampered by injuries, limped to the finish line. The Bruins would only win one more time that season and finished at 3-7 overall.

Penn State football, on the other hand, went on to finish both that season and the following season undefeated and untied. Of course, as was mentioned, the Nittany Lions failed to win the National Championship either year.

In 1969, President Richard Nixon awarded the title to Texas after the Longhorns’ victory over Arkansas, a famous snub of Penn State football and Paterno.

When UCLA arrives in Happy Valley on October 5, it will be one week short of exactly 56 years since the two teams met. That fact alone should make this year’s game an interesting one to watch.

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