On November 28, 1907, one of the most iconic rivalries in college football history began when the University of Pittsburgh Panthers faced off against the Penn State Nittany Lions for the first time. The game, which took place at Recreation Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ended in a 6-0 victory for the Panthers.
The rivalry, later dubbed the "Keystone Classic," would go on to become one of the longest-running and most storied in college football. Over the next century, the two teams would face each other nearly 100 times, with Penn State currently holding a slight lead in the all-time series.
The 1907 game was a defensive battle, with neither team able to muster much offense. The lone score of the game came in the second quarter when Pitt's William "Tex" Richards blocked a Penn State punt and returned it for a touchdown. The extra point attempt failed, leaving the score at 6-0, which would prove to be the final margin.
At the time, college football was still a relatively new sport, with many of the rules and conventions that we know today still being developed. The forward pass, for example, had only been legalized a year earlier in 1906. As a result, the game was much more focused on running the ball and playing stout defense, as evidenced by the low-scoring nature of the contest.
The 1907 game also marked the beginning of a period of dominance for the Panthers, who would go on to win the next three meetings between the two schools. Pitt would also claim national championships in 1910 and 1917, cementing their status as one of the premier programs in the early days of college football.
The rivalry between Pitt and Penn State would continue to grow over the years, with the two teams regularly meeting on the gridiron. The series reached its peak in the 1970s and 1980s, when both programs were consistently ranked among the best in the country. During this time, the game was often played on the Saturday after Thanksgiving and was televised nationally, making it a must-watch event for college football fans across the country.
One of the most memorable games in the series took place on November 28, 1981, exactly 74 years after the first meeting between the two schools. In a game that would decide the national championship, top-ranked Pitt faced off against second-ranked Penn State in a clash of titans. The game lived up to the hype, with the Panthers emerging victorious by a score of 48-14 in front of a record crowd at Pitt Stadium.
The win capped off a perfect season for the Panthers, who finished the year with a record of 11-0 and were crowned national champions. The game also marked the end of an era for the rivalry, as it would be the last time that the two teams would face each other as independent programs. The following year, Penn State would join the Big Ten Conference, while Pitt would eventually become a member of the Big East.
Despite the changes in conference affiliation, the rivalry between Pitt and Penn State has endured. The two teams have continued to face each other on a regular basis, with the most recent meeting taking place in 2019. The game, which was played at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania, ended in a 17-10 victory for the Nittany Lions.
As the rivalry enters its second century, it remains one of the most iconic and enduring in college football. The legacy of that first game on November 28, 1907, continues to be felt to this day, as fans of both schools look forward to the annual clash between these two storied programs. With over a century of history behind it, the Pitt-Penn State rivalry is sure to continue to be a fixture of the college football landscape for many years to come.
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
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