Sep 11, 2002 3 min read

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) – Joe Paterno never has liked playing night games. But with his Nittany Lions hosting No. 8 Nebraska on Saturday night, even Paterno knows to take any advantage he can find. After a string of unseasonably warm days – the mercury topped 90 in State College on Tuesday – Paterno says his team may fare better at night when it’s cooler.

“The last couple days, we’ve had trouble practicing because it’s so hot – we couldn’t push them as hard as we’d like this far into the season. I think with our depth right now, we’d be better off if we didn’t have to take people out of the game because of the heat,” Paterno said.

“I’m glad we’re playing at night so it’s not too hot, because I think Nebraska’s got more depth than we do.”

Happy Valley is gearing up for a rare night game in Beaver Stadium. And with a prime-time opponent like Nebraska, the players are hoping for a chance to regain the reputation they’ve lost after back-to-back losing seasons.

“It’s exciting to play at night, and it’s on national TV too,” Zack Mills said. “I grew up playing night games, so I’ve always enjoyed it. I think night games are fun. It’s a different atmosphere at college games, particularly at Penn State.”

Different because night games at Penn State are only slightly more common than losing seasons. Since the Nittany Lions moved to Beaver Stadium in 1960, only six of Penn State’s 245 home games have been played after dark.

Why? Because Joe Paterno sees night games as just another way of interrupting his team’s routine.

“I hate 12 o’clock games, I hate 3 o’clock games, I hate night games. I love 1 o’clock games. And if it wasn’t for the darned television, we’d play 1 o’clock games,” Paterno said. “That’s the way I think you ought to play it, every week the same time. Every week you change into a different routine. We’re at the mercy of the television – they need us because they need inventory, and we need them for the exposure.”

Of course, the exposure is exactly why players like the night games.

“It’s like ‘Monday Night Football.’ When the lights come on, everyone’s all pumped up and excited, the students are all riled up,” Larry Johnson said. “I think we should have more night games, if it’s possible, because I like them.”

Penn State also is hoping that the night game will energize the crowd, especially against a Nebraska team whose fans are known for snapping up an alarming number of tickets to road games.

“I think the fans are more rowdy. They’ve had all day to drink and stuff, kick back,” Jimmy Kennedy said.

“If I go into the stadium and I see more red than blue, then we’re going to be in trouble,” Johnson said. “The fans have to be more into it – they’ll have to be the 12th man for us to pull this one out.”