Despite winning record, frustrating season has resulted in cranky JoePa
One minute, he’s a comforting, grandfatherly figure talking about how proud he his of his team. The next, he’s chastising reporters for asking “stupid” questions – even for not dressing up to his standards. With an officiating controversy and scheduling “shenanigans,” it’s been a frustrating season for Penn State coach Joe Paterno, resulting in an often-cranky JoePa.
Paterno’s latest frustration – rescheduling the game against Virginia (6-3), which visits the 19th-ranked Nittany Lions (6-3) on Saturday.
The game was originally scheduled for Sept. 7, but Virginia asked during the summer to move it, saying they had inadvertently booked two games that day. Penn State agreed to move the game to November.
“There is nothing I can do about it now. We have to go out and play against Virginia, who is a good football team,” Paterno said Tuesday. “They had a week off, and everything played out to their advantage. There is nothing I can do about that.”
On Saturday, Paterno had virtually accused Virginia of orchestrating the schedule change in order to get the extra week of preparation.
“This will be a tough game with Virginia, with all the shenanigans of backing out of a game with us earlier in the year – ends up having a week off before we play them,” Paterno said Saturday. “It’s very convenient.”
Offensive tackle Matt Schmitt said Paterno and the rest of the Penn State coaching staff are particularly excited for the Virginia game, adding he doesn’t think the schedule change had bothered Paterno.
“I don’t know if he’s expressed frustration,” Schmitt said. “It’s just something that happened. It’s nothing that they take personally.”
On at least two occasions, Paterno has criticized reporters for asking “stupid” questions. Last week, he criticized a reporter for wearing shorts, and last month he stared down a reporter who had written a column critical of Paterno’s decision to withhold access to his players after an emotional overtime loss at Michigan.
But if Paterno is a little more cranky this year, it might be because he has a little bit more of himself invested in this team.
For Paterno, this year’s success goes back to last year, when the Nittany Lions started 0-4, then steeled themselves during a bye week and won five of their last seven games. Despite the worst start in Paterno’s career, Penn State wasn’t eliminated from bowl consideration until their 20-14 loss to Virginia in the last game of the season.
Some of this year’s frustrations, too, can be traced back to last year’s Virginia game, when the Cavaliers scored off a Zack Mills fumble in which it appeared Mills’ knee was down. Each of Penn State’s last four losses – a 13-7 loss at Ohio State and overtime losses to Michigan and Iowa, along with last year’s Virginia game – have involved questionable officiating calls.
“I am very attached to this team, and I am disappointed that they haven’t had more success because they could have folded when they were 0-4,” Paterno said. “Everybody was saying that the program was down the hill and the whole bit. They came back and have played really good football.”