The Spencers were in Happy Valley. We got an early start and somehow made it to State College. My lovely bride scored big at the very last minute. She is a proud 00 alum, and many of her roommates have season tickets. They are a great-looking bunch. Quite fun and full of spirit. These gals stay in touch better than us men, and they all have money.

The Penn State Nittany Lions were hosting the Villanova Wildcats. It was scheduled for noon. It wasn’t much of a contest on paper. But there was still a major buzz. I have been to several games at Beaver Stadium. This would be Jensen’s very first. He was somewhat excited, and I prefer these early starts. I am getting way too old to hang kids.

Most of you know that I am a very social person, and I turn into that guy after a few drinks. I have been to Penn State with many different parties. But Johnny Goodtimes never gets an invite back. I totally get it. Fortunately, I have hundreds of friends. But those days are over. I am now a laid-back occasional fan.

The pregame scene in State College is just incredible. No matter who the Nittany Lions play. We made good time and had very little traffic. Everyone wanted a piece of the Spencers. But Michelle had already made plans. Uncle Larry hooked us up with a parking pass, so we thought we should say hello to him first. He gave Teach a general idea of his whereabouts. LOOK FOR AN RV IN SECTION 21 WITH RED CHAIRS. After twenty-five minutes of searching, we finally found him.

Some of her college buddies were tailgating on the opposite end. We reached out for directions. BLACK WINNEBAGO. CLOSE TO THE BRYCE JORDAN CENTER. Thanks. Jensen and I were losing our patience. We were walking in circles. Another ten minutes. THEY ARE FACING THE STADIUM. Teach found her girlfriends, and we said hello. She wanted to stay a little longer and encouraged us to go.

Jensen and I headed over to say hello to a few of my chums. They were totally shocked to see us, and they gave my son some love. Jensen is getting older, and he asked a million questions. Trying to explain why a bunch of middle-aged dudes were funneling beers at 10:00 AM is hard. He also noticed several scandalously dressed coeds enjoying the sun. I did my very best to teach him what was going on.

Jensen was in awe of Beaver Stadium, and he couldn’t believe the crowd. It was impressive and very loud. The game was about to get started, and we were having fun. We were hoping for a blowout as we wanted to see our young friend play. Loyalsock grad Connor Watkins is Villanova’s backup quarterback, and there was a good chance.

The Wildcats came up short on their first set of downs. The crowd was going bananas. Then it happened. CONNOR WATKINS IS BACK TO PUNT FOR VILLANOVA. What? I grabbed my phone immediately and hit record. So Connor did some punting in high school, but I had no clue. There he was on the field in the first quarter. Dude? I went nuts.

Connor usually spends his Saturdays on the sideline, helping the team however he can. He was a last-minute sub. The normal punter was injured, and my man did an amazing job. Nova is a small school, and they don’t have much depth. Penn State’s defense is one of the best in the country, and their unit kept Watkins super busy Saturday. Watkins had eight punts for a net total of 277 yards, including a long of 44. Pretty cool.

“Coach told me to get loose,” Watkins told me over the phone. “He mentioned something about kicking Wednesday, but he didn’t know for sure. I did the best for my team. I haven’t punted since high school, but I was somewhat pleased.”

Penn State won, but Nova hung tough. The Nittany Lions prevailed 38-17. It was a great afternoon in Happy Valley, and I was so proud of my young friend Connor Watkins stepped up big.

“It was incredible,” Connor continued. “Stepping on that field in front of 100,000 fans is what it is all about. It was an unforgettable experience. So many of my friends and family were there to root me on.”