“With going from not competing in a bowl game to being in the Fiesta Bowl- that right there is a blessing,” Penn State Safety Marcus Allen said.
When this senior class came to Penn State, they did knowing they probably wouldn’t be able to play in a bowl until they were seniors, but the ban was lifted in September of 2014, and began something special.
“Our first year going to the Pinstripe Bowl, it was the most exciting thing ever,” Linebacker Jason Cabinda said. “We went into that season thinking we weren’t going to get to play in a bowl game, period.”
“I came here expecting not to have bowl games for a long time, so the fact that it got lifted is a blessing,” Defensive Tackle Curtis Cothren said. “Being able to play in four, it’s not something I ever imagined I would do. I’m just blessed and happy to be here.”
This senior class has been through a lot, a bowl ban, a bowl ban lift, and two different head coaches, but they’ve refused to let any of that affect them on the field.
“It’s definitely been a long road,” Cabinda said. “There’s no doubt about that. It’s been a long road, a long journey, a ton of work has gone into it. We’re harvesting the fruits now, being able to play in games like this.”
Now, with just one game left in the blue and white for these guys, they want to end things on a high note, and improve Penn State’s record in the Fiesta Bowl to 7-0.
“It’s very important,” Allen said. “These are my boys, my brothers, we want to go out one last time with a win.
That won’t be an easy thing to do as the Washington offense is average 35 points per game.