Nebraska vs. Penn State: Postgame Reaction from First Game Without Joe Paterno

This was the first time since 1965 that the Penn State Nittany Lions took the field without Joe Paterno as their head coach. To say it wasn't a normal Saturday in Happy Valley would be an understatement of epic proportions.

Before the first ball even left the tee, we were reminded that there's more to life than football. In a moment that was both surprising and moving, the Penn State team was met at midfield by the Nebraska team as both programs knelt in prayer.

Save your disdain for religious displays. At that moment, it wasn't about shoving religion down anyone's throat or trying to elevate one belief structure over another.

That moment was all about coming together. It was a classy act by Nebraska to have assistant coach Ron Brown lead both schools in a moment of shared grief and human emotional solidarity. It was an equally classy act on Penn State's part to join hands and link arms with their brethren from Lincoln to put the horrific events of the last week into perspective.

This is just a game, after all. What has come to light over the last week is the very worst of real life.

There was some question coming into this game as to how the students would behave themselves. After the announcement this week that Joe Paterno had been fired, students stormed College Avenue and overturned a news van in protest.

There was certainly a lot of angst about how the team might react. It's tough enough to host a team with the potential and talent of Nebraska, but to do so under the turmoil of the last week is asking a lot of anyone.

The students atoned somewhat for their actions earlier in the week. The second showed their heart, despite having it ripped out. Both are to be commended.

There were still protests. There were more than a few black shirts gracing the student section, demonstrating their displeasure at Joe Paterno's firing. There were a few signs commenting on their desire to have the 84-year-old coach back in control of the team.

But nothing was distasteful. Nothing that I saw was done maliciously or in any way misrepresented Penn State University.

They spoke their minds, as is their American right, in keeping with their higher education. They did it the right way, and that commands more respect than what we saw earlier in the week.

I'm sure there were comments that couldn't be repeated. There are those at every game, regardless the situation. I wouldn't dare to believe Penn State was any different today.

I didn't hear those comments, though, and I didn't see anything that made me cringe.

Penn State ultimately lost the game 17-14 in a tough, physical battle. QB Matt McGloin couldn't get the pass game going, and RB Silas Redd couldn't be a one-man wrecking crew against a Nebraska defense that can be absolutely dominant when it wants to be.

Still, the Nittany Lions battled back from a 17-0 third-quarter deficit to nearly get the big victory. They didn't let the turmoil hold them down. They didn't allow the Cornhuskers to take control in their house.

Penn State fought back. The Nittany Lions showed their pride and belief in their program as they never settled for second-best and continued to battle to the bitter end.

In the end, it wasn't enough. McGloin only completed 16-of-34 passes for 192 yards and failed to score a passing touchdown. Redd ran the ball 15 times for just 54 yards. RB Stephfon Green picked up 71 yards on 17 carries and a couple of big touchdowns.

And Penn State fell to 5-1 in the conference.

They did it with class, though. They did it with heart.

It wasn't the same without Joe Paterno lurking somewhere in the complex. It will take quite a long time to get used to the blue and white brigade storming the field of Beaver Stadium without the iconic figure as their leader.

Still, Penn State has a lot to be proud of. Remember that the players had nothing to do with what has gone on. No report that I've read or heard has mentioned anything at all about players knowing of what Jerry Sandusky was allegedly doing with young boys.

Apparently, the students didn't know what was going on either, and were legitimately shocked at the allegations.

Their reaction to Paterno's firing wasn't what we would want from young, bright students, but it was done in the heat of the moment with fresh anger stirring their blood.

Nothing will ever make what allegedly happened right with the world. However, it isn't the place of the players or the students to make it right. It's their place to support their school, represent their alma mater and learn from the experiences life throws at them.

In light of the performance the team put on today, and in light of the way the fans conducted themselves today, I'd say they have taken that to heart.

It may have been a loss, but in many ways, Penn State won today. They won back a little respect and reminded people that the actions of the few do not represent the worth of the many.