Penn State fans may want to forget this game but the New York Times’ crossword puzzle never forgets the strange and unusual trivia facts. The one in question, a particular 2021 meeting between the Nittany Lions and Fighting Illini, a game that featured Penn State losing 20-18 in a nine-overtime marathon – the most in a single NCAA football game.
Of course the changed overtime format that exact same year contributed to the long two-point conversion skills competition but the Nittany Lions came out of that game having passed for just 165 yards, rushed for 62 and gave up a whopping 357 yards on the ground to Illinois. While it’s safe to say both teams had much better seasons in 2022, the New York Times isn’t going to let anyone forget that particular moment in time. Has Penn State made the NYT’s crossword for more positive reasons? Probably, but someone was out to cause more than a few early Thursday morning flashbacks when the crossword editor hit publish.
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