EAST LANSING– Penn State interim coach Terry Smith had been so close.
He had almost won his first game in the role, taking an 11-point lead into the second half at Iowa.
Penn State ended up losing that game by a single point.
Two weeks later, Penn State got even closer and had Indiana’s Omar Cooper Jr. not made a miracle catch, there’s a good chance it would have knocked off the No. 2 team in the country at Beaver Stadium.
After that game, one of Penn State’s captains, center Nick Dawkins, talked about what getting a win for Smith would have meant.
“He works his ass off for us,” Dawkins said. “I really thought we were going to get this one today, man. It’s one of those things… we really thought we were going to win this one. Because he pours so much into us, and he takes it on the chin. He’s accountable, and he takes ownership. But at the end of the day, it’s on us, and we’re not executing the game plan well enough to win the game.”
“He is Penn State.”
The next week, Penn State got Terry that win.
‘IT’S VERY HUMBLING’
For many, Saturday was a night to celebrate Terry Smith.
But like many coaches would, Smith gave all the credit to his players.
“I’m just super happy for our kids, super happy for our program,” Smith said afterward. “I’m super happy for our fans and our following. We deserve this game. We know again what it feels like to win, and we just got to build on this with momentum.”
Not many coaches get postgame Gatorade baths after regular-season wins.
But Smith earned his.
“It’s always a special moment when people celebrate you that way,” Smith said. “It’s very humbling. I love those guys to death. I would do anything for them. They played so hard for us, and it was just a great moment. You know, I’m sitting here soaking wet. I’m just like hypothermia or something. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. It was just a great moment for Penn State football.”
Before the Gatorade bath, Smith shared a rare moment with one of his assistants.
“Yeah, so I was a little bit distracted,” Smith said. “I told the offense, they were asking me should we go in and score. I said no. Victory formation is the best football formation. Let’s end the game on our terms. Then Danny O’Brien, our QB coach, walked up to me and he said, ‘You know, I don’t normally get emotional,’ and I’m looking at him sideways, like, we don’t ever have these conversations. That was the setup. So you know it was fun, it was good. As a coach, you relish in those moments because you pour your heart and soul into the players, and you hope that they respect and honor you back by playing hard.”
Smith sees every one of his players as a son, and sees himself as a proud parent.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.“I’m really happy,” Smith said. “I’m just happy for those guys in the locker room, like for all you that are parents, you understand exactly what I’m saying. These are my kids, and there’s nothing more than to make your kids happy, and the sacrifice we do as parents for our kids, that’s what I’m happy about. Obviously, this is a great moment for me, for my family. It’s just humbling to be honest.”
FROM THE PLAYERS
Here’s what Penn State’s players had to say about Smith’s win.
KAYTRON ALLEN: It just shows how our team is and how we go about our business. Coach Terry, since that happened to Coach Franklin, coach Terry stepped up.
DARYUS DIXSON: I feel like it means a lot. This was his first win as a head coach. So just working for the next week, trying to get another win.
ETHAN GRUNKEMEYER: We all rally around him. So seeing him, seeing his excitement, it really kind of fills us up with joy, the smile. That’s kind of what keeps us going, so it was just awesome to see him be able to get that win.
Dani Dennis-Sutton: It’s huge. It’s definitely for Coach Terry, and it’s for Coach Franklin as well. We all love him. We’re playing hard for him to keep this season alive, not giving up on him or this team. Coach Terry’s done a great job of keeping us sharp, keeping us focused and keeping us believing. So we love Coach Terry, and we love Coach Franklin as well.
But Smith and the team know the work isn’t done yet.
There are two regular-season games left, and Penn State must win both to qualify for a bowl game.
“Tonight, we celebrate,” Smith said. “Tomorrow, we reset. I’ve said that to you guys every Saturday I came in here after the losses. Nothing changes. We’re going to reset tomorrow. We’re going to learn from our mistakes, and we’re going to continue to improve and get better. We have Nebraska coming in. These games are pivotal. We’re playing for our lives to make a bowl game, and we took a huge step today.”
