In the wake of Saturday's victory in the Pinstripe Bowl, Penn State football reached its highest point since before the dark days of Joe Paterno's demise.
Coach James Franklin brought the Nittany Lions to a minor bowl in a showcase setting. It was Yankee Stadium, with all the hyperbole that is New York City. And Saturday was, as PennLive.com called it, an inspired effort for Penn State.
Penn State players celebrate. (Getty Images)
The Nittany Lions won 31-30 over Boston College thanks to Christian Hackenberg's 10-yard touchdown pass to Kyle Carter and Sam Ficken's extra-point kick in overtime. It was Ficken who delivered a 45-yard field goal with 20 seconds left in regulation to force OT.
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Victory came in the first Penn State bowl game since 2012. It came after NCAA sanctions were lifted early from a Nittany Lions program scarred by the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.
Now, Franklin's team has a fresh perspective. It goes into the offseason with a victory, with recruiting ability to bolster a roster that has promise for 2015.
Hackenberg enters his junior season off a game in which he threw for 371 yards and four TD. He has a chance to remove burrs from his game, flaws that emerged as a sophomore after showing prowess and promise as a freshman. He could have wideout Geno Lewis back, and Lewis had a heroic moment against Boston College.
Wideout Chris Godwin also will return, refining his skills after a seven-catch game on Saturday. Safety Marcus Allen and other young defenders are among reasons for optimism across the roster.
Franklin thanked his seniors on Saturday, saying they "stayed with this program when we needed them most."
Games like Saturday, Franklin said, "restored the hope" at Penn State. Fans filled at Yankee Stadium with "We are! Penn State!" cheers. And when they got home, Penn State again was Happy Valley.