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Nittany Lions flash back to 1993 this weekend

Uniforms, field, legends in spotlight

Photo courtesy of PENN STATE ATHLETICS An iconic end zone look returns today.

UNIVERSITY PARK — Still down in the dumps about that double overtime loss to Oregon? Feeling blue after watching Penn State get upset by unranked and winless UCLA.

You’re certainly not alone.

But maybe a trip back to the 1990s will do some good. Specifically 1993 — when the world wide web was born, the cultural phenomenon Jurassic Park was released and Bill Clinton was inaugurated as the 42nd president of the United States.

In Happy Valley, Penn State finished an impressive 10-2 and found itself bowl bound for the Florida Citrus Bowl, where the Nittany Lions defeated Tennessee.

It was a much happier time despite back-to-back losses to Michigan and Ohio State.

Fans attending today’s game against Northwestern can go retro as the Nittany Lions’ uniforms and the end zones at Beaver Stadium will journey back to 1993 for Penn State’s annual homecoming game.

Penn State will wear retro jerseys for Saturday’s “Generations of Greatness” game, a tradition that dates back to 2017. The jerseys include a white collar, which debuted in the 1980s and has not been worn since 2010.

The uniforms pay homage to past Nittany Lions legends, including Pennsylvania natives like LaVar Arrington, Dan Connor, Paul Posluszny and Brandon Short.

“An iconic uniform look returns,” the athletics department said on social media, teasing the throwback jerseys.

The collar’s front features an image of the iconic Lion Shrine that was gifted to Penn State by the Class of 1940.

Today will also serve as the program’s annual Stripe Out game. Each section will alternate between blue and white to create a stripe effect throughout the stadium.

The Nittany Lions (3-2) have lost consecutive games for the first time since 2021. They own a 75-24-5 record in homecoming games since the tradition started in 1920.

Penn State fell out of the AP Top 25 poll for the first time since September 2022. In 1993, the Nittany Lions finished at No. 8 in the AP Top 25 poll.

Penn State opened the season by knocking off Minnesota and Southern Cal at Beaver Stadium. After routing Iowa on the road, the Nittany Lions returned home to throttle Rutgers and Maryland.

Losses to Michigan and Ohio State were followed by five victories including Indiana, Illinois, Northwestern and Michigan State. A rout of No. 6 Tennessee closed out the season.

Four Penn Staters went in the NFL Draft as DT Lou Benfatti was taken in the third round by the New York Jets; DB Shelly Hammonds went in the fifth round to Minnesota, LB Eric Ravotti was selected in the sixth round by Pittsburgh and LB Rob Holmberg was picked in the seventh round by the Raiders.

Penn State is bringing back its retro endzone design to Beaver Stadium for the team’s upcoming homecoming game this weekend.

The team’s social media account showed the endzone design, which dates back to the 1990s and early 2000s, saying “An iconic look returns.”

Penn State’s endzones at Beaver Stadium used to feature a script font, compared to the block letters the stadium currently has. A photo from the 1997 season shows the endzone design that the team has brought back for this weekend’s game.

The Nittany Lions battered Northwestern 43-21 in Evanston, Ill., in 1993. So here’s to a throwback.

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