Paterno finally comes to Franklin Field as Owls host Penn State

When Joe Paterno was a football player at Brown, he never got the opportunity to face the great George Munger-coached Penn teams at Franklin Field. Paterno was supposed to start at Brown in 1945, but he enrolled in the armed services instead and didn't make it to Providence until 1946. That season, the Quakers-Bears rivalry was put on hold until 1950, a year after Paterno's graduation. At the time, Paterno said, he was disappointed to miss out on competing within the hallowed confines of the stadium he loved going to as a youngster. But today, looking back on it, he thinks it's just as well. That's because Penn won the 1945 and 1950 games by identical 50-0 scores. Now, as he leads his No. 4 Nittany Lions (4-0) into a 4 p.m. contest tomorrow at Franklin Field against Temple (2-1), Paterno can honestly say all his memories of the stadium are happy ones. "I've got a lot of memories of Franklin Field as a kid, going to games when Penn was a big-time program," Paterno said. "And then as an assistant coach [at Penn State in the 1950s], we had quite a few big games there against George Munger's boys." Penn, which has a bye this week, was losing its status as a national powerhouse in those days, and Penn State won six of the seven games the two teams played -- most of them handily. The last time Paterno stood on the sidelines at Franklin Field, in 1975 against Temple, it was a very different story. The nationally ranked Nittany Lions needed a late punt return for a touchdown to avoid a major upset at the hands of the Owls. This year's version of Penn State-Temple figures to resemble the easy victories the Nittany Lions enjoyed at Franklin Field in the '50s. It could be the biggest mismatch of any two Division I-A teams this year. But anyone who knows Paterno knows he would never admit it. True to form, he said nothing should be taken for granted, especially with three starting defensive linemen out of the game with injuries. "With the injuries, I think our team is aware that someone's got to come to the front," Paterno said. Penn State could probably win this game in its sleep. Expect the Nittany Lions to give the 67-year-old Paterno time to relax and savor his return to the stadium that's given him many fond memories. The winningest active coach in I-A should have the chance to enjoy the experience of coaching in a stadium older than he is. "I'm glad there's still one out there," he said. · Temple's normal home field is Veterans Stadium, but tomorrow's game is at Franklin Field because it was in conflict with the Phillies. Temple had already begun selling tickets when the baseball strike occurred. Tickets are $25.