Penn State will conclude its non-conference schedule on Saturday against Villanova in Happy Valley, and the Nittany Lions will honor one of greatest teams in program history at the game.
Penn State will honor former head coach Joe Paterno's 2005 team, who began the season unranked, finished No. 3 in the country and won the Orange Bowl.
The incredible 2005 team featured quarterback Michael Robinson and an elite front seven, including Tamba Hali, Paul Posluszki and Dan Connor.
Paterno's Historic 2005 Season
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Paterno's legendary 2005 team, and Penn State will honor them in the Nittany Lions' game against Villanova on Saturday.
Penn State was coming off of back-to-back losing seasons in 2005 and wasn't expected to do much. However, that was far from what happened.
The Nittany Lions took care of business in their first three games of the season, and beat Northwestern in their Big Ten opener to begin the year 4-0. Penn State's first big test came in week 5 when No. 18 Minnesota came to town.
Although the Golden Gophers were ranked, the Nittany Lions dominated in a 44-14 win, which moved them into the AP Top 25 ranked at No. 16.
Penn State football announces that it will honor the 20th anniversary of the 2005 team on Saturday.
— Basic Blues Nation (@BasicBlues) September 10, 2025
The Nittany Lions went 11-1, were Big Ten co-champions, and defeated Florida State in triple overtime in the Orange Bowl #WeAre #PennState pic.twitter.com/o4Qyoy5bQy
Then, Penn State faced No. 6 Ohio State and the defense showed up big. The Nittany Lions won 17-10 behind a defensive performance that gave up just 230 total yards. The win against a Top 10 opponent jolted Penn State to No. 8 in the AP poll.
Then came the Nittany Lions lone loss of the season to the Michigan Wolverines in the Big House. Michigan was unranked at the time, but the Big House is never an easy place to play.
However, Penn State would rebound by winning its final four games by multiple scores, including a win over No. 14 Wisconsin. The Nittany Lions were crowned Big Ten co-champions alongside Ohio State with their 11-1 record, and earned a spot in the Orange Bowl, as the No. 3 team in the country, against the ACC's Florida State.
LBs coach Dan Connor on the leadership of the 2005 roster. He was a sophomore during the Nittany Lions' Orange Bowl run:
— Basic Blues Nation (@BasicBlues) September 11, 2025
"They just handled themselves like grown men."
Penn State will honor the 20th anniversary of the 2005 squad on Saturday #WeAre #PennState pic.twitter.com/KpCuqDTpQI
The Seminoles and Nittany Lions went back and forth in a classic until Kevin Kelly nailed a game-winning field goal in triple overtime to lift Penn State over Florida State 26-23 and win the Orange Bowl trophy.
The Nittany Lions' 2005 season brought them back to relevance in college football and Penn State went on to have 14 consecutive winning seasons after that year. The Nittany Lions have had just one losing season since the 2005 season.
Penn State has started 2025 off 2-0, and this Nittany Lions team has national championship aspirations. No Penn State team has matched the success of Paterno's 2005 team since, can 2025 be the year Penn State can do it?