It’s that time of year again.

Penn State football played its last game of the season on January 9 when it fell to Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl 27-24.

Unfortunately for the Class of 2025, that means the semifinal loss was its last game as students at Penn State. Despite the heartbreaking ending, this season seemed to be the start of something special in Happy Valley.

The 2024 season saw Penn State football host its first College Football Playoff game while also making the Big Ten Championship game for the first time since 2016. A far cry from the 2021 season, when James Franklin’s team went 7-6 in the first year back from COVID-19.

With 29 games at Beaver Stadium that have come and gone, our senior staffers took the time to reflect on their last football season as students and all of the memories that came along with it.

Mikey DeAngelis

As a photographer for Onward State covering Penn State football, I’ve grown particularly attached to this program and this team. Other than the away game at Purdue, I attended every single Penn State game this season, watching the highs and lows for a team I still believe could’ve won it all.

The loss against Notre Dame still hurts, and it will probably hurt for a very long time considering how close that game was, but taking a step back and looking at the season as a whole…what a way to go out. Our senior class got (essentially) four White Out games.

We hosted Ohio State in one of the biggest games in recent memory. We got to witness the first-ever home playoff game, which came in Penn State’s first-ever playoff appearance. We saw Penn State play for a Big Ten Championship for the first time in years. We got to go to not one, but two New Year’s Six bowls, including a win over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl.

I will always love this team, a team that, like I said, I believe could’ve won it all. Despite coming up short, I look back incredibly fondly on this season, although I’d be lying if I wasn’t extremely sad that it’s over.

CJ Doebler

My four seasons as a Penn State student were four of the most eventful years for Penn State football. My first game as a freshman was the first game back after COVID-19 emptied the stands in 2020, making for a particularly raucous crowd against Ball State for the home opener. Sophomore year, I was on hand to watch them win the Rose Bowl over Utah.

I started covering the team in my junior year and gained a whole new appreciation for the sport. I got to travel to a host of other Big Ten stadiums and even covered four games in NFL stadiums.

While the better ending was winning the national championship over Ohio State this year, I feel like this season was a good way to end my time as a student on the beat. I experienced a lot in the last two years specifically, and I can’t help but be a little jealous of the future beat.

Mitch Corcoran

This was the greatest season of Penn State football in my lifetime. I was fortunate enough to cover the team for the blog and although this is my only season, I wouldn’t trade that experience for anything.

I know folks love to reminisce about the 2017 season, but we witnessed a program-record 16 games, a Big Ten Championship appearance, three playoff games, one at home, and we were a handful of plays away from playing in the national championship.

Yes, Penn State lost to Ohio State again. Yes, the White Out was a dud. But for me, the combination of it being my senior year and being behind the scenes to cover the team made this season very special.
The beat traveled to Los Angeles, Miami, Wisconsin, Minnesota, West Virginia, and Indiana twice.

It was so cool exploring different parts of the country while doing the job I love. This has been the greatest season of football in my lifetime and if I could go back, I wouldn’t change a thing.

Nolan Wick

The 2024 season was undoubtedly the best of my four football seasons as a Penn State student. I had the privilege of covering the team for the blog for my second season, which meant I got to see this up close.

Covering Tyler Warren’s historic season and Drew Allar’s improvement under Andy Kotelnicki were fun storylines, but some of the lesser-known ones made me appreciate Penn State all the more. For instance, backup defensive end Smith Vilbert returned from a two-year injury absence and not only stayed healthy but made plays. Dvon J-Thomas and other seniors returned for one more ride because of how much they believed in this program, and they came within a hair of making the national championship game. In a way, those are the kinds of storylines I enjoyed covering the most.

The road trips, silly moments in press boxes both in Beaver Stadium and elsewhere, and of course, Onward State’s trip to Florida last week are things I’ll never forget. I had so much fun being on the beat again and man, what a season.

Joe Lister

The folks who know me know how much I love USC football. My dad’s a proud member of the Trojans’ Classes of 1981 and 1983, so I was raised on Sam Darnold, Adoree Jackson, Ronald Jones II, Clay Helton, Steve Sarkisian, Lane Kiffin, and all those legends. When Matt Boermeester put that kick through the uprights in 2017, I went crazy in my basement with joy.

I didn’t get season football tickets during my freshman year because I didn’t think I’d care about Penn State football. Still, I fell in love with Penn State sooner than I thought. I got some general seating tickets from my friend Casey, who’s sitting on my floor drinking whiskey while I write this, and I snuck into the student section every game.

Four seasons, 51 games, countless miles on the road, about half a dozen hotel floors slept on, and quite a few tears later, I’m a goddamn Nittany Lion.

Dillon Williams

Admittedly, this was the first season that I was heavily invested in Penn State football. With the reinstatement of the college football video game series over the summer, I took this season to pay attention to all of what the program had to offer and it was one of the best decisions I could’ve made.

I fell in love with the pageantry that Penn State has. From the band to the crowd traditions and everything in between, Penn State football is truly a special thing to be a part of. This season, I even crossed off a bucket list goal of working a football game as a videographer and getting to be on the field at Beaver Stadium.

Tracking the team’s success throughout the season and seeing how far they went this season made my investment feel all the more worth it! In a way, it made me wish that I had been this invested sooner in my Penn State career, but I wouldn’t trade my experience for anything.

I went to a couple of games this year, including the White Out game, and I must say that I’ll miss Beaver Stadium’s atmosphere. This won’t be the last time I’m here but as a student, there’s a different connection of pride you get when you’re in the stands rooting for the team.

Keeley Lamm

I’m so grateful to have been a part of the Drew Allar era. Thanks, Penn State football.

Aidan Conrad

I can’t believe my final Penn State football season as a student is finally over. Growing up a Penn State it’s always been a dream to go to the school and watch football games in the student section. Now that it’s time to reflect, it’s a strange feeling.

This was my favorite Penn State football season I’ve ever experienced. There were countless close games, a program-record 13 wins, and a hopeful buzz surrounding the program that I hope never leaves.

Thank you for everything, Penn State football.