ESPN play-by-play commentator Chris Fowler was in Happy Valley for Penn State football’s contest against Pitt, and he said that the Nittany Lions had the best student section in the country prior to kickoff.

Fowler was walking off the field of Beaver Stadium during the weather delay that pushed kickoff back to 12:40 p.m. when a few students in the front row got his attention to ask him the burning question: Which student section is the best in the country?

Last year, Texas A&M’s 12th Man beat out Nittanyville and the student sections at LSU and Clemson to win ESPN’s student section of the year award as part of the #LiveMasStudentSectionChallenge. If Fowler’s vote of confidence is any indication, Penn State just might have a chance to dethrone the Aggies and win the award this year.

Fowler’s support for Nittanyville shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone — especially after he said sitting in the Penn State student section helped him fall in love with college football on Friday. He had a Penn State season ticket because his father was a professor at the university, and his first game at Beaver Stadium was on September 14, 1974 — exactly 45 years before he was in the booth for the team’s 100th meeting with Pitt.

Typically, Fowler’s broadcast partners are Kirk Herbstreit and Maria Taylor, but he called Saturday’s game with former Penn State quarterback Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe. Sean McDonough, a Syracuse alum who’s usually the play-by-play man with Blackledge and Rowe, called the Orange’s game against No. 1 Clemson with Herbstreit and Taylor instead because he received his alma mater’s highest alumni award on Friday.

The Penn State student section was clad in white as part of the Stripe Out game, and it was in full voice throughout Saturday’s 17-10 Nittany Lion win over the Panthers.

About the Author

Mikey Mandarino

In the most upsetting turn of events, Mikey graduated from Penn State with a digital & print journalism degree in the spring of 2020. He covered Penn State football and served as an editor for Onward State from 2018 until his graduation. Mikey is from Bedminster, New Jersey, so naturally, he spends lots of time yelling about all the best things his home state has to offer. Mikey also loves to play golf, but he sucks at it because golf is really hard. If you, for some reason, feel compelled to see what Mikey has to say on the internet, follow him on Twitter @Mikey_Mandarino. You can also get in touch with Mikey via his big-boy email address: michael.p.mandarino@gmail.com

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