Well, the month of October has certainly been an exciting one for Penn State students. Poor Beaver Avenue thought it had seen the last of college kids running amuck, chanting, and shouting, when the clown hunt took place. But what happened on Saturday, October 22nd, the night of the Penn State vs. Ohio State "White Out" game at around midnight, was something no one was prepared for.
The crowd is ecstatic, students have stormed the field, the fireworks are going off, and those few and far between Ohio State fans are leaving Beaver Stadium in defeat after probably one of the biggest upsets in college football this season.
Students took their pride and enthusiasm from the field to the streets, forming what would soon be a major riot brought down by a SWAT team and the riot police. So, here's a summed up rundown of some specific events that took place as thousands of students celebrated the defeat of the #2 ranked rival.
1. Underdogs no more!
After a blocked field goal and returning touchdown by Grant Haley, Penn State now has a 24-21 lead over the Buckeyes with less than 5 minutes left in the 4th quarter and Dwight is exactly all of us students right now.
2. And PSU takes the win in a dramatic upset! Wait what!?
Chaos erupts from the final stop of Ohio State made by a well played Penn State defense, and just like in the movies, students hop the fence and storm out onto the field.
3. But it's only midnight, early right? So students decide to bring the excitement elsewhere.
Students could be seen running to Beaver Avenue, meeting up with other friends and enthused fans. As time went on more students joined, and the combined excitement just led to the next few hours of destruction.
4. Street signs, lamp posts, virtually nothing was safe from destruction.
Students could be seen tugging on "One Way" and "Stop" signs, while simultaneously screaming, "Tear it down!" A lamp post was actually ripped out of the ground and passed through the crowd like it was a concert-goer that was crowd surfing.5. People were even donating their own items to the cause.
You thought a lamp post was odd enough to be passing through the crowd, but what about a blow-up mattress? Yes, someone was so kind enough to donate their belongings to the riot. Students took turns laying on top of it while it got tossed amongst the crowd.
6. The ground was no longer the only legitimate standing place.
Students were standing on cars, bus terminal overhangs, lamp posts and on each other's shoulders. Balconies, even though they technically do have a ground surface, were used to the student's advantage as they threw toilet paper and any other miscellaneous items into the crowd.7. Everyone was just lighting things on fire. Yes, fire.
Sticks, brooms, trees, Ohio State jerseys, you name it, someone probably tried to set it on fire and parade around with it in their possession.
8. Que the law enforcement.
The SWAT team, state troopers, riot police and cops on horseback came in in military fashion. Literally armed with shields, helmets, and masks I kid you not. They stood in an orderly fashion and did their best to push back students out of the area.9. But really not even cops phased an over-joyed post-big-win Penn Stater.
The riot must have continued for over an hour with police officers on the scene. Students were still walking around carrying street signs, as cops had to pry it away from them. Some students were arrested at their refusal to cease the celebration. Honestly, it seemed like no one really cared at this point. Go to jail!? Hey, that's fine because PSU beat OSU today!
10. Let's not forget how everyone got maced!
I guess the crowd was just too rambunctious for the police to handle, so in an effort to calm everyone down and have them disperse they sprayed paper spray in everyone's faces. I'm still receiving "post-maced-face" Snapchats.
The whole riot ended up dispersing around 1:30 a.m. with no injuries to report I might add, well maybe not counting the lamp post and few street signs. But at the rate PSU seems to be going, stayed tuned for more chaos that ensues on this campus!
