Illinois' Bret Bielema Has a Long, Wild History at Penn State's Beaver Stadium

The Illinois coach has been to Penn State for the "fighters" game, a COVID game and nine overtimes. He returns to face "White Out energy."

Illinois head coach Bret Bielema on the sidelines during the first half of a game at Memorial Stadium. / Ron Johnson-Imagn Images

Several years ago, at the annual Nike-sponsored college football coaches trip in Hawaii, Bret Bielema met a heartwarming surprise. He bumped into Penn State and Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris, who was in Hawaii visiting Sue Paterno, who occasionally still attends the event that she had with her late husband, former Penn State coach Joe Paterno. Bielema couldn't help but smile at the moment.

"I was like, whoa, that’s the sign of a program," the Illinois coach said this week. "Huge respect for that. That’s pretty cool."

Bielema, Illinois' fourth-year head coach, has plenty of Penn State stories liked that, cultivated from a 30-year coaching career that uses Beaver Stadium as a touchstone. From the "fighters" game in 2012 to his Illinois hiring in 2020 to nine overtimes in 2021, Bielema has a fascinating relationship with Penn State and Beaver Stadium. So this week, he added to it.

Bielema returns to Beaver Stadium on Saturday, bringing 19th-ranked Illinois for a prime-time game against No. 9 Penn State in the Big Ten's only weekend matchup of unbeaten teams. And before arriving, Bielema delivered a glancing blow that has gone a bit viral but didn't truly capture his feelings about Happy Valley.

At his weekly press conference Monday, Bielema referenced Penn State coach James Franklin's local request of fans attending Saturday night's game. "They're calling for a 'White Out energy,' whatever the hell that means," Bielema said to laughter in Champaign, Illinois.

#Illinois Football HC Bret Bielema in his Monday Press Conference.

"They're calling for White Out energy, whatever the hell that means."

👉 https://t.co/70wtgCZ77l pic.twitter.com/Kh2Rg0QXC6

— Penn State Nittany Lions | Happy Valley Insider (@PennStateRivals) September 24, 2024

RELATED: Penn State opens as big favorite over Illinois

Though this game isn't the "Penn State White Out" for 2024 (that's Nov. 9 against Washington), Franklin did use the term "White Out energy" after his team's win over Kent State, and Penn State's social channels have run with it. Yes, Bielema might land on a few Penn State fans' hot seats for it, but he followed that remark with this.

"The part that I think stands out is, their fans are really intelligent," Bielema said. "They've got tradition very similar to Nebraska. They've been doing this for a long time, and Penn State fans are accustomed to great football."

Bielema and the Illini are playing the second game this week of a difficult road doubleheader. Last week, Nebraska hosted Illinois for its 400th consecutive sellout, a streak that began in 1962, on a Friday night no less. Illinois left the crowd quiet, winning 31-24 in overtime to reach 4-0 for the first time since 2011. After the game, Bielema said he told his players that "you control the vibe in the stadium." He'll say that again this week, with even more vigor.

"Obviously it's an environment that's one of the best in college football," Bielema said of Penn State's Beaver Stadium. "... One of the things you gain with experience is the ability to do better. Obviously we did a lot of good things Friday night in Lincoln, but this will be taking it to a whole other level."

Bielema's fascinating history with Beaver Stadium began 30 years ago, when he was a graduate assistant at Iowa, his alma mater. In 1994, when the Hawkeyes visited Penn State for their first road game of the season, Bielema sat in the press box next to Bill Brazier, then Iowa's defensive coordinator, watching Penn State's 1994 offense do its thing.

The Nittany Lions scored three touchdowns in 2-and-a-half minutes and took a 28-0 lead in the first quarter that prompted Brazier to perform some napkin math. Bielema remembers Brazier writing "28x2" to get 56, and then "56x2" to get 112. "They're going to beat us 112-0," Brazier said to Bielema.

"I just go back to that moment," Bielema said. "It was such an incredible crowd. I've been in the Big Ten a long time, and for a [graduate assistant] to see [Beaver Stadium] for the first time was really overwhelmingly amazing. It's kind of like a spaceship out in the middle of nowhere."

That spaceship has been a memorable part of his career. Bielema was the head coach at Wisconsin in 2012, when he brought the Badgers to Beaver Stadium for Bill O'Brien's first-season finale as Penn State's coach. Sam Ficken kicked a 37-yard field goal in overtime, lifting Penn State to a 24-21 win that prompted O'Brien's famous "bunch of fighters" postgame interview.

Then-Wisconsin coach Bret Bielema congratulates then-Penn State coach Bill O'Brien after the Nittany Lions beat the Badgers 24-21 at Beaver Stadium in 2012. / Evan Habeeb-Imagn Images

Eight years later, Bielema arrived to a much quieter Beaver Stadium. In 2020, Illinois announced Bielema's hiring on Dec. 19, the same day that Penn State hosted the Illini for the final game of the COVID season. Beaver Stadium was empty, Penn State won 56-21 and Bielema, who was at the game, got to work. He returned the following season to coach one of the most infamous games in Penn State history.

Seventh-ranked Penn State was a 24.5-point favorite against Illinois in 2021. Then the Illini ran 67 times for 357 yards, held an injury-fatigued Nittany Lions offense to 10 points in regulation and won college football's first nine-overtime game 20-18.

That game was Penn State's Homecoming. So is Saturday's.

"They’re a program that’s been at the top of college football for a long time," Bielema said. "They’re undefeated and ranked in the top 10 for a reason. They’ve got really good players, they’ve got phenomenal coaches, they’ve got a great environment. And now we just get to come and be a part of it."

Penn State hosts Illinois at 7:30 p.m. ET Saturday on NBC's Big Ten Saturday Night.

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.