All they heard was Andy Katzenmoyer this, Andy Katzenmoyer that. Andy The Terminmoyer. Andy The Greatest Thing Since Butkus Got A Buzz Cut.
Katzenmoyer, Ohio State’s gifted sophomore linebacker, was going to make a run at the Heisman Trophy. After that he was going to cure cancer, repair the Mir and split the atom. That’s what everyone said. That’s what Penn State’s coaches wanted the Nittany Lions’ offense to believe.
Gene Siskel didn’t watch as much film as Penn State did this week. Over and over the Lions saw the flickering image of Katzenmoyer. He was everywhere. He was anywhere. Iowa never had a chance against him last week. Then again, Iowa never had a game plan for him.
Penn State did. All week long the Nittany Lions’ linemen were told to account for the 6-foot-4-inch, 260-pound Blur-a-moyer. Make your block, but then make a point of popping Katzenmoyer. Never, ever ignore him.
There was even a special play designed for him: 23-Slice. In essence, a crackback block by the tight end. Cuncho Brown and Brad Scioli, Penn State’s two tight ends, couldn’t wait to see if it would work.
The Nittany Lions wanted vindication for last year’s embarrassing 31-point loss to Ohio State. They wanted retribution, and their starting point was Katzenmoyer. Neutralize Katzenmoyer and you neutralize the Buckeyes. So said the Football Bible, as recited by Joe Pa.
“We knew we weren’t going to let a one-man defense stop us,” Penn State running back Curtis Enis said.
You remember Enis, don’t you? Enis was the late, great preseason Heisman Trophy candidate. Then the Nittany Lions kept winning games by 40 points and Enis never saw the ball after the third quarter.
As Enis disappeared from Heisman view, Katzenmoyer surged forward. Despite a slowish start, he became the Heisman flavor of the month. The contrarian’s candidate.
Now we know.
The postgame stat sheet said Katzenmoyer had eight tackles Saturday, seven of them unassisted. Sure he did. And John Cooper asked me to give a pregame chalk talk to the fellas.
I watched Katzenmoyer from start to finish. Every play, all 75 of them. Every missed tackle. Every over-run. Every failed blitz. Every pancake block by a Penn State lineman.
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If Katzenmoyer wins the Heisman, it won’t be because of anything he did during Ohio State’s 31-27 loss at Beaver Stadium. He’s good, but he shouldn’t make a plane reservation for a December visit to New York City.
Enis should. You can take the Enis out of Ohio, but you can’t take the Ohio out of Enis. Mocked, ridiculed and berated for crossing state lines to play in Happy Valley, Enis used the Buckeyes–and Katzenmoyer–for retribution, for vindication, for confirmation.
He rushed for 211 yards, some of it over Katzenmoyer. He averaged 9.2 yards per carry and scored once. He said he was like Amtrak–“I was going only one way.” And on time, too.
Like Katzenmoyer, Enis was raised on Buckeyes football. But Katzenmoyer stayed home. Enis left Union City, Ohio, for Joe Pa, not John Cooper.
There was hate mail. One particular letter arrived after Ohio State beat the Nittany Lions last season. Said they were glad Enis didn’t sign with the Buckeyes. Said they didn’t need a traitor.
Enis kept the letter for a special occasion. Like Saturday.
“I saved it . . . and ripped it up before the game,” he said.
Enis bawled like a baby after this one. Maybe Katzenmoyer did, too, but for different reasons. In an afternoon’s time, Enis exorcised the memories of last year’s “choke” against Ohio State. He also inserted himself back into the Heisman race, which features Tennessee’s Peyton Manning as the slight leader–not that it mattered to Enis.
The important thing, the only thing, was to beat the Buckeyes. Enis knew it. So did his teammates.
“This game probably meant more to him than anyone,” said Scioli, who, by the way, leveled Katzenmoyer on one of those Slice-23s.
As for comparisons between Enis and Katzenmoyer, Scioli offered a biased opinion. “I think they saw who the better player was today,” he said.
Enis wasn’t the only man on a mission. Penn State center Kevin Conlin emerged from the locker room looking for anyone with a notepad or minicam.
“Hey, why not Curtis now?” he said. “I came in here and told Curtis, `I’m going to get you some Heisman votes.’ “
That’s OK. Enis didn’t need any help. But Katzenmoyer did.