As a season ticket holder since 1971, I’ve watched more than 300 games at Beaver Stadium — but I’ve never been prouder of our fans than the day of the recent playoff game with SMU.

Four days before Christmas in frigid conditions, 106,000 fans showed up wearing white when many thought the stadium might be half full.

Better yet, those of us in attendance were totally focused and dramatically influenced the game outcome. Most of us never sat down and hung around to sing the alma mater when the game ended.

The day the sanctions were announced in 2012, I was fearful the Nittany Lions would eventually play opponents like Johns Hopkins, Gettysburg and Delaware and be lucky to attract 20,000 fans in cavernous Beaver Stadium.

Bill O’Brien kept the team afloat for two years before heading to the NFL. James Franklin, despite his many detractors, has methodically built a pro gram that excels both on and off the field.

I hope this playoff run extends into January and I’m already looking forward to next season.

Tom Bradley

Emmaus, PA