How Journey Brown rushed for 722 yards and his offense scored 107 points — in one game

Editor’s note: Every day, from now until Penn State football’s Class of 2017 reports to campus June 24, we’ll highlight a different one of the Nittany Lions’ 17 incoming signees. Today is Day 16 of the 17-day series.

On Sept. 11, 2015, Journey Brown forced the entire nation to pay attention.

Brown’s Meadville team was plastered across ESPN late that night. Highlight after highlight was replayed on Good Morning America. The small Pennsylvania city along French Creek — home to 13,388 residents — reverberated with talk of Brown and his team’s feat.

That night, the incoming Penn State freshman had rushed 30 times for 722 yards and 10 touchdowns during his team’s 107-90 victory over DuBois, a high school from an even smaller city that sprawls out over just three square miles. The opposing quarterback, sophomore Matt Miller, had thrown for 787 yards in his first career start.

“It was a game you had to be there to believe,” DuBois lineman Ryan Pasternak said. “And, if you were there, you still didn’t believe it.”

Most inside DuBois’ small stadium — a field with just one set of bleachers that faces away from the setting sun — witnessed history nearly as rare as Halley’s Comet. Only twice in organized football, at any level from high school on up, has a running back reached the 700-yard plateau in a single game — and Brown became the first in 65 years.

It was a rushing performance that may never again be equaled. And it’s a game that families in those areas will be telling their children about for generations to come.

This is an oral history of Brown’s performance — and that game — that no one saw coming:

EARLY ON

Both teams were coming off opening-week wins, and both had their eyes set on the playoffs. Meadville made a living off a Wing-T attack that utilized Brown’s speed on the edge. DuBois would routinely put up 40 or 50 points a game with an up-tempo spread offense where 40 pass attempts weren’t uncommon.

Meadville coach Ray Collins: I figured it was going to be a moderately high-scoring game, but what I figured was about 42-35. I figured whoever scores 42 was going to win that game. I was wrong.

DuBois OL/DL Ryan Pasternak: We figured it would be a high-scoring game because we knew they were returning a lot of starters and, with the way our offense works, we typically score a lot of points. But we didn’t expect anything like 200 points combined.

Meadville RB Journey Brown: If you would’ve told me those numbers before the game, I would’ve just said you sound dumb right now. I’d tell you this isn’t NCAA 14 with the sliders all up. I didn’t know what to expect.

DuBois drives right down the field for a touchdown on its first possession. Meadville responds when, on its first play, Brown takes the handoff on a jet sweep, runs around the left end and outruns the entire defense for a 76-yard score. A few plays later, on Brown’s second carry, he sprints for a 51-yard touchdown. A little over three minutes into the game, and there have already been three TDs. Brown has 127 yards.

DuBois QB Matt Miller: I remember exactly what I was thinking after we scored the first touchdown: I was like, “I can do this.” And then I remember that second touchdown (Brown) scored in a row, and I remember thinking, “What the heck?” This is my first varsity game. I wanted a break on the sideline, so it’s not on me to score a touchdown every time.

Meadville OL/DL Luke Sherrod: When we scored that touchdown, I’m like, “It’s going to be one of those nights we’re running all over them.” And then with their score right away, I was like, “Oh, it’s going to be one of those games.” I saw it was going to be a long night defensively — but, with Journey, I wasn’t surprised his first two carries went for touchdowns. He always just explodes like that.

DuBois coach Frank Varischetti: Their offensive line was big, our defensive line was small. Our front-seven was pretty decimated. ... We knew we were going to have trouble containing (Brown) — but it was almost like there was nothing we could really do.

Meadville C/LB Tristan Beck: The only thing going through my mind when I saw those first two carries was that this sweep is going to work every play. Because they can’t stop him. They can’t stop us. There was just something about that play they could not stop. And Journey’s just a phenomenal player — it was abso-freaking-lutely crazy.

HALFTIME

The pace never lets up. After the first two quarters, Brown has rushed for just over 330 yards — but his team trails 56-51. Neither team is quite sure how to stop the other. Offensive stats aren’t yet on either coach’s mind. Both are furious at their defenses.

Meadville coach Ray Collins: I knew going in at halftime — my statistician stands right beside me — and I remember him telling me that Journey was already over 300 yards rushing on our way to the locker room. And I remember thinking that sounds about right; he’s ripped off quite a few big runs. And I think the crazy part was we all — Journey included — we got so focused on winning that football game, I don’t think any of us really grasped what kind of statistics were being rung up.

Meadville RB Journey Brown: When you’re in a game and in the zone, you aren’t worried about how many yards you got. At that point, honestly, I was just worried about what I had to do for my team to win. And if it was getting a lot of yards, it was getting a lot of yards.

DuBois QB Matt Miller: Usually at halftime, the team gathers around and we talk things over — and Coach brought all the defensive players in this back room, and I remember everything they talked about: It was all about Journey. We couldn’t stop him. At halftime, it was all defense. I remember just getting hydrated and talking to some defensive players about having a plan to stop Journey. That was our whole halftime. But nothing would work.

DuBois coach Frank Varischetti: (Brown) was so much faster than everybody else we had so, once he got out of that front-seven area, there was nothing we could do about it. It was very frustrating. I’ve never been a part of anything like that before.

DuBois OL/DL Ryan Pasternak: He’s honestly the fastest kid I’ve ever seen — and he can put moves on you, too, if you did get an angle.

LATE IN THE GAME

The game continues to be a back-and-forth affair. DuBois kicks it onsides after every touchdown in hopes of getting an extra possession; Miller throws a third-quarter interception that allows Meadville an opening — and the Bulldogs take it. Brown ends up with an even stronger second half, even with DuBois loading the box with 10 defenders.

Meadville OL/DL Luke Sherrod: I remember the other kids saying Journey’s run for 500 or 600 yards, and I’m like, “Don’t talk to me.” Nobody was really caring how well Journey was running as long as he was scoring touchdowns. We were just trying to win it.

Meadville RB Journey Brown: I’m going to be honest with you: I’m not going to tell you exactly what I told them (teammates sounding off about the stats) — but I told them to get away from me. I was just ready to ball. I was in the zone. I wasn’t worried about numbers. I was feeling the game. I did apologize after the game, but that’s just how I am. I’m always focused.

DuBois QB Matt Miller: Looking back on it, I’d love to say we could’ve done this different. But with that kid, I’m not really sure what you could do differently. He’s that good. ... We loaded the box hoping to put some bodies in front of him, but that would not work. He was too fast. Once he got the corner on us, he was gone.

Meadville C/LB Tristan Beck: If anything, for that specific play (jet sweep) we kept running, putting more people in the box made it easier for us to run the play. I just remember seeing him sprinting down the field, I’m trotting down the field behind like, “Oh there he goes again. Here he goes again. Here he goes again.” Can’t stop him.

Meadville OL/DL Luke Sherrod: I remember the end of the third quarter, and I think we were losing and I was like, “I can’t believe we just lost this game.” And then the clock turned to four and I’m like, “Oh man, we have another quarter?” I tried to get my mom to buy me a hot dog at the concession stand because I was so hungry and tired.

Meadville C/LB Tristan Beck: I wanted something to eat; I wanted to go home and go to bed. I was exhausted that game. It seemed like it was never going to end. But don’t let Journey fool you — he was exhausted too. But he was an animal; he just keeps going and he doesn’t know when to stop. He doesn’t know how to stop.

FINAL SCORE: MEADVILLE 107, DUBOIS 90

Nearly four hours after it started, the game mercifully comes to an end. DuBois’ scoreboard reads 90 to “07” because it wasn’t designed to count that high. At midfield, the two head coaches just look at one another — stunned — and don’t exchange more than a few words. Most players remain in disbelief. Miller, in his first career start, sets a national record with 787 passing yards. Brown finishes No. 2 in the national record books with 722 rushing yards and 10 TDs.

Meadville coach Ray Collins: I didn’t immediately know after the game how many yards he had because it actually took my statistician a while to add it up. I remember just being awestruck at that number: 722 yards and 10 touchdowns. And keep in mind: He had a touchdown run called back that was somewhere between 39 and 41 yards because of a hold.

DuBois QB Matt Miller: At the end, it was almost like everyone was just looking around. Meadville and us were looking around like, “What the heck just happened?” The game took so long because there were so many stoppages for scores. The game didn’t get over until 11 o’clock at night.

Meadville RB Journey Brown: I was dead tired. All I wanted to do was sleep — and next thing I knew I got cameras in my face and what not. I cramped up on the way home, and I probably slept like a baby that night.

DuBois coach Frank Varischetti: It was embarrassing, really. It’s like, “How did that happen?” It was really just a perfect storm. If we were a bad team, that game’s probably 50-14 and they beat us because of the mercy clock and there’s no way they can score that much. Same way on the other side.

The news spreads over social media in minutes. A local TV station drives nearly two hours to catch the bus right before it leaves. Brown’s Twitter already has hundreds of notifications; Miller is receiving dozens of texts. The next day, Meadville is contacted by newspapers from as far away as Los Angeles. ESPN and FOX are asking for TV interviews. Two years later, there’s still a buzz around that game.

Meadville coach Ray Collins: The next week at the Bradford game — it was on the road — it was packed. This school is in the middle of nowhere, and the whole town came out. There were a couple dozen people on the field after the game asking for Journey’s autograph — and he’s a good kid. He took pictures and everything with them all.

DuBois coach Frank Varischetti: Pretty much anytime I go somewhere, someone will maybe see my DuBois T-shirt and they’ll say, “Is that where you had that crazy high school game?” I think about it all the time — especially being on the losing end of it.

DuBois QB Matt Miller: I’ll go through school, and I’ll still talk to my football friends about that game. It still always gets brought up. We still joke about Journey Brown because he torched us that game. A good conversation will still come up at least once a month, and it’s two years later.

Meadville RB Journey Brown: Every time someone figures out who I am, they’re always like, “Oh you were crazy that game.” So, for me, it’s like an everyday-type thing. It’s nothing crazy, but it’s good that people remember me for what I love to do.

Meadville C/LB Tristan Beck: I’m still just in shock and awe, that’s really the only way to put it. He’s an unbelievable person, and he’s just an amazing player on the football field. Amazing.

This story was originally published June 23, 2017 at 12:08 AM with the headline "How Journey Brown rushed for 722 yards and his offense scored 107 points — in one game."