When a reporter came running into the office on Friday bursting with the news that the Paternoville banner for the Thon auction had been defaced with red spray with the words, "border wars, Go Bucks, #1," we all stopped breathing for a second.

The seniors and juniors in the room looked at each other with the same thought: "People are going to be pissed."

See, I was a crime and courts reporter during the 2005 Ohio State victory and won't ever forget standing in Beaver Canyon amid the thousands of screaming fans, mounted state troopers and banging cookware.

We were prepped with stories of the March 24, 2001 riots when 4,000 people swarmed into Beaver Canyon after Penn State's loss to Temple in the NCAA Men's basketball tournament. Three people suffered face and head injuries, 20 people were arrested on various charges and traffic signs, light posts and windows were left broken in the streets.

So after the celebratory macing on the field two years ago, I thought State College was going to turn into the Rodney King riots circa 1992 Los Angeles -- bricks through store fronts, cars on fire, Ohio State fans levitated like the muggles during the Quidditch World Cup.

But those visions of murder and mayhem couldn't have been further from reality. In 2005, post-Ohio State Beaver Avenue was a celebration and in 2007, with the loss heavy on our minds, post-Ohio State was just a bit disorderly.

There were some fights, mostly involving the red-clad OSU supporters, some disorderly conducts and the usual inordinately high number of alcohol violations.

But for all the letters and angry phone calls we usually get about fan behavior from furious hordes of visitors and alumni, I'm actually surprised it was just disorderly.

Since I moved to Happy Valley in 2004, I've seen my share of disgusting fan behavior. I saw a student throw a chicken wing at a little girl dressed up as a Notre Dame cheerleader. I saw a group of boys dump a bucket of beer on the head of an unsuspecting octogenarian from Michigan. But both times, other Penn State fans helped the visitors and condemned those who share their alma mater.

So for all the bad press we get about being protective on our home turf -- and I know that's putting it mildly -- I was pretty proud of the behavior I saw this weekend.

Of course, I might have missed some Penn State atrocities, but at least we didn't deface a banner raising money for kids with cancer.