(The 1979 Sugar Bowl holds a special place in Bama hearts. The place it holds in mine is paramount - it was the first time I ever saw Alabama play a football game, on TV of course. I was 9. This blog looks back at the game that has defined this gentlemanly rivalry now for over three decades).
PROLOGUE
On September 15, 1978, Muhammad Ali regained the heavyweight title he had lost earlier in the year to Leon Spinks with a 15-round unanimous decision over Spinks in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. One hundred nine sunsets later two teams converged on the Superdome carpet to determine the champion of college football for 1978. And this match-up was every bit the drama of a heavyweight title bout.
In one corner stood the nation's only unbeaten team, the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State had been on the precipice of college football immortality for a decade. This past season marked the fourth time in the past 11 years that the Lions had completed an unbeaten regular season. They were still regarded as something of upstarts from the East, an Independent power just coming of age. Their arrival as legitimate contenders came in 1973 when they not only completed an unbeaten regular season but their star running back, John Cappelletti, won the Heisman Trophy in a season dedicated to his cancer-stricken brother. (This was later immortalized in a movie called "Something For Joey"). They now stood in control of their own destiny, needing only one more victory to clinch their first-ever college football national championship. But standing in their way was perhaps the greatest long-term college football dynasty ever assembled, the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Whereas Penn State ended the regular season as the number one team in the land, Alabama began the regular season for only the second time ever as the pre-season number one. Alabama was considered by many to be the uncrowned champion of 1977, the result of a controversial vote that helped Notre Dame leapfrog Alabama in both polls. The Tide was trying to win its fifth national championship in a period of 18 years spanning back to Bryant's first unbeaten Alabama squad in 1961. If Alabama could win the Sugar Bowl, they would have completed their seventh 11-1 season in the last eight years, a span during which their overall record was 87-10. And fully half of those losses had come at the hands of two teams, Nebraksa and Notre Dame. This record of accomplishment is why Alabama went into the game as a slight favorite despite being ranked number two. At the time this game was played it was only the fifth time in history that a consensus #1 squared off against a consensus #2.
Much of the pre-game discussion focused upon the coaches, the legend and the legend-in-waiting. Bear Bryant was the focus of so much pre-game discussion because of his long reign at the top of the game. Bear would eventually become the all-time winningest coach in Division I-A, a record later surpassed (and presently held) by the legend-in-waiting of that day, Joe Paterno. Paterno's team had played a decent slate of teams with seven of their 11 opponents having won 7 or more games (note: this was back during regular seasons of 10 or at most 11 games). Alabama, meanwhile, had played seven opponents with six or more wins. But their higher win total opponents were slightly better teams than Penn State's. Alabama had played a five-game slate to open the year that defied common sense: top ten-ranked Nebraska at home, top-twenty ranked Missouri on the road, a home game against #3 USC, a breather against Vandy, and a road trip to play the ranked Washington Huskies. Alabama navigated that murderer's row with a 4-1 record, losing only to USC. They later beat down #7 LSU, who went into a tailspin after the loss. The Crimson Tide had not been ranked lower than eighth all year. Penn State had opened the year at number three, slipped to number five for a week, and gradually moved up until taking over as #1 on November 13, 1978. Though the pedigrees seemed different, the overall ratings showed Alabama had played the third toughest schedule and Penn State the seventh, making both worthy of the title game appearance.
The game would most likely turn upon whether or not Penn State could contend with Alabama's wishbone formation. Penn State tossed three shutouts in the first five games and had only allowed two opponents, SMU and West Virginia, to score more than 15 points. In ten games the Nittany Lions were only giving up an average of 9 points per game. But they had not faced a wishbone since Alabama had defeated them in the 1975 Sugar Bowl. And the ability to win this game would reside with the skill position players on both teams. These were great as well; both teams had a large number of future NFL players on their rosters.
Alabama brought running backs Tony Nathan and Steve Whitman to the big game and two clutch receivers, Keith Pugh and Bruce Bolton. Penn State countered with quarterback Chuck Fusina and a trio of talented backs led by future Chicago Bear Matt Suhey. Fusina also had a power back named Mike Guman and a talented receiver-punter named Scott Fitzke. The one position where Penn State was indisputably superior to Alabama was the kicking game. Matt Bahr was a long distance kicker who could hit it from fifty-plus yards while Alabama's Alan McElroy was shaky outside 35 yards. But all things considered the game was evenly matched.
THE GAME
Alabama received the opening kickoff and made a short return. On the game’s second play, Tony Nathan left with a hip injury and missed a few possessions. After a quick first down, Alabama punted, leaving Penn State at its own ten. Better make that its own five after a holding penalty on the first play. On the second snap, Chuck Fusina fumbled the ball, but Matt Suhey averted disaster by recovering it. After a three-and-out, Penn State punted to Alabama at midfield.
The Tide’s second possession yielded more yards but no points as a 50-yard field goal attempt by Alan McElroy, whose long was only 41 yards, fell short and wide right. Two plays later Alabama had the ball at midfield again when Murray Legg intercepted a Fusina pass with a sensational dive into the Superdome carpet. Alabama drove into Penn State territory again only to shoot themselves in the foot. On a third-and-nine, Jeff Rutledge oversaw a slowly developed a play that set up fullback Steve Whitman with blockers in front of him and no white shirts nearby for a trip to the end zone. Unfortunately, Whitman dropped the easy catch and the Tide had to punt. At this point Bear called a gadget play, sending in quarterback Don Jacbos for the punt. Running the snap clock low, Jacobs then darted up to the line of scrimmage as all three backs set up in wishbone position. Penn State, however, didn’t bite and the Tide was assessed a five-yard delay penalty. They punted and Penn State took over on their own 20 after the touchback.
The end of the first quarter was scoreless although Bama held the clear edge in aggression. Penn State sported the year’s number one rush defense, giving up a total of only 55 yards per game. Alabama already had 81 yards rushing and it was only the first quarter – and their best running back had only carried the ball twice.
What lay ahead?
The second quarter looked a lot like the first. Woody Umphrey opened the quarter with a punt that once again pinned the Lions deep. The teams played a back-and-forth punt game that totaled six possessions each, the notable exception being Legg’s interception. On one memorable play, Fusina tried to avoid the rush and not only got hit for a 15-yard loss but fumbled the ball. Once again the Lions recovered. But many must have wondered if Penn State really understood the game of football. Aside from their vanilla play calling, the worst example came when Matt Suhey attempted to field an Alabama punt without a fair catch with SIX Alabama defenders encircling him. Suhey held onto the ball, but this kind of play defied basic logic.
Then with about two minutes left in the half, Alabama drove into the red zone to set up the first score of the game. Or so they thought. On a third down play with the field goal in the back pocket, Rutledge rushed his throw to Bruce Bolton. It was picked off by Rich Milot, who sliced through two tacklers and now had only one man standing between himself and a 92-yard interception returned for a touchdown. That man, Major Ogilvie, brought Milot down at the Alabama 37 after a 55 yard gain that swung the momentum. Now it was Penn State, moved out of the shadow of their own goal line for the first time all game who could dream of a score. On third down the Nittany Lions seemed prepped for a long distance Matt Bahr field goal. But Byron Braggs broke through the line and sacked Fusina for a 15-yard loss back across the fifty that forced a punt. Alabama got the ball at their own 20 when Penn State misplayed the goal line coverage. That turned out to be the most important non-event of the first half. The Tide got the ball on the 20 and Tony Nathan, who had only three carries for 23 yards this far, went to work. After a first down, Nathan ran off tackle and into the Penn State secondary. He had one defender to beat but, unfortunately, the block was slow in developing and Nathan got caught from behind. It was a 33-yard scamper that put the Tide at the Penn State 31 with 21 seconds left in the half. And that’s when conservative Bear Bryant turned into Bill Walsh.
With a timeout left and a second down, Bear sent in a pass play. Rutledge dropped straight back and sent his pass to the end zone where Bruce Bolton in one-on-one coverage circled back to the goal line and caught the pass for a touchdown that sent Crimson hearts racing. Finally…FINALLY….after eight possessions Alabama was on the board.
Penn State had nearly survived the onslaught. They had come within fifteen seconds of going in with a tie. It was an embarrassing performance offensively as the Nittany Lions were held to minus seven yards rushing. Three sacks on Fusina had lost fifty yards. Yet Penn State would get the ball to start the second half and despite being so clearly outplayed, they only trailed by the easily overcome score of 7-0.
Penn State took the second half possession at their own 20 and showed what half-time adjustments they had made. After another three and out, Alabama got the ball at midfield. On his first play of the second half, Rutledge threw a bad pass that hit Karl McCoy, the Penn State safety, right in the numbers. Had he caught it would have changed the game, and he may well have returned for a touchdown. Instead he dropped it and the Tide averted disaster. Umphrey then punted Penn State deep in their own territory again. At which point the third quarter began to look like the rest of the game had thus far.
On first down Fusina let fly with a bomb to get back in the game. Fitzke couldn’t quite get it so it was second and ten. Fusina dropped back and overthrew Fitzke on the next play and Jim Bob Harris, a freshman who had quarterbacked Athens High in Georgia to the 1977 Georgia state championship, intercepted the ball at the forty and raced it back to the Penn State 19. Unfortunately, a clip well behind Harris that had no effect on his gain nullified most of the return. Bama then got close enough to try a 41-yard field goal that McElroy shanked to the right by a good 20 feet. Once again, Alabama was its own worst enemy. And once again Penn State could not capitalize and punted after a brief possession. It now appeared that if Alabama could just get up by 10-0 that the game would be as good as won.
And then came the turning point.
With about six minutes left in the third quarter, Rutledge took the snap and dropped back for a pass. He left fly with his best delivery of the game, a hanging spiral toward Clark at midfield. When he took this in and turned there was nobody behind him. And Clark had beat his man by three steps. But unfortunately for Clark, his defender was Pete Harris, the younger brother of Franco Harris, the NFL Hall of Famer. And unfortunately for Clark, Pete Harris led the NCAA in interceptions that year with ten. And his coverage was deceptive because Harris was fast. He made up the steps, cut in front of Clark, and intercepted the pass to the ringing cheers of Penn State fans throughout the Superdome.
At this point in the game there were about five minutes left in the third quarter. Penn State had only 55 yards of total offense, Alabama more than 4 times that amount. But Penn State got nearly that many yards on this one drive, capped off by a spectacular toss from Fusina over the Tide’s weak secondary to Fitzke, who got one foot into the end zone and scored to bring the entire crowd into the game. Matt Bahr’s PAT tied it up entering the final moments of the third quarter. And that’s when Penn State’s defense stood up and stuffed the Tide for losses resulting in a three-and-out and a punt from their own 17. For the first time all day it appeared Penn State was going to take the lead. But another three-and-out led to another punt. And unfortunately for the Lions, this punt cost them the national championship.
Little Lou Ikner, a skinny receiver who looked like he might weigh 160 pounds dripping wet, hauled in the punt at his own 27, broke one tackle, and raced down the sidelines. He only made one mistake – for some inexplicable reason, he cut back across the field at about the thirty yard line. Penn State caught him from behind at the 11, but he surely would have scored if he had merely kept his line. There was only one defender ahead of him and a blocker picking up the defender. The Tide still had to be happy to be just 11 yards short of paydirt. But given their failures to score this was a critical drive. Just to make it more exciting the Tide got flagged for an illegal procedure on first down, setting up first and 15 on the Lions 16. On third down, Rutledge ran the wishbone to perfection, releasing the toss just in time to get it to Major Ogilvie, who plowed across the goal line and gave the Tide a 14-7 lead that they held entering the fourth quarter.
Penn State only had 95 total yards entering the last frame. But it is not as though Alabama’s 251 yard performance was phenomenal. Indeed, Penn State’s defense was keeping them in the game. After another exchange of punts, Penn State took over at their own 19-yard line. And they finally began a drive. Gaining yards now by the half dozen, Penn State quickly drove to the Alabama 31. Then Fusina got greedy. He went for it all on a bomb to the right post to his receiver Bob Bassett. Unfortunately, Jim Bob Harris and Don McNeal were blanketing Bassett in double coverage, and McNeal came down with the interception. Even more disheartening for Penn State was the fact that their ace receiver, Scott Fitzke, was wide open down the middle of the field. Bama took over at their own 20 needing just one score to put it away.
But the Penn State defense held. On third and long Rutledge set up the option. Unfortunately, he tossed the ball short, and Penn State recovered the fumble on the Alabama 19 with only 8 minutes left. Momentum was now Penn State’s ally. On the first play, Matt Suhey turned in the best run by the Lions since the first quarter, gaining 11 yards and setting up Penn State with first-and-goal at the Crimson Tide 8. What followed would go down in college football lore as one of the greatest goal line stands in history.
On first down Fusina again tossed to Suhey, who went left for two yards. Second and goal on the six. Fusina now passed to Fitzke. Fitzke caught it at the one-yard line and turned to cross the goal line. Suddenly out of nowhere Don McNeal thrust his body across the goal line and knocked Fitzke out of bounds before he could score. It was nothing short of sensational, but Penn State had the ball at the one with two plays to score. On third down, Fusina went with his best back, Matt Suhey. Suhey twisted and turned but the Tide defense penetrated well. Still, he got half of it on that push. If they could just get that much again, Penn State would be in pole position for the national title.
Legend has it that an Alabama player (either Barry Krauss or Marty Lyons) screamed to Fusina, “You better pass.” The two teams lined up for the play of the season. Fusina took the ball on a quicker than normal count and handed it to Mike Guman, Penn State’s short-yardage specialist. The play was a dive over the top. But Bama penetrated too quickly and as one player got Guman by the legs and prevented his ascent, Barry Krauss came over the top and nailed Guman, driving him to the ground and giving Alabama the ball on its own goal line with six minutes left. Frank Broyles and Keith Jackson each marveled at what had happened, both noting that this stand would be talked about decades from now if Alabama won the game. But the Tide couldn’t move the ball and had to punt it from the shadow of their own goal.
And that’s when Lady Luck shined on Alabama.
Umphrey got away a terrible punt. But suddenly there was a flag that confused Keith Jackson. Broyles, however, got the idea. “Would you believe 12 men on the field, Keith?” Jackson couldn’t believe it and likely neither could anyone else. The penalty gave Alabama the ball with a new set of downs. The Tide then ran three minutes off the clock before surrendering the ball. Fusina drove Penn State down – close enough that a bomb to the end zone in the final minute would have tied (or even won) the game had it not been batted down once again by Murray Legg. After a three-and-out, Penn State got the ball back with only seconds left. On his second pass, Fusina threw it right at , who hauled it in and tore down the field towards the end zone. He probably could have scored, but he went out of bounds with two seconds left and the field was a Crimson covered madhouse.
EPILOGUE
Fans had to wait a day to read the final poll in the newspapers. There was no ESPN or Internet - or even CNN - in 1979. USC's controversial win over Michigan made for great fodder. Alabama fans had reason to worry - their sole loss in 1978 was to USC. But Bama fans noted that the previous year the argument given for Notre Dame had been their knocking off of number one. Tide fans now insisted the same respect be shown to their team - and it was, at least in the AP poll Alabama won the AP national championship over USC, who claimed the UPI title (the coaches poll). Penn State ended the year at number four, an accomplishment to celebrate under almost any other circumstance.
The 1979 Sugar Bowl actually helped determine not just the national champion of 1978 but also three more championships in the next nine years. Alabama kept rolling in 1979, never losing a single game in that calendar year and completing a second consecutive national championship with a 24-9 win over Arkansas to ring in 1980. But Penn State regrouped well. Their success in 1978 set the stage for their greater success in the 1980s. Their national recognition helped them land the players including Todd Blackledge, Curt Warner, and Walker Lee Ashley, who guided the Nittany Lions to the 1982 national championship. And that success bred more success that gave the Lions a second national title in 1986 won by the seniors who came to Penn State as a result of their 1982 success including D.J. Dozier, Shane Conlan, and the late John Bruno. Penn State even learned how to win the very type of game they lost on the Sugar Bowl carpet. In the 1987 Fiesta Bowl - the highest rated telecast in collegiate history - Penn State was outplayed in nearly every facet of the game but walked away the national champion thanks in large part to five turnovers and the punting of Bruno. Joe Paterno eventually surpassed Bear Bryant to become the winningest coach in college history (Division I).
PROLOGUE
On September 15, 1978, Muhammad Ali regained the heavyweight title he had lost earlier in the year to Leon Spinks with a 15-round unanimous decision over Spinks in the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans. One hundred nine sunsets later two teams converged on the Superdome carpet to determine the champion of college football for 1978. And this match-up was every bit the drama of a heavyweight title bout.
In one corner stood the nation's only unbeaten team, the Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn State had been on the precipice of college football immortality for a decade. This past season marked the fourth time in the past 11 years that the Lions had completed an unbeaten regular season. They were still regarded as something of upstarts from the East, an Independent power just coming of age. Their arrival as legitimate contenders came in 1973 when they not only completed an unbeaten regular season but their star running back, John Cappelletti, won the Heisman Trophy in a season dedicated to his cancer-stricken brother. (This was later immortalized in a movie called "Something For Joey"). They now stood in control of their own destiny, needing only one more victory to clinch their first-ever college football national championship. But standing in their way was perhaps the greatest long-term college football dynasty ever assembled, the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Whereas Penn State ended the regular season as the number one team in the land, Alabama began the regular season for only the second time ever as the pre-season number one. Alabama was considered by many to be the uncrowned champion of 1977, the result of a controversial vote that helped Notre Dame leapfrog Alabama in both polls. The Tide was trying to win its fifth national championship in a period of 18 years spanning back to Bryant's first unbeaten Alabama squad in 1961. If Alabama could win the Sugar Bowl, they would have completed their seventh 11-1 season in the last eight years, a span during which their overall record was 87-10. And fully half of those losses had come at the hands of two teams, Nebraksa and Notre Dame. This record of accomplishment is why Alabama went into the game as a slight favorite despite being ranked number two. At the time this game was played it was only the fifth time in history that a consensus #1 squared off against a consensus #2.
Much of the pre-game discussion focused upon the coaches, the legend and the legend-in-waiting. Bear Bryant was the focus of so much pre-game discussion because of his long reign at the top of the game. Bear would eventually become the all-time winningest coach in Division I-A, a record later surpassed (and presently held) by the legend-in-waiting of that day, Joe Paterno. Paterno's team had played a decent slate of teams with seven of their 11 opponents having won 7 or more games (note: this was back during regular seasons of 10 or at most 11 games). Alabama, meanwhile, had played seven opponents with six or more wins. But their higher win total opponents were slightly better teams than Penn State's. Alabama had played a five-game slate to open the year that defied common sense: top ten-ranked Nebraska at home, top-twenty ranked Missouri on the road, a home game against #3 USC, a breather against Vandy, and a road trip to play the ranked Washington Huskies. Alabama navigated that murderer's row with a 4-1 record, losing only to USC. They later beat down #7 LSU, who went into a tailspin after the loss. The Crimson Tide had not been ranked lower than eighth all year. Penn State had opened the year at number three, slipped to number five for a week, and gradually moved up until taking over as #1 on November 13, 1978. Though the pedigrees seemed different, the overall ratings showed Alabama had played the third toughest schedule and Penn State the seventh, making both worthy of the title game appearance.
The game would most likely turn upon whether or not Penn State could contend with Alabama's wishbone formation. Penn State tossed three shutouts in the first five games and had only allowed two opponents, SMU and West Virginia, to score more than 15 points. In ten games the Nittany Lions were only giving up an average of 9 points per game. But they had not faced a wishbone since Alabama had defeated them in the 1975 Sugar Bowl. And the ability to win this game would reside with the skill position players on both teams. These were great as well; both teams had a large number of future NFL players on their rosters.
Alabama brought running backs Tony Nathan and Steve Whitman to the big game and two clutch receivers, Keith Pugh and Bruce Bolton. Penn State countered with quarterback Chuck Fusina and a trio of talented backs led by future Chicago Bear Matt Suhey. Fusina also had a power back named Mike Guman and a talented receiver-punter named Scott Fitzke. The one position where Penn State was indisputably superior to Alabama was the kicking game. Matt Bahr was a long distance kicker who could hit it from fifty-plus yards while Alabama's Alan McElroy was shaky outside 35 yards. But all things considered the game was evenly matched.
THE GAME
Alabama received the opening kickoff and made a short return. On the game’s second play, Tony Nathan left with a hip injury and missed a few possessions. After a quick first down, Alabama punted, leaving Penn State at its own ten. Better make that its own five after a holding penalty on the first play. On the second snap, Chuck Fusina fumbled the ball, but Matt Suhey averted disaster by recovering it. After a three-and-out, Penn State punted to Alabama at midfield.
The Tide’s second possession yielded more yards but no points as a 50-yard field goal attempt by Alan McElroy, whose long was only 41 yards, fell short and wide right. Two plays later Alabama had the ball at midfield again when Murray Legg intercepted a Fusina pass with a sensational dive into the Superdome carpet. Alabama drove into Penn State territory again only to shoot themselves in the foot. On a third-and-nine, Jeff Rutledge oversaw a slowly developed a play that set up fullback Steve Whitman with blockers in front of him and no white shirts nearby for a trip to the end zone. Unfortunately, Whitman dropped the easy catch and the Tide had to punt. At this point Bear called a gadget play, sending in quarterback Don Jacbos for the punt. Running the snap clock low, Jacobs then darted up to the line of scrimmage as all three backs set up in wishbone position. Penn State, however, didn’t bite and the Tide was assessed a five-yard delay penalty. They punted and Penn State took over on their own 20 after the touchback.
The end of the first quarter was scoreless although Bama held the clear edge in aggression. Penn State sported the year’s number one rush defense, giving up a total of only 55 yards per game. Alabama already had 81 yards rushing and it was only the first quarter – and their best running back had only carried the ball twice.
What lay ahead?
The second quarter looked a lot like the first. Woody Umphrey opened the quarter with a punt that once again pinned the Lions deep. The teams played a back-and-forth punt game that totaled six possessions each, the notable exception being Legg’s interception. On one memorable play, Fusina tried to avoid the rush and not only got hit for a 15-yard loss but fumbled the ball. Once again the Lions recovered. But many must have wondered if Penn State really understood the game of football. Aside from their vanilla play calling, the worst example came when Matt Suhey attempted to field an Alabama punt without a fair catch with SIX Alabama defenders encircling him. Suhey held onto the ball, but this kind of play defied basic logic.
Then with about two minutes left in the half, Alabama drove into the red zone to set up the first score of the game. Or so they thought. On a third down play with the field goal in the back pocket, Rutledge rushed his throw to Bruce Bolton. It was picked off by Rich Milot, who sliced through two tacklers and now had only one man standing between himself and a 92-yard interception returned for a touchdown. That man, Major Ogilvie, brought Milot down at the Alabama 37 after a 55 yard gain that swung the momentum. Now it was Penn State, moved out of the shadow of their own goal line for the first time all game who could dream of a score. On third down the Nittany Lions seemed prepped for a long distance Matt Bahr field goal. But Byron Braggs broke through the line and sacked Fusina for a 15-yard loss back across the fifty that forced a punt. Alabama got the ball at their own 20 when Penn State misplayed the goal line coverage. That turned out to be the most important non-event of the first half. The Tide got the ball on the 20 and Tony Nathan, who had only three carries for 23 yards this far, went to work. After a first down, Nathan ran off tackle and into the Penn State secondary. He had one defender to beat but, unfortunately, the block was slow in developing and Nathan got caught from behind. It was a 33-yard scamper that put the Tide at the Penn State 31 with 21 seconds left in the half. And that’s when conservative Bear Bryant turned into Bill Walsh.
With a timeout left and a second down, Bear sent in a pass play. Rutledge dropped straight back and sent his pass to the end zone where Bruce Bolton in one-on-one coverage circled back to the goal line and caught the pass for a touchdown that sent Crimson hearts racing. Finally…FINALLY….after eight possessions Alabama was on the board.
Penn State had nearly survived the onslaught. They had come within fifteen seconds of going in with a tie. It was an embarrassing performance offensively as the Nittany Lions were held to minus seven yards rushing. Three sacks on Fusina had lost fifty yards. Yet Penn State would get the ball to start the second half and despite being so clearly outplayed, they only trailed by the easily overcome score of 7-0.
Penn State took the second half possession at their own 20 and showed what half-time adjustments they had made. After another three and out, Alabama got the ball at midfield. On his first play of the second half, Rutledge threw a bad pass that hit Karl McCoy, the Penn State safety, right in the numbers. Had he caught it would have changed the game, and he may well have returned for a touchdown. Instead he dropped it and the Tide averted disaster. Umphrey then punted Penn State deep in their own territory again. At which point the third quarter began to look like the rest of the game had thus far.
On first down Fusina let fly with a bomb to get back in the game. Fitzke couldn’t quite get it so it was second and ten. Fusina dropped back and overthrew Fitzke on the next play and Jim Bob Harris, a freshman who had quarterbacked Athens High in Georgia to the 1977 Georgia state championship, intercepted the ball at the forty and raced it back to the Penn State 19. Unfortunately, a clip well behind Harris that had no effect on his gain nullified most of the return. Bama then got close enough to try a 41-yard field goal that McElroy shanked to the right by a good 20 feet. Once again, Alabama was its own worst enemy. And once again Penn State could not capitalize and punted after a brief possession. It now appeared that if Alabama could just get up by 10-0 that the game would be as good as won.
And then came the turning point.
With about six minutes left in the third quarter, Rutledge took the snap and dropped back for a pass. He left fly with his best delivery of the game, a hanging spiral toward Clark at midfield. When he took this in and turned there was nobody behind him. And Clark had beat his man by three steps. But unfortunately for Clark, his defender was Pete Harris, the younger brother of Franco Harris, the NFL Hall of Famer. And unfortunately for Clark, Pete Harris led the NCAA in interceptions that year with ten. And his coverage was deceptive because Harris was fast. He made up the steps, cut in front of Clark, and intercepted the pass to the ringing cheers of Penn State fans throughout the Superdome.
At this point in the game there were about five minutes left in the third quarter. Penn State had only 55 yards of total offense, Alabama more than 4 times that amount. But Penn State got nearly that many yards on this one drive, capped off by a spectacular toss from Fusina over the Tide’s weak secondary to Fitzke, who got one foot into the end zone and scored to bring the entire crowd into the game. Matt Bahr’s PAT tied it up entering the final moments of the third quarter. And that’s when Penn State’s defense stood up and stuffed the Tide for losses resulting in a three-and-out and a punt from their own 17. For the first time all day it appeared Penn State was going to take the lead. But another three-and-out led to another punt. And unfortunately for the Lions, this punt cost them the national championship.
Little Lou Ikner, a skinny receiver who looked like he might weigh 160 pounds dripping wet, hauled in the punt at his own 27, broke one tackle, and raced down the sidelines. He only made one mistake – for some inexplicable reason, he cut back across the field at about the thirty yard line. Penn State caught him from behind at the 11, but he surely would have scored if he had merely kept his line. There was only one defender ahead of him and a blocker picking up the defender. The Tide still had to be happy to be just 11 yards short of paydirt. But given their failures to score this was a critical drive. Just to make it more exciting the Tide got flagged for an illegal procedure on first down, setting up first and 15 on the Lions 16. On third down, Rutledge ran the wishbone to perfection, releasing the toss just in time to get it to Major Ogilvie, who plowed across the goal line and gave the Tide a 14-7 lead that they held entering the fourth quarter.
Penn State only had 95 total yards entering the last frame. But it is not as though Alabama’s 251 yard performance was phenomenal. Indeed, Penn State’s defense was keeping them in the game. After another exchange of punts, Penn State took over at their own 19-yard line. And they finally began a drive. Gaining yards now by the half dozen, Penn State quickly drove to the Alabama 31. Then Fusina got greedy. He went for it all on a bomb to the right post to his receiver Bob Bassett. Unfortunately, Jim Bob Harris and Don McNeal were blanketing Bassett in double coverage, and McNeal came down with the interception. Even more disheartening for Penn State was the fact that their ace receiver, Scott Fitzke, was wide open down the middle of the field. Bama took over at their own 20 needing just one score to put it away.
But the Penn State defense held. On third and long Rutledge set up the option. Unfortunately, he tossed the ball short, and Penn State recovered the fumble on the Alabama 19 with only 8 minutes left. Momentum was now Penn State’s ally. On the first play, Matt Suhey turned in the best run by the Lions since the first quarter, gaining 11 yards and setting up Penn State with first-and-goal at the Crimson Tide 8. What followed would go down in college football lore as one of the greatest goal line stands in history.
On first down Fusina again tossed to Suhey, who went left for two yards. Second and goal on the six. Fusina now passed to Fitzke. Fitzke caught it at the one-yard line and turned to cross the goal line. Suddenly out of nowhere Don McNeal thrust his body across the goal line and knocked Fitzke out of bounds before he could score. It was nothing short of sensational, but Penn State had the ball at the one with two plays to score. On third down, Fusina went with his best back, Matt Suhey. Suhey twisted and turned but the Tide defense penetrated well. Still, he got half of it on that push. If they could just get that much again, Penn State would be in pole position for the national title.
Legend has it that an Alabama player (either Barry Krauss or Marty Lyons) screamed to Fusina, “You better pass.” The two teams lined up for the play of the season. Fusina took the ball on a quicker than normal count and handed it to Mike Guman, Penn State’s short-yardage specialist. The play was a dive over the top. But Bama penetrated too quickly and as one player got Guman by the legs and prevented his ascent, Barry Krauss came over the top and nailed Guman, driving him to the ground and giving Alabama the ball on its own goal line with six minutes left. Frank Broyles and Keith Jackson each marveled at what had happened, both noting that this stand would be talked about decades from now if Alabama won the game. But the Tide couldn’t move the ball and had to punt it from the shadow of their own goal.
And that’s when Lady Luck shined on Alabama.
Umphrey got away a terrible punt. But suddenly there was a flag that confused Keith Jackson. Broyles, however, got the idea. “Would you believe 12 men on the field, Keith?” Jackson couldn’t believe it and likely neither could anyone else. The penalty gave Alabama the ball with a new set of downs. The Tide then ran three minutes off the clock before surrendering the ball. Fusina drove Penn State down – close enough that a bomb to the end zone in the final minute would have tied (or even won) the game had it not been batted down once again by Murray Legg. After a three-and-out, Penn State got the ball back with only seconds left. On his second pass, Fusina threw it right at , who hauled it in and tore down the field towards the end zone. He probably could have scored, but he went out of bounds with two seconds left and the field was a Crimson covered madhouse.
EPILOGUE
Fans had to wait a day to read the final poll in the newspapers. There was no ESPN or Internet - or even CNN - in 1979. USC's controversial win over Michigan made for great fodder. Alabama fans had reason to worry - their sole loss in 1978 was to USC. But Bama fans noted that the previous year the argument given for Notre Dame had been their knocking off of number one. Tide fans now insisted the same respect be shown to their team - and it was, at least in the AP poll Alabama won the AP national championship over USC, who claimed the UPI title (the coaches poll). Penn State ended the year at number four, an accomplishment to celebrate under almost any other circumstance.
The 1979 Sugar Bowl actually helped determine not just the national champion of 1978 but also three more championships in the next nine years. Alabama kept rolling in 1979, never losing a single game in that calendar year and completing a second consecutive national championship with a 24-9 win over Arkansas to ring in 1980. But Penn State regrouped well. Their success in 1978 set the stage for their greater success in the 1980s. Their national recognition helped them land the players including Todd Blackledge, Curt Warner, and Walker Lee Ashley, who guided the Nittany Lions to the 1982 national championship. And that success bred more success that gave the Lions a second national title in 1986 won by the seniors who came to Penn State as a result of their 1982 success including D.J. Dozier, Shane Conlan, and the late John Bruno. Penn State even learned how to win the very type of game they lost on the Sugar Bowl carpet. In the 1987 Fiesta Bowl - the highest rated telecast in collegiate history - Penn State was outplayed in nearly every facet of the game but walked away the national champion thanks in large part to five turnovers and the punting of Bruno. Joe Paterno eventually surpassed Bear Bryant to become the winningest coach in college history (Division I).
