To spice up the board a little I figured I would try to get a discussion going about this game. Kind of a downer I know as it brings back bad memories to those who were of age to remember.
For me personally I didn't watch the game. My family took a vacation to Southern California that year and we went to the Rose Bowl game. I was 12. By the way, that Rose Bowl game was USC vs Michigan with the infamous Charles White leap for a TD that was not a TD. Hilarious that Michigan got hosed on that call. Schmuckbechler would have found a way to blow the game even if they didn't give USC the TD on that play.
Back to the Sugar Bowl.
Anybody on this board go to the game?? What was the atmosphere like? I bet it was mostly a Bama crowd but I think Penn State brought a lot of fans. This game had to have been very exciting to attend as a PSU fan. The vibe in the PSU fan section had to be electric! It was Joe's first opportunity at a clear cut national championship.
The run started in '77 with the only blemish being the Kentucky loss and closing that season with an epic win vs Pitt in the snow and crushing Arizona State in the Fiesta Bowl.
In '78 we were great and I attended all of the home games including our thrashing of Maryland and then beating Pitt. I love to this day Joe's decision to go for it on 4th and goal at the 3 and Guman walks in with the pitch. One of the iconic PSU plays for sure. I also was in Ohio Stadium to watch us dominate OSU 19-0.
So now we are pitted vs Bear Bryant and Alabama. We lost to them 3 years earlier in the first game ever in the Superdome.
Our defense was stout. Millen and Clark were great and we also had Lance Mehl, Joe Lally and Larry Kubin who were all very good. I think Pete Harris got a huge pick in this game. The teams were evenly matched.
I recently watched our TD and Fitzkee makes an unbelievable catch in the back of the endzone. Incredible balance and footwork to get his foot down. Better catch than Garrity's in the '83 Sugar Bowl, in my opinion.
On the goal line stand....Ugh! Why did we run it 4 straight times?! I think we ran it 4 straight, right? What were we thinking on the 4th down play?? I have read that Joe wanted to pass but he got talked out of it?? I think that was in one of the books about him.
What should we have done?? We must have had a play to simply slip the TE out?? It would have been Mickey Shuler, right? Or we could have faked Suhey up the middle and run Guman wide. There were other options as well. Bama totally sold out on the dive play. It's like they knew that was the play we called! Man, I think how sweet it would have been to have won that game! Joe never beat Bear Bryant unfortunately.
I have read that Joe admitted in one of the books about him that he seriously contemplated retirement after this game since it was such a devastating loss. Thankfully he did not.
Interested in the board's thoughts on this game from all perspectives and from anyone who attended.
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