'79 Sugar Bowl

[SEPATOPTEN]

Early 3rd quarter our DB McCoy dropped a pick around our 40 that hit him right between the numbers (literally). If he catches it he probably gets 20 yards or more. Could have been a big momentum swing.

So many what ifs in that game. Probably the most stinging loss in PSU football history given what was at stake and how we lost.

Wasn't that Pete Harris?

 

[SEPATOPTEN]

First off, let's correct your recollection. I've attached a video link of the plays leading up to the goal line stand and the goal line stand itself.

1st down from the 8, a 2-yard gain by Mike Guman.
2nd down from the 6, Fusina hits Fitzkee and is tackled at the 1 by Don McNeal. Fitzkee ran the route one yard short.
3rd down from the 1 - Suhey over the top and I believe the football reached the plane of the goal line (see photos).
4th down from the 1 - Guman stopped by Barry Krauss.
So there was only two plays from the one-yard line not four.

View embedded media

Very tough to tell on the 3rd down run. It's funny but that was a perfect time for a qb sneak.

 

[Kasparaitis]

Totally shut him down. The Garrity TD catch is the #1 play in PSU football history. The Giftopoulos pick probably tied with it or right behind.

Garrity should never, ever have to buy his own beer in PA. Same with Blackledge and Warner.

And Shane Conlan. He would have offset that 1978 Alabama defense.

 

[ryoder1]

Wasn't that Pete Harris?

No, I watched the replay. It was McCoy. Ball was thrown behind the receiver right into McCoy's hands. He could have gained some good yardage returning the pick. I bet he could have set us up inside the Bama 40.

 

[ryoder1]

And Shane Conlan. He would have offset that 1978 Alabama defense.

Yeah there are a number of dudes that should never have to buy their own beer in PA or certainly State College.

 

[ryoder1]

Very tough to tell on the 3rd down run. It's funny but that was a perfect time for a qb sneak.

I would like to see an angle from the goal line. Typical that Bama and the Bear are going to get that judgment call over JoePa.

 

[saturdaysarebetter2]

I would like to see an angle from the goal line. Typical that Bama and the Bear are going to get that judgment call over JoePa.

Apparently, and unfortunately, there was no tv camera on that side of the field and the pylon cam hadn't been invented yet for that better viewing angle of the third down play.

 

[Kasparaitis]

Apparently, and unfortunately, there was no tv camera on that side of the field and the pylon cam hadn't been invented yet for that better viewing angle of the third down play.

Yeah, maybe things would have been slightly different if technology corrected calls in that game and #1 was forced to play #2 in 1994. You think?

 

[saturdaysarebetter2]

Yeah, maybe things would have been slightly different if technology corrected calls in that game and #1 was forced to play #2 in 1994. You think?

Without a doubt.

 

[Ski]

This was one of a few painful losses to Alabama. Besides the 1978 Sugar Bowl, there was the 1982 game where our punt hit the back of Suter and bounced backwards towards the PSU goal line. And the 1989 game last drive where it was Blair Thomas, Blair Thomas, Blair Thomas, over and over, as PSU marched down the field and then we elect to kick the field goal from the 1 instead of running him again on the last play and wound up having it blocked and losing by 1 point. I think kicking the field goal in that game was a result of the failure to score in the 1978 game. Some games you never forget because of what might have been. Those were 3 of them.

 

[ryoder1]

This was one of a few painful losses to Alabama. Besides the 1978 Sugar Bowl, there was the 1982 game where our punt hit the back of Suter and bounced backwards towards the PSU goal line. And the 1989 game last drive where it was Blair Thomas, Blair Thomas, Blair Thomas, over and over, as PSU marched down the field and then we elect to kick the field goal from the 1 instead of running him again on the last play and wound up having it blocked and losing by 1 point. I think kicking the field goal in that game was a result of the failure to score in the 1978 game. Some games you never forget because of what might have been. Those were 3 of them.

Thankfully we were able to recover from that '82 loss and go on to win the national championship. Joe never could beat the Bear and was outcoached in the '79 Sugar Bowl by him.

We had some nice wins against them post Bear. Totally throttling them in Tuscaloosa in '86, 23-3. In '85 we beat them 19-17 with a great call by Joe having the backup Matt Knizner throw to our TE Brian Siverling to stretch the lead to 19-10 midway through the 4th quarter.

 

[PSUPride1]

Thankfully we were able to recover from that '82 loss and go on to win the national championship. Joe never could beat the Bear and was outcoached in the '79 Sugar Bowl by him.

We had some nice wins against them post Bear. Totally throttling them in Tuscaloosa in '86, 23-3. In '85 we beat them 19-17 with a great call by Joe having the backup Matt Knizner throw to our TE Brian Siverling to stretch the lead to 19-10 midway through the 4th quarter.

I'm so glad I lived through Joe's prime years. I always thought we could win every game and I always thought we had the best coach and he could outcoach the other guy even if the other guy had superior talent.
And in 86 Penn State was unquestionably the best program in the nation.
I never feel like Franklin can outcoach the other guy. I guess it is what it is.

 

[saturdaysarebetter2]

If 3 dives don't do it, on 4th, you fake the gut, go outside.

It wasn't three dives.

First off, let's correct your recollection. I've attached a video link in this thread of the plays leading up to the goal line stand and the goal line stand itself.

1st down from the 8, a 2-yard gain by Mike Guman.
2nd down from the 6, Fusina hits Fitzkee and is tackled at the 1 by Don McNeal. Fitzkee ran the route one yard short.
3rd down from the 1 - Suhey over the top and I believe the football reached the plane of the goal line (see photos).
4th down from the 1 - Guman stopped by Barry Krauss.
So there was only two plays from the one-yard line not four.

 

[saturdaysarebetter2]

I'm so glad I lived through Joe's prime years. I always thought we could win every game and I always thought we had the best coach and he could outcoach the other guy even if the other guy had superior talent.
And in 86 Penn State was unquestionably the best program in the nation.
I never feel like Franklin can outcoach the other guy. I guess it is what it is.

There's only one Joe Paterno.

 

[ryoder1]

I'm so glad I lived through Joe's prime years. I always thought we could win every game and I always thought we had the best coach and he could outcoach the other guy even if the other guy had superior talent.
And in 86 Penn State was unquestionably the best program in the nation.
I never feel like Franklin can outcoach the other guy. I guess it is what it is.

In his prime Joe was the best, no doubt. Just look at his sterling bowl record.

 

[brupsu]

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.

Game of inches the play at the goal line that set up the four up the gut fails was the play of the game. Great play by the Alabama db.
To this day I still think PSU was the better team.

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

Game of inches the play at the goal line that set up the four up the gut fails was the play of the game. Great play by the Alabama db.
To this day I still think PSU was the better team.

There wasn't four up the gut.
First off, let's correct your recollection. I've attached a video link in this thread of the plays leading up to the goal line stand and the goal line stand itself.

1st down from the 8, a 2-yard gain by Mike Guman.
2nd down from the 6, Fusina hits Fitzkee and is tackled at the 1 by Don McNeal. Fitzkee ran the route one yard short.
3rd down from the 1 - Suhey over the top and I believe the football reached the plane of the goal line (see photos).
4th down from the 1 - Guman stopped by Barry Krauss.
So there was only two plays from the one-yard line not four.

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

I'm still not so sure Suhey didn't reach the goal line plane on third down.

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

 

[brupsu]

I'm still not so sure Suhey didn't reach the goal line plane on third down.

Thanks for correcting me see all these years later and I am still not over that loss

 

[saturdaysarebetter]

Thanks for correcting me see all these years later and I am still not over that loss

You're welcome. It's a common misperception that's grown over time and erroniously discredits Penn State's playcalling. I'm not either. Nor the 1999 loss to Minnesota at home.

 

[ryoder1]

You're welcome. It's a common misperception that's grown over time and erroniously discredits Penn State's playcalling. I'm not either. Nor the 1999 loss to Minnesota at home.

He may have gotten in but on 4th down we should pitched wide to the left to Guman. The same play we scored against Pitt earlier that season to clinch the win.

 

[LongJakk]

I believe Suhey's initial run was just short, but he then reached the ball over the line. They refs marked him down where his initial stoppage occurred. I 100% believe a goal line cam would've given us the TD.