Minnesota 1999
- Thread starter psulongago
- Start date
Well, if posters here are going to relive 48-14 and 6-4 ad nauseum, can't really expect them to forget any other games.
The voices in his head? Gunsie is starting to crack, typing random words in all caps... Old Miles is starting to shine through. He tried so hard this time too, poor fella just can't help himself.
That's multiple times now that people referenced us getting pounded by Mich St. We had the ball in a tie game with like 5:00 left and turned it over. They scored a TD with 2:30 left to break a tie and win by a touchdown. It was closer than people seem to remember.
TJ Duckett absolutely dominated that game. DOMINATED.
It was close on the scoreboard, but Courtney Brown and our "elite" defensive line never came close to stopping him.
I was at the game... as I have been for every home game except one since 1959! That game stands out as one of the lowest points of my Penn State experience. People forget about the series that occurred right before the series that ended up with the fluke 4th and 18 reception that led to the FG that won the game...We were ahead by 2 points and we had a 3rd and 4 on the Minnesota 34 yd line. A first down would have allowed us to run out the clock to practically no time and basically ensure a win. Instead of calling a play to pick up the the 4 yards, we ended up throwing a long pass into the end zone. We then decided not to try to kick a long FG. Instead we punted the ball and it wasn't downed until it went into the end zone... giving Minnesota the ball on their own 20 (a 14 yd. net difference). I understand the idea that we had one of the best defenses in the country and Paterno decided to leave in their hands to preserve the win... but when you take a chance like that, there is always that possibility of a fluke play happening like it did that day. That loss seemed to take the heart out of the team, and they ended up losing the next 2 games. It was not one of Paterno's best coaching jobs. Since that game, I have developed an appreciation for coaches that attempt remain aggressive rather than those that try to hold on to the lead, etc...
And yet we turned it over 4 times, gave up a punt return TD, and still had the ball with 5 minutes left in a tie game. I wouldn't consider that being "dominated". His 159 rushing hurt, but when I think of dominated, I'm thinking more like 1997 when they had two different guys rush for over 200.
Fair enough. I was there, FWIW, and even when we had the ball in a tie game, I never thought we would win.
That 1999 team was incredibly mentally weak. Basically never made plays when they had to.
On the plus side, LaVar was good at beating up punters.
I was there too, and after our comeback, we had all the momentum and had taken the crowd out of the game (and even got that key stop to get the ball back after we tied it up). Then we turned it over in our own territory, they scored and their crowd was back into it, and they got the final stop.
and if they tried a FG and missed it, it be why not kick it deep and put the game in your defenses hands. Coaches can never win in those situations. The calls were right, the players didn't execute.
Win provided by loose cannon Arington, out of position again.
I was there. Extremely deflating, but that team didn't have the promise of the '99 team. I remember the comment from Blair Thomas after that game that, on the play prior to the FG attempt, he was disoriented and lost his place on the field in the pile up. Had he known where he was, he would have easily scored a TD.
Lavar made a big play and the place was going nuts, then like a minute later you could hear a pin drop- never seen that before or since.
Still remember the 4th qtr of that Michigan game. I think we were up 10 to start 4th qtr. Back to back drives, Brady took Michigan the length of the field for TDs. Mich went with 3-4 WR's on most plays. Spread us out and left Fox covering a WR in man to man. Seemed like on every play Brady came up to the line, looked to see who Fox was covering and threw it to that guy, who was wide open. We never really adjusted. We also stopped using Lavar as a rusher and he was running around in coverage, not his strength. Defensive coaching lost that one for us. And that was after building a lead on an INT that was run back for a TD by us.
I was at both games. Difference? Alabama and Minnesota. Alabama was tough because it was Alabama. Minnesota stunk. Losing to them was unfathomable.
Go back and watch the drive in the 3rd quarter. Joe fuxed it up with awful substitution in the red zone. The ubiquitous field goal instead of a TD.
In the last minutes of that game, I stood at the top of NA, pacing back and forth. When that field goal was made, I was bent over, hands on knees, like I'd been kicked in the short hairs. Worst loss I ever saw at Beaver Stadium.
YES. I think we were #1. Lavar and company.
Minny essentially completed a hail mary to the ~20yd line with a few seconds left and then kicked a FG to win.
In defense of the staff, (for that Michy game) both Arrington and Brown were getting, literally, undressed by the Michy OLinemen. I guess they figured they might as well have Arrington covering people instead of being held.
Also remember a phantom PI call on Short on a 3rd down that kept their drive, deep on their side, alive.
I was at that game in Lansing and it stung...besides being cold...embarrassing game.
I was there too. The day after my birthday. Sitting right next to the Minnesota section. Most depressing drive home ever.
Thanks for bringing it up by the way.
Thanks for bringing it up by the way.
The defense totally laid down after the Minny game. They were gashed for big play after big play vs Mich and Sparty.
Lavar is untouchable on this board. He made a lot of great plays but had his share of boners also.
I really doubt it in my opinion. I don't think Joe's ego could have ever stomached watching someone else make decisions for HIS program. Joe was atypical in my view in that he wasn't just the coach for the program. He WAS the program and he knew it and thrived on it. I really believe he needed Penn State football as much as it needed him as the control and authority it gave him was something he knew he couldn't live without. The thought of giving that up and watching someone else with that authority was probably unimaginable to him. Most coaches know they are stewards of the program while they are working for it, and when they are not, move on. It seemed to me it was much more personal than that to Joe. There's an upside to that but serious downsides as well.
Joe once said he feared dying right away like Bear Bryant did, but I believe that was rationalization for not being able to let go of what defined him and made him whole.
Who can forget that loss to Colorado in 1970? Just brutal. Cliff Branch returns opening kickoff for a touchdown in Boulder.
He was. Mac Morrison was the other outside LB opposite Lavar and I always thought it was funny Joe claimed in a preseason presser that Morrison was the best LB on the team. There's no way he could have really believed that, but I think he loved making people in the media feel like they didn't know what they were talking about.
To JoePa's credit --- I can think of only one game during his reign where the team truly laid down and quit. 2003 Michigan State.
But Michigan and MSU 1999 were the next worst in terms of "effort" - particularly on defense. That 1999 defense had lots of talent but not an equivalent level of pride.
Who can forget that crushing loss in 1985 to Oklahoma in the Orange Bowl for the National Championship. I think I'll bring that one up too, since we're all reminiscing! Shaffer threw 3 picks, Ray Isom had an untied shoelace, so instead of calling timeout, we brought in Barry Buchman and Keith Jackson ran by him like he was standing still and OU hit a 3rd and forever from the wishbone on one of their 4 or 5 possible passing plays. Ah yes the memories.
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