Sugar Bowl
1979
Alabama 14
Penn State 7
In the decades prior to the Bowl Championship Series, there was no
guarantee that No. 1 would face No. 2 at season's end to determine the
national champion. Rarely were fans granted the matchup they so
passionately craved, and rightfully deserved.
However, on January 1, 1979 the planets aligned to pit No. 2 Alabama
against No. 1 Penn State in a dogfight to decide the nation's
pre-eminent power. The confrontation could not have been sweeter for a
Superdome crowd of 76,824 that was not only treated to the top two teams
in college football, but also two of its most exalted coaches. Alabama
legend Paul "Bear" Bryant was determined to finish the season just as
his Crimson Tide had entered it: ranked No. 1. Penn State's
legend-to-be, Joe Paterno, hoped to bring Happy Valley its first
national championship.
"It was, by far, the hardest-hitting game I ever participated in.
There's not even a close second," Alabama running back Major Oglivie
reflected. "I don't remember a lot about that game. In the first play of
the game I got knocked kinda funny."
The game was a defensive stalemate for the majority of the first half,
leaving the contest scoreless until the final eight seconds of the
second quarter. Alabama had the ball with just over one minute remaining
in the half, and had originally planned to run out the clock. However,
the Nittany Lions called two timeouts during the drive in the hopes of
taking over possession with enough time to kick a field goal.
"They had been calling timeouts, and we were running standard vanilla
plays," said Ogilvie. "All of a sudden, we had a big, long run that Tony
Nathan broke, and the plan changed."
Nathan scampered 37 yards on two plays to take the Crimson Tide down to
the Penn State 30-yard line. From there, 'Bama quarterback Jeff Rutledge
hit an open Bruce Bolton for a 30-yard touchdown, sending the Tide into
the half with a 7-0 lead.
In a game where scoring didn't come easy, there was, unavoidably, some
controversy surrounding Bolton's reception.
"He caught it, and kinda rolled on the ground (with it)." Chuckled
Ogilvie, "Seeing as how it was a touchdown for us, I didn't see any
controversy in it."
Scoring didn't come much easier in the second half, but the Nittany
Lions finally tied the score at seven with around four-and-a-half
minutes remaining in the third quarter. Penn State's Pete Harris
intercepted Rutledge on the Alabama 48-yard line setting up the scoring
drive that culminated with a 17-yard Chuck Fusina pass to Scott Fitzkee
in the end zone.
Shortly thereafter, Alabama answered with a 62-yard Lou Ikner punt
return to the Lions' 11-yard line.
Perhaps still reeling from that first quarter bell-ringing, Ogilvie has
a loose recollection of what transpired next.
"Lou had a huge punt return, and I think we scored a touchdown after his
punt return."
Indeed, they did. Three plays later, it was Major Ogilvie himself, who
jaunted eight yards to the goal line to put the Tide back on top 14-7.
As time erased invaluable minutes from the clock in the fourth quarter,
the Lions were in need of a break. They got one. On a misdirected option
play, Penn State linebacker, and future NFL standout, Matt Millen forced
a fumble, which was recovered by the Lions at 'Bama's 19-yard line.
JoePa's troop managed a first down at the Alabama 8-yard line, giving
them four shots at the end zone. The following series would later come
to define the contest.
"This game, in Alabama, is known as 'the Goal Line Stand game,'" said
the former All-SEC running back.
First down brought a two-yard gain.
From the Crimson Tide's six-yard line on second-and-goal, Fusina found
Fitzkee once again just before the goal line, but as he turned toward
the end zone, Alabama's Don McNeal materialized, hammering Fitzkee
backward and preventing the touchdown.
On third-and-goal, fullback Matt Suhey readily accepted the hand-off,
and lumbered up the middle for what would have been the tying score. But
'Bama's defense enfolded the line, halting him just inches short of the
stripe.
That left the Nittany Lions one final play to break the standoff. On
fourth-and-inches, Joe Paterno called upon tailback Matt Guman to plod
up the gut into the heart of the Crimson Tide's defense. But All-America
linebacker Barry Krause emerged from the trenches to stunt Guman's
progress, making a stop that has gone down as one of the biggest tackles
in college football history (video).
ABC's legendary announcer, Keith Jackson always reminds fans about the
events that took place in the final four minutes of this game.
"After Alabama made that legendary stop, the Crimson Tide had to punt
the ball with a little over four minutes to go in the game," said
Jackson. "Their punter shanked it out to around the 25-yard line which
seemingly put Penn State right back in the catbird seat. As this was
going on, Joe Paterno and a few of his assistant coaches were waving
their arms frantically to get their extra man off the field before the
kick. But they got caught.
"So instead, Alabama got a second chance and the punter killed it down
the field. Penn State never got close to the end zone, and the national
title went to Alabama."
It was the first of two consecutive national championships for the
Crimson Tide.
Major Ogilvie was just happy to escape the Superdome with the win.
"It was a very hard-fought game. I think we felt very fortunate to have
more points than them at the end of it."
Attendance- 76,824
Scoring Summary
Second Quarter
UA- Bolton 30 pass from Rutledge (MeElroy kick)
Third Quarter
PSU- Fitzkee 17 pass from Fusina (Bahr kick)
UA- Ogilvie 8 run (McElroy kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing
PSU- Suhey 10-48, Guman 9-22
UA- Nathan 21-127, Witman 11-51, Ogilvie 14-40
Passing
PSU- Fusina 15-30-163
UA- Rutledge 8-15-91
Receiving
PSU- Guman 5-59, Fitzkee 3-38, Bassett 2-28, Scovill 2-21
UA- Bolton 2-46, Whitman 2-27
