Biggest "fluke" plays that went against Penn State?
- Thread starter blion72
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In 1965 Penn State loss to Pitt 27-30. I think the Pitt kicker had either never made a field goal or never made one as long as the one he made. Also I think he got two tries at it with seconds remaining. However, having said all that, that was 57 years ago and I was in my dorm listening to Mickey Bernstein call the game on my transistor radio.
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The blocked field goal against Ohio State in 2016. It fooled too many of our fanbase into believing Franklin is an elite head coach, and now we're stuck with him.
That fluke play worked for us in the short-term, but definitely against us in the longer-term.
That fluke play worked for us in the short-term, but definitely against us in the longer-term.
Even when we win, we lose. F*ck us.
If Isom was out of the game, who hit the Oklahoma quarterback on the blitz? I had always remembered it being Isom.
Yeah, we all hated winning 42 games from 2016 through 2019. Must have been particularly rough on you.
In 2008... We were beating Iowa 16-7... They had this QB named Stanzi... He drove me nuts. He wasn't per se great but he always gave PSU fits. Well, he threw an errant pass and Lydell Sargeant dropped a coast to coast interception. I think it was two plays later he threw a TD pass and instead of 23-7 it was 16-14. Of course Murray kicks the FG to win the game with one second left.
Never mind. I found a clip and it didn’t happen the way I remember. I said it would work nine times out of 10, but after watching it again, it was fifty-fifty at best.
Interesting, when no one responded to my query, I thought that my memory of the play might be shaky.
that game was on at my gym a few weeks ago on the Big channel, saw that play all over again and it hurt so badly, just another in the long line of dropped INTs in our DBs hands that cost us games. Our D gave up some big 3rd and 4th in longs in that game as well.
I remember that game for a pretty bad PI call that really helped crush us....
1980 against Pitt. PSU has the ball and running a hurry up offense to win the game. Back then you couldn't spike the ball to stop the clock, you had to throw it out of bounds. Blackledge tries to throw the ball out of bounds except he threw it too low and it is intercepted, game over.
All I can say is that the next two years made up for it. We didn’t know that at the time, though, so that one hurt.
1979 Sugar Bowl vs Alabama for NC:
Late in the 2nd quarter Alabama passed into the end zone. TD. BUT another view of the play shown on Ch 4, PIttsburgh, ABC (a pro Pitt channel) showed the ball took a bounce off the ground before corralled by the Alabama receiver who jumped up like he scored, refs agreed, very Ohio State like bounce, not as visible due to lack of camera angles and replays except for the replay shown too late, the day after. Who knows what may have happened if the correct call was made? An Alabama TD on the next play? A tie going into the half? We will never know but in a 14-7 game a mistakenly awarded TD is big, big, big!
A Herbstreit level fluke!
Late in the 2nd quarter Alabama passed into the end zone. TD. BUT another view of the play shown on Ch 4, PIttsburgh, ABC (a pro Pitt channel) showed the ball took a bounce off the ground before corralled by the Alabama receiver who jumped up like he scored, refs agreed, very Ohio State like bounce, not as visible due to lack of camera angles and replays except for the replay shown too late, the day after. Who knows what may have happened if the correct call was made? An Alabama TD on the next play? A tie going into the half? We will never know but in a 14-7 game a mistakenly awarded TD is big, big, big!
A Herbstreit level fluke!
I think it was Bama ‘89, maybe earlier, but we fed Blair Thomas the ball on what seemingly was the game winning drive. Thomas’s last carry took Him to the goal line, probably could’ve stretched the ball over for the TD. Next play Ray Tarasi trots out for a 20 yd Fg only to have it blocked by Keith McCants. Couldn’t believe what I was watching… worse loss I saw at the Beav.
Additionally, with plenty of time and a time out in his pocket, they could have run another Blair Thomas pitch/plunge or just about anything given Blair was a machine and the bama dline was being torn to bits. That may have been the angriest I've ever been post game. If Blair was stopped short, use the time out. The refs were taking a lot of time spotting the ball but the time out was used, and the rest is history. Blair should have has the shot for glory, he willed himself down the field in five-to-seven-yard chunks only to sit on the sideline to witness the failure.
Bernstein is Jewish, and, of course, fasted on the Yom Kippur game day. So, maybe the junior back would be forced to sit out the 4:45pm game against Penn State? Bernstein was lucky that the game kicked off when it did. According to the Jewish tradition, you are allowed to break the fast at sundown. Had it been an early morning kickoff, the New York native’s only choice that involved playing and holding the fast would be to do so without any food. Bernstein did not just end up playing against the Nittany Lions; he dominated. Although he began the game with an empty stomach, the 260-pound fullback bulled over Penn State defenders en route to a career-high 123 yards on a career-high 27 carries. To put those stats into perspective, during the entirety of Bernstein’s previous (sophomore) season in 2003, the fullback accumulated 120 rushing yards on 29 attempts. According to an ESPN story from that night by Ivan Maisel, once the sun went down Bernstein was able to break the fast with turkey slices and fruit that he ate on the sidelines throughout the game.
Wisconsin went on to beat the Nittany Lions 16-3 thanks to a career-night from the Jewish fullback. Bernstein picked quite the night to feast.
Wisconsin went on to beat the Nittany Lions 16-3 thanks to a career-night from the Jewish fullback. Bernstein picked quite the night to feast.
One play in that game that sticks out in my mind... It's the second quarter and scoreless although Bama is outplaying us on both sides of the ball. Rutledge throws a passed tipped then intercepted by Milot. Major Ogilive is the LAST player between Milot and the goal line and tackles him. I say to this day if Milot makes that a pick six... The play is in Penn State lore forever and he was so darn close...
Not sure if I am interpreting this correctly, but I am pretty sure PSU was out of timeouts. There would have been risk with attempting another play.
In hindsight, easy to say try another pass play, or make the play before the last run a pass.
Have wondered whether this game fits a definition of a game turned. Technically, it prevented the game from turning.
Definitely don’t think the Bama Sugar Bowl qualifies for flukiness. Just a collection of make or break plays and some poor coaching decisions.
If you were there you remember we got screwed... Short sure as hell does. Game over, we win. Oooops, forgot who the refs were. [Nothing against Brady.. this -- imo -- was the game where his future potential was revealed. But if not for the referines, we won the game.]
Obviously Joe was racist... yeah, I'm kidding. I wouldn't have sat Boyd EVER. Pound for pound... my all time hitter du jour!
Joe called the last T.O. while the refs too 30+ seconds to fumble around setting the ball. Lots of time to call a quick run but it's history. I'll say it's a sore spot with me staring at it all, the entire drive and sincerely believing Blair T would have shot into the EZ more often than not, the TO could have been pocketed for the FG had Blair been stopped. Funny how a minute or two in a game long ago is so vivid in your mind when it dramatically changed the outcome.
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You're correct. Missed extra point in the fourth quarter. Virginia wins 17-16.
I remember our last Rose Bowl game against USC. On a critical 3rd down in the 4th quarter USC throws a pass and it gets deflected. Then a USC player catches the deflection to keep the drive alive. USC scores on the drive to get close to PSU. If USC punts then PSU takes more time off the clock and hurts USC comeback.
Was just going to bring this up - just watched the 2017 Rose Bowl replay on the PAC-12 network. There are actually two fluky plays that really killed Penn State in the 2nd half:
PSU is up 42-27 late third, USC drives and scores to make it 42-33 and goes for two. Darnold rolls right, has nothing going, stumbles and almost falls down, and the gets up from his stumble and hits a USC guy for the conversion to make it 42-35. PSU scored the ensuing drive to make it 49-35…but if it’s 49-33 that probably ices the game.
Then the play mentioned above…49-35, midway through the 4th, 3rd and 6 for USC deep in their own territory. Darnold is pressured, PSU defender has a hand on him, and he completely throws a lollipop up for grabs….it’s tipped and caught by Smith-Schuster for a first down. USC goes down to score a TD to make it 49-42.
Three Sunday morning thoughts:
1) Fusina was slow on the pass to Fitzkee, he throws it on time it’s a TD. Fusina had a terrible game that night.
2) There was no sense of urgency on the Thomas drive vs. ‘Bama. Long huddle after long huddle with Thomas getting the ball every play and ripping the D to shreds. I thought if he had reached the ball forward on his last carry it would have been a TD.
Then with the ball inside the 1yd line on the right hash it was a tough FG angle. ‘Bama overloaded the left side of our line because of the extreme angle. A fake kick (similar to the TD against UMich years later) to our right side would have been a walk-in TD and game winner. The block happed right in front of me I didn’t leave my seat for 30 minutes.
3) Paterno passed on a doable FG and instead punted to Minny before their final. Hail Mary drive. A FG would have meant Minny would have needed a TD to win.
1) Fusina was slow on the pass to Fitzkee, he throws it on time it’s a TD. Fusina had a terrible game that night.
2) There was no sense of urgency on the Thomas drive vs. ‘Bama. Long huddle after long huddle with Thomas getting the ball every play and ripping the D to shreds. I thought if he had reached the ball forward on his last carry it would have been a TD.
Then with the ball inside the 1yd line on the right hash it was a tough FG angle. ‘Bama overloaded the left side of our line because of the extreme angle. A fake kick (similar to the TD against UMich years later) to our right side would have been a walk-in TD and game winner. The block happed right in front of me I didn’t leave my seat for 30 minutes.
3) Paterno passed on a doable FG and instead punted to Minny before their final. Hail Mary drive. A FG would have meant Minny would have needed a TD to win.
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