No. 3 Penn State Stuns No. 8 Miami, 27-23
Sept. 18, 1999
MIAMI (AP) – As quickly as you can say 4th-and-2, No. 3 Penn State turned asoggy Saturday into a victory celebration at the Orange Bowl.
First, the Nittany Lions stopped No. 8 Miami a yard short of a first down.Then, on the next play, Kevin Thompson threw a 79-yard touchdown pass to ChafieFields with 1:41 left and Penn State had a 27-23 victory over the Hurricanes.
“It’s games like these that are the reason I stay in the game,” NittanyLions coach Joe Paterno, drenched but smiling, said. “We were a little luckytoday. You got to feel great for these kids.”
After Fields shook off two tacklers and raced into the end zone, Penn Stateplayers ran onto the field, jumping and thrusting their helmets into the air.The rain-soaked crowd of 74,427 was stunned. Just seconds earlier, they werecheering what they thought would be Miami’s biggest win since coach Butch Davistook over five years ago.
“We had the taste in our mouths,” Miami cornerback Leonard Myers said,”and then it was gone.”
Penn State linebacker LaVar Arrington, who had another shoving incident witha punter, said he thought his team could lose but when the game turned, “itwas the greatest feeling in the world. I love Miami!”
This was a game, played in a steady rain, the Hurricanes (2-1) hoped wouldmark their return to college football’s elite. It looked that way after Miamiroared back from a 17-3 deficit and led 23-20 on James Jackson’s 39-yard TD runwith 7:42 left.
And when Miami’s Edward Reed intercepted a pass by Rashard Casey, whoalternated at quarterback with Thompson, it looked like Penn State (4-0) wasfinished.
But Jackson, who carried 33 times for 129 yards and two TDs, was stuffed bylinebacker Maurice Daniels on fourth-and-2 at the Penn State 21 after a 1-yardgain. A measurement was called for, but the ball was a yard short.
“Fourth and two was a big thing,” Paterno said. “They make a first downand it’s over. But I thought we did stop them.”
Davis, questioned about not going for a field goal and a six-point leadinstead, said: “A field goal would not have won it. … We thought we wouldmake the first down.”
Thompson wasted no time when the Lions took over. He dropped back and foundFields, who had five catches for 177 yards, near the 40-yard line. Fields shookoff the attempted tackle of Mike Rumph at the 50, and headed toward the endzone. Reed lunged to reach Fields, but was left face down on the wet grass asthe flanker raced into the end zone.
“I say that every time I get the ball I’ve got a chance to make big play,”said Fields, who also caught a 49-yard TD pass from Casey on the final play ofthe first quarter.
Miami got the ball back twice more, but each time Kenny Kelly threwinterceptions. The final one was by Bhawoh Jue with 35 seconds left, and theLions ran out the clock.
“This is a disappointing outcome to this game,” Davis said. “You can’t gointo this type of game against a quality opponent like Penn State and make thefundamental mistakes we made and expect to win.”
Thompson, who started, was 9-of-15 for 147 yards and a TD, while Casey was7-of-9 for 99 yards and a TD.
For Miami, Kelly was 11-of-21 for 160 yards and a TD, but had fourinterceptions and lost a fumble.
Penn State moved to a 17-3 lead to open the third quarter. Kenny Watson’s52-yard kickoff return gave the Lions the ball on the Miami 46 and Eric McCoocapped the short drive with a 2-yard TD run.
Miami, which got its initial first down with 4:37 left in the first half,struck back late in the third quarter. Jackson took a pitchout from Kelly andran 18 yards for a TD to make it 17-10 with 3:56 left in the period.
Penn State was on its way for another score, but Casey’s 74-yard run to theMiami 6 was called back when tight end Tony Stewart was called for clipping.The Lions punted, and on the first play of the fourth quarter, the game wastied 17-all on Kelly’s 40-yard TD pass to Santana Moss.
Penn State moved ahead 20-17 on Travis Forney’s 26-yard field goal with10:40 left, but Jackson’s second TD – thanks to a crushing block by guardRichard Mercier – put Miami ahead by three points. Andy Crosland, who kicked a29-yard field goal late in the first half, was wide left with the extra point,and Miami led 23-20.
Trailing 10-0, Miami was unable to take advantage of a fumbled punt byWatson at the Lions 34. The Hurricanes blew another scoring chance when Kellyfumbled after running 23 yards to the Lions 8. Arrington recovered.
Arrington stirred things up on Miami’s first series. He fought off a blockand collided with punter Crosland, who retaliated by pushing the linebackeraway. Both players were called for personal fouls – offsetting penalties – andthe Nittany Lions took possession after the 40-yard punt.
The play wasn’t as damaging as the stunt Arrington pulled last week, when hewas hit with two penalties for wrestling with the Pittsburgh punter.
By RICHARD ROSENBLATT
AP Football Writer
