FSU vs Penn State

By Jim Joanos

On January 3, 2006, Florida State will play Penn State in the 72nd Annual Orange Bowl Game. This is the third time in history that the two schools have faced each other in football. All three have been in post season "bowl" games. If this year's game follows the precedent of the first two, it will be a most exciting game.

The Gator Bowl
Jacksonville, December 30, 1967
Penn State 17, Florida State 17

1967 Gator Bowl Game Program

The first meeting between the Seminoles and the Nittany Lions followed the 1967 regular season. That was a special year in the early history of FSU football. Bill Peterson was the Seminoles' head coach at the time. The team's offense was led by a passing tandem of All-Americans, quarterback Kim Hammond and wide receiver Ron Sellers. Sellers was a consensus first team All-American that year (as well as the next) while Hammond was designated on the second team of both the Associated Press and the United Press polls for the 1967 season. In addition, Hammond placed fifth in balloting for the Heisman Trophy.

FSU entered the Gator Bowl game following a regular season record of 7-2-1. The tie, 37-37, against Alabama had been one of the most exciting games ever played. FSU victories had included a most important one over the University of Florida, 21-16, in the last game of the regular season. Hammond had been knocked out in the early going but returned late to lead FSU to its first victory ever in Gainesville.

FSU entered the Gator Bowl as the underdog as Penn State was ranked 10th in the nation by the Associated Press and had been awarded the Lambert Trophy as the best team in the eastern United States. It was Joe Paterno's second year as the Penn State head coach.

The game itself was one of contrasting halves. Penn State dominated the first one and at the midway point led, 17-0. The second half was a different story. Early in the second half, FSU drove to the Penn State one yard line but failed to score. Later in the third quarter, Penn State faced with a fourth down and inches from its own fifteen yard line made, perhaps, the biggest mistake ever in Joe Paterno's career when it decided to go for it. An FSU defense stuffed an attempted quarterback sneak and the Seminoles got the ball back. A Hammond to Sellers pass shortly thereafter resulted in a touchdown. A short time later, FSU added another touchdown and the score became 17-14 where it stayed until the final moments of the game when FSU made its way to the Penn State eight yard line. There on fourth down, with less than thirty seconds left on the clock, FSU's Grant Guthrie kicked a field goal and the game ended in a remarkable 17-17 tie.

The Blockbuster Bowl
Miami, December 28, 1990
FSU 24, Penn State 17

1990 Blockbuster Bowl Game Program

The second time the teams met followed the 1990 regular season. By this time, Bobby Bowden had become well established as the FSU head coach so the game featured, as this year's game will, a match up of the two winningest active division 1A coaches in the country. FSU's team in 1990 featured the passing tandem of quarterback Casey Weldon and wide receiver Lawrence Dawsey. The team also had a formidable running attack led by Amp Lee, Sean Jackson and Edgar Bennett. The defense which included Marvin Jones at linebacker and Terrell Buckley at cornerback was also quite outstanding. Both FSU and Penn State entered the game following a regular season record of 9-2.

FSU scored the first ten points of the game in the first quarter. Richie Andrews kicked a 41-yard field goal and Amp Lee scored on a one yard run shortly following a spectacular punt run back by Terrell Buckley. But Penn State came back and scored on a 56-yard touchdown pass play to reduce FSU's lead to 10-7. Early in the second quarter, FSU scored again on another Amp Lee touchdown run, this time from seven yards out. So that the score stood 17-7 at half time.

In the third quarter, Penn State scored on a field goal, but FSU countered with a 58-yard drive for a touchdown, to make it, FSU 24-10. The early part of the fourth quarter was hard fought by both defenses but then Penn State scored on a 37-yard pass and the lead was cut to FSU 24-17. That would be the final score although late in the game Penn State moved to the shadow of FSU's goal line. But there, FSU's victory was preserved when Seminole defensive back John Davis intercepted a pass in the FSU end zone. It was a hard fought victory that enabled FSU to finish the 1990 season in fourth place in the Associated Press national poll.

The Orange Bowl
Miami, January 3, 2006
FSU ??, Penn State ??

Will this year's game be as extraordinary as the first two between the two universities? Paterno, age 79, has been the head coach at Penn State for forty years. Bowden, age 76, has led FSU for thirty seasons. Paterno's bowl record in 20-10-1. Bowden's is 19-8-1. Both have won two national championships. Paterno did it in 1982 and 1986. Bowden's Seminoles led the nation in 1993 and 1999. It will be a most hisoric event.