Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1169916
H I S T O R Y back on the team's third possession with the Lions leading 3-0. As the old cliché says, the rest is history. The 1993 team went on to win 10 of 12 games and finish in the top 10. With Carter, Collins and Engram leading the way, Penn State's great undefeated 1994 team won the Big Ten championship and Rose Bowl but didn't get the chance to play for the na- tional championship because of college football politics. Archie's versatility made him Carter's prime backup in '94, with Pitts as the third tailback. Paterno started Archie at fullback in the season opener at Min- nesota, and among his six carries for 34 yards was a 13-yard touchdown run in a 56-3 blowout. "Cutback" spent the rest of the season subbing at tailback or full- back while also returning kickoffs and punts. His final statistics demonstrated his versatility: He was second in rushing (303 yards and five TDs on 52 carries), fourth in receiving (22 catches for 215 yards and two touchdowns), fifth in scoring (seven TDs), first in kickoff re- turns (240 yards on 11 attempts) and first in punt returns (126 yards on 11 at- tempts). He also went 2 of 2 as a passer, with both completions going for touch- downs of more than 50 yards. At the end of the season, Paterno called him "Big Play Archie." Pitts saw far less action in '94. He played in every game, but his statistics hardly made the record book. He never moped around and was a cheerleader on the bench, earning the respect of his coaches and teammates. In 1995, both Archie and Pitts were hampered by injuries, but they came through when needed most. With red- shirt junior Wally Richardson at quarter- back and '94 reserves or newcomers breaking into the lineup, the '95 team came back from two midseason losses to finish third in the Big Ten and beat Auburn, 43-14, in the Outback Bowl. Archie started every game at tailback but finished second in rushing behind true freshman Curtis Enis, with Pitts third. Enis had 683 yards and four TDs on 113 carries, Archie 512 yards and one TD on 97 carries, and Pitts 468 yards and one TD on 68 carries. Archie also caught 21 passes for 141 yards two touchdowns, with Pitts having four receptions for 22 yards. Archie's clutch moment of the sea- son came with Penn State trailing, 23-19, at Purdue. With only 2 minutes, 34 sec- onds left in the game, Richardson hit him on a 16-yard screen pass for the winning touchdown.