Blue White Illustrated

skilled players on a national level. "Before that, people would say, 'Penn State? Where the hell's that?' " said assistant coach , Sever "Tor" Toretti, who scouted the Buckeyes and masterminded the upset. Some of the beat reporters now covering the Nittany Lions believe the Wisconsin upset will raise enthusiasm and boost recruiting in the face of onerous NCAA sanctions, particularly because of the way that the 24-point underdog Lions dominated the No. 14 Badgers on their own field. However, the Wisconsin victory is radically different from the one this writer regards as Penn State's all-time supreme upset, the 14-10 win over Miami in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl that earned the Nittany Lions their second national championship. These were the two best teams in college football in 1986 – No. 1 Miami and No. 2 Penn State – in a game hyped as the "Duel in the Desert. " Miami, loaded with future NFL stars including Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Vinny Testaverde, was a 6½point favorite, and many in the media believed that point spread was too low. But with an outstanding defensive scheme featuring All-America linebacker Shane Conlan and an overloaded secondary alignment, a steady offense built around AllAmerica tailback D. J. Dozier, and the punting of John Bruno, the Lions won in what remains arguably the most memorable and momentous ending to a game in Penn State history. Frankly, this writer finds it impractical to rank the Nittany Lions' greatest upset victories without going into great detail about the reasons for choosing one game higher or lower than another. Rather than do that, I'd like to offer a chronological list – one person's selection of 14 all-time great wins. NATIONAL CHAMP Paterno exulted after his Lions upset top-ranked Miami, 14-10, in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl to claim the program's second national title. Some have called it the biggest upset in Penn State history. Paterno Pattee Library Archives Army in 1899 and its only victory ever over the famous Carlisle Indians in 1906, 4-0. NOV. 16, 1912, AT COLUMBUS, OHIO Penn State 37, Ohio State 0 Buckeye fans jeered and taunted for the entire game, but Penn State beat heavily favored Ohio State so thoroughly that the Buckeyes walked off the field with seven minutes left in the game, giving Penn State an official 1-0 forfeit. Some historians believe the unbeaten 1912 team should have had at least a share of the national championship with Harvard. Penn State 22, Penn 6 Sophomore Shorty Miller's scintillating 95-yard return for a touchdown on the opening kickoff at Franklin Field shocked powerful Penn and the college football world, as Penn State beat its then-archrival for the first time ever after 16 losses and one tie. It was Penn State's first great upset, even surpassing its 6-0 win at Penn State 14, Illinois 12 The Lions were 17-point underdogs when they opened their season against the preseason Big Ten favorites, who featured the nation's top returning rusher in J.C. Caroline. But Lenny Moore finished with more yards (137 on 18 carries) than the entire Illini backfield, as a stout defense and Jim Garrity's two extra points sealed the upset. Said Engle at the time, "It was the greatest win of my college career." OCT. 20, 1956, AT COLUMBUS, OHIO OCT. 22, 1921, AT CAMBRIDGE, MASS. Penn State 21, Harvard 21 OCT. 28, 1911, AT PHILADELPHIA SEPT. 25, 1954, AT CHAMPAIGN, ILL. Although technically not a win, this was a moral victory over a team that had not lost in five years. Penn State overwhelmed Harvard on the ground (294 yards and 19 first downs to 105 yards and nine first downs). With darkness quickly enveloping Soldiers Field, Harvard drove from midfield for the tying points and then stopped the Lions with a goal-line stand to end the game. Penn State 7, Ohio State 6 Quarterback Milt Plum engineered the victory and kicked the extra point, as well as a crucial 71-yard punt, as the Nittany Lion defense led by linebackers Sam Valentine and Dan Radakovich held Ohio's State's vaunted offense in check. The Buckeyes finally scored with two minutes left to play after an 80-yard drive, but the extra point was wide and the Lions recovered the onside kick to clinch the win.

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