Blue White Illustrated

D E C E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 5 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 20 the Bulldogs with three waves of tacklers that stripped away Walker's blockers and gang-tackled him high and low. ADer gaining 49 yards in the first quarter, he managed only 58 the rest of the night, finishing his final college game with 107 yards on 28 carries. Thanks to three punt returns by Kevin Baugh, including one of 66 yards, the Lions built up a 20-3 lead late in the sec- ond quarter on field goals of 38 and 45 yards by Gancitano and a 9-yard Warner TD that climaxed a five-play, 65-yard drive. With just 39 seconds leD in the half, Walker ran back the kickoff 23 yards and Georgia went into its two-minute drill. Lastinger passed four times to reach the PSU 10-yard line, including the fourth one for 26 yards that had split end Kevin Harris catching the ball for 16 yards and lateralling to Walker for 10 more. Then, with just five seconds re- maining in the half, Georgia's 6-foot-5 receiver Herman Archie outjumped 5-9 Dan Biondi on a Lastinger floater to the leD corner of the end zone. With Butler's PAT, Georgia was back in the game, 20- 10. With their confidence restored by Lastinger's passing and the momentum still in their favor, the Bulldogs took the second-half kickoff and marched 69 yards for a TD. Twice, Penn State ap- peared to have Georgia stopped on third- and-long situations, only to have Lastinger get the first downs on clutch tosses to Harris for 11 and 24 yards. Walker scored the TD on a 1-yard dive, and Butler's kick made it 20-17. Penn State's offense began to break down. ADer a few plays, Warner leD the game with leg cramps and Blackledge was sacked twice. Warner made some good runs throughout the third quarter but had to leave the field several times because of cramps. Blackledge was sacked again, and several times he didn't see open receivers. "I lost my poise," he told sportswriters later. "I wasn't picking up the blitzes and throwing the ball when I should have." However, State's defense was halting Walker and Lastinger, with Robinson in- tercepting a pair of passes to end two Georgia possessions. Just before the teams changed sides at the end of the third quarter, the Lions took the ball on their own 19-yard line. Warner gained 11 yards up the middle, and during the timeout, Paterno and Blackledge dis- cussed a pass play Blackledge wanted to call. Ninety seconds into the fourth quarter, the Lions had a first down at the Georgia 47. Paterno sent in that play: "643." Blackledge faked to Warner up the middle as four receivers sped downfield. The junior quarterback saw Garrity – the team's "other receiver" all season long – get a step on freshman corner- back Tony Flack down the leD sideline. "I threw the ball as far as I could," Black- ledge said later. It was a perfect pass to Garrity, who made a diving catch in the end zone for a touchdown. "I think that was the most important play of the game," Dooley said later. It was more than that, as "The Catch" has since be- come synonymous with Penn State football excellence. Gancitano's PAT gave State a 27-17 lead, and for the next several minutes the Lion defense was in control. A sack by Ashley with about five minutes remain- ing forced the Bulldogs to punt from their own 25, and it was here that Baugh made a mistake, trying to run with the ball in- stead of signaling for a fair catch or let- ting it bounce. His uncharacteristic fumble – State's only turnover of the game – set up a six-play Georgia touch- down drive that ended with a 9-yard TD pass to Clarence Kay. But the Lions stopped Walker on the two-point con- version attempt, and now, with 4:54 leD, THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON Blackledge (above left) and Biondi have some fun during a 2007 cele- bration at Beaver Stadium honoring the 1982 national championship team. Biondi had stepped out in front of Blackledge while players were being introduced to the crowd. Warner (opposite page) was one of the key offensive players in the Nit- tany Lions' title run. Annemarie Mountz

• Cover