Post by Rob Durkee on Jan 23, 2012 0:01:42 GMT -5
JANUARY 2, 1987 -- THE NIGHT JOE PATERNO AND PENN STATE SHOT DOWN ONE OF SPORTS' MOST ARROGANT TEAMS
By ROB DURKEE
Remember Joe Paterno, who sadly passed away earlier today (January 22, 2012) of cancer at the age of 85, not for what happened in the past 69 days.
Instead, remember Joe Paterno for having the most overall wins (409), the most bowl games (37) and the most bowl wins (24) among college football coaches. Remember Joe Paterno for coaching at the same school school, Penn State, for 46 seasons, posting 38 winning seasons; for making the College Football Fall Of Fame; and for becoming the first college football coach to be named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the year.
Above all, remember Joe Paterno for January 2, 1987, the night he and his Penn State underdog football team beat Miami (Florida), 14-10, in the Fiesta Bowl dubbed "The Duel In The Desert." In so doing, Paterno's Nittany Lions shot down one of sports most blatantly arrogant teams ever. Penn State was a seven-point underdog. To be certain, the Hurricanes showed their arrogance even when they got off the plane that landed in the Phoenix-Tempe area. Many of them wore combat fatigues...and many wore those same combat fatigues at the steak fry dinner a few nights later.
Penn State's players were first to put on a skit. Though Paterno probably didn't endorse it, the Nittany Lions' skit aluded to how the Hurricanes had more blacks than the Penn State roster did.
Then it was Miami's turn. Jerome Brown, who would die in a car crash about five years later, boldly went up to the mike and said..."Did the Japanese go, sit down and have dinner with Pearl Harbor before they bombed them?" Brown's teammates yelled out "No!" and Brown then said, "Fellas, let's go."
Yes, the Hurricanes WALKED OUT on the dinner. Fiesta Bowl officials were outraged. Ditto the Nittany Lions, whose punter, John Bruno, muttered, "Excuse me, but didn't the Japanese lose that war?" Another Penn State player said it best: "We were ready to play them right then and there."
Vinny Testaverde, who'd won the Heisman Trophy, was intercepted five times. The last of them came on the game's final play, when Penn State's Pete Giftopoulos picked off the Testaverde pass at the goal line on a fourth and five situation. Giftopoulos ran about five yards and fell to the ground as pandemonium ruled. The then largest national TV audience celebrated. Well, nearly everyone outside of Miami. And Joepa got a well deserved free ride to the lockerroom courtesy of his players.
Miami outgained Penn State, 445-162, and had a 22-8 edge in first downs...and lost. The Nittany Lions won with ball control, specialty team play and a defense that produced seven turnovers. And with Joe Paterno in charge.
By ROB DURKEE
Remember Joe Paterno, who sadly passed away earlier today (January 22, 2012) of cancer at the age of 85, not for what happened in the past 69 days.
Instead, remember Joe Paterno for having the most overall wins (409), the most bowl games (37) and the most bowl wins (24) among college football coaches. Remember Joe Paterno for coaching at the same school school, Penn State, for 46 seasons, posting 38 winning seasons; for making the College Football Fall Of Fame; and for becoming the first college football coach to be named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the year.
Above all, remember Joe Paterno for January 2, 1987, the night he and his Penn State underdog football team beat Miami (Florida), 14-10, in the Fiesta Bowl dubbed "The Duel In The Desert." In so doing, Paterno's Nittany Lions shot down one of sports most blatantly arrogant teams ever. Penn State was a seven-point underdog. To be certain, the Hurricanes showed their arrogance even when they got off the plane that landed in the Phoenix-Tempe area. Many of them wore combat fatigues...and many wore those same combat fatigues at the steak fry dinner a few nights later.
Penn State's players were first to put on a skit. Though Paterno probably didn't endorse it, the Nittany Lions' skit aluded to how the Hurricanes had more blacks than the Penn State roster did.
Then it was Miami's turn. Jerome Brown, who would die in a car crash about five years later, boldly went up to the mike and said..."Did the Japanese go, sit down and have dinner with Pearl Harbor before they bombed them?" Brown's teammates yelled out "No!" and Brown then said, "Fellas, let's go."
Yes, the Hurricanes WALKED OUT on the dinner. Fiesta Bowl officials were outraged. Ditto the Nittany Lions, whose punter, John Bruno, muttered, "Excuse me, but didn't the Japanese lose that war?" Another Penn State player said it best: "We were ready to play them right then and there."
Vinny Testaverde, who'd won the Heisman Trophy, was intercepted five times. The last of them came on the game's final play, when Penn State's Pete Giftopoulos picked off the Testaverde pass at the goal line on a fourth and five situation. Giftopoulos ran about five yards and fell to the ground as pandemonium ruled. The then largest national TV audience celebrated. Well, nearly everyone outside of Miami. And Joepa got a well deserved free ride to the lockerroom courtesy of his players.
Miami outgained Penn State, 445-162, and had a 22-8 edge in first downs...and lost. The Nittany Lions won with ball control, specialty team play and a defense that produced seven turnovers. And with Joe Paterno in charge.