The greatest regular season victory of all time. Sorry that the youngsters on this board could not have experienced it.
Happy "48-14" Day
- Thread starter Thus Spoke Mainer
- Start date
I was there as a 14 year old to see it in person. I loved that group of PSU players from that era from 1980 to 1982. Although they lost some games in those three seasons to really good teams, they also won many games against really good teams, like OSU, Nebraska, USC, ND, Pitt, UGA. Curt Warner probably still is one of my all time favorite players.
By the way, 1981 was my freshman year in high school at Bishop Canevin High School in the Pittsburgh area, and our uniforms were identical to PSU's, which of course I loved.
Penn State Stuns No. 1 Pitt. 48-14. Bryant Wins No. 315
By John Feinstein
November 29, 1981
As dusk fell on Pitt Stadium this afternoon, the Penn State band struck up college football's theme song for 1981: "Another One Bites the Dust."
It was a jubilant rendition, one that few of Pittsburgh's fans were around to hear. Because today, with 60,260 chilled spectators watching in amazement, Penn State crushed Pitt, 48-14, making the Panthers the sixth No. 1 team to crash this season. Pitt's loss left Clemson as the only major unbeaten, untied team in college football and an almost sure bet to become the seventh No. 1-ranked team this season when the polls come out this week.
"We just got the momentum turned against us the wrong way," said Pitt Coach Jackie Sherrill, whose 10-1 team had a 17-game winning streak broken. "We had the locomotive going against us the wrong way and nothing to stop it with."
What made the lopsided outcome so astonishing was the way game began. Pitt came out as if it intended to chase Penn State back into the Nittany Mountains, rolling to touchdowns on its first two possessions. First the Panthers drove 53 yards, scoring on Dan Marino's 28-yard pass to Dwight Collins, then went 64 yards to score on Marino's nine-yard pass to Collins.
"The first quarter Marino was just unbelievable," Penn State Coach Joe Paterno said. "We had to make some adjustments against him." v.hen the quarter ended, Pitt was leading, 14-0, had driven to the Lions' 31 and had held Penn State to minus-one yard in offense. Marino had completed nine of 10 passes for 121 yards.
"It looked like we were going to blow them out," said Collins. "I think maybe we relaxed a little bit, let down and let them get back in it. You can't let a team with their talent get started on you."
But from the first play of the second quarter, when Marino tried to find Collins with a pass lobbed into the corner of the end zone and was intercepted by Roger Jackson, until the end, the Panthers appeared helpless. That was the first of the Pitt quarterback's four interceptions; for the game, he completed but 13 of 35 passes.
"That's one of the problems with their schedule," said Penn State linebacker Chet Parlavecchio, who this week had called the Panthers' schedule "like going through a Bermuda sun shower. They've been crushing people early all year. They haven't had to come from behind. It's like not having something covered. They haven't had a chance to practice it. We have."
The Lions rallied with a vengeance today. Spurred by Jackson's interception, the first indication that Pitt was mortal, they went 80 yards for their first touchdown, closing the margin to 14-7 after fullback Mike Meade went over from the two with 11:55 left in the half.
That score was set up by Todd Blackledge's 28-yard pass to tight end Mike McCloskey, a play on which the sophomore quarterback read a blitz correctly. For Blackledge, as for Paterno, this was a day of vindication after Lions' humiliation by Alabama two weeks ago.
oday, Blackledge was 12 of 23 for 262 yards and two touchdown, both the scoring passes going to Kenny Jackson. "There was a lot written this week about Marino and me, most of it negative toward me," Blackledge said. "I tried to use it as an inspiration and motivation."
From Paterno, who ran into the field before the game and began jumping up and down and shaking his fists in very un-Paterno-like fashion, down through the water boys, this was an inspired and motivated team.
Most inspired perhaps was Parlavecchio, who had rapped Pitt and its schedule all week. "We came down here to beat Pitt and beat them bad," he said. "I just decided this wasn't going to be in the subtle bowl."
It was an unsubtle late hit by Parlavecchio on Pitt's drive after the first Lion touchdown that seemed to turn this game. Parlavecchio hit Collins out of bounds so hard that Sherrill came running down the sideline to yell at him.
"Maybe I'm crazy, but that play served its purpose," Parlavecchi said. "After that, we were sparked. And all their linemen were talking about 'get Chet, get Chet' instead of worrying about blocking."
A simplification maybe. But five plays after the late hit, Marino tried to pass to Julius Dawkins on the play that had produced the first touchdown. This time, Roger Jackson smacked the ball loose and Mark Robinson intercepted it. Again, Pitt was stopped.
"By then they knew they couldn't break us," Robinson said, who went to John F. Kennedy High School in Silver Spring, Md.
Two series later, after an exchange of turnovers, the Lions went 80 yards, Blackledge's 52-yard pass to Kenny Jackson setting up an eight-yard quarterback draw that tied the score at 14 with 2:42 left in the half.
Pitt had a chance to go ahead before the break when punter Dave Hepler avoided a rush to get off a kick, spraining his knee in the process, and Kenny Jackson fumbled the ball at the 40. But fullback Wayne DiBartola fumbled and the Lions' Greg Gattusso recovered at the 16.
It was even at the half and Pitt had turned the ball over four times in the second quarter. "We were lucky to only be tied," Sherrill said. "Of course, without the turnovers we might have had 28 points. That's what killed us."
"I knew right then we had them," Parlavecchio said.
He was right. Backup fullback Bill Beach fumbled on the Panthers' first series of the second half and, three plays later, Blackledge passed to a wide-open Jackson on the 10. Jackson did a 360-degree turn away from two defenders and danced into the end zone for a 42-yard score and a 21-14 lead.
Pitt couldn't move, punted and Blackledge and Jackson teamed up again, this time for 45 yards. In less than six minutes, the Lions had a 28-14 lead. From there it just built, climaxing in Marino's final errant pass, grabbed by Robinson and returned 91 yards.
"They were better than us, they deserved to win," Marino said. "We didn't adjust, they did. That's how upsets happen."
"This wasn't an upset," said Blackledge. "Joe didn't think of it that way and neither did anyone else. We came in here expecting to win the game."
WaPo
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Chet Parlavecchio also was one of my favorite players; he's the type of player whom we could use when we play OSU and Michigan these days.
OldiesAtTheGaff
Well-Known Member
I, in my early 20s
I was a Penn State student at the time and saw it in person as well. Back then PSU classes were 10 weeks, instead of the current 15. The end of the fall tri-semester fell at the end of November. I was back home in Pittsburgh for break, Thanksgiving, and the game.
What an incredible victory!
The "48-14 Button" became succinctly classic, no words were needed.
I was a Penn State student at the time and saw it in person as well. Back then PSU classes were 10 weeks, instead of the current 15. The end of the fall tri-semester fell at the end of November. I was back home in Pittsburgh for break, Thanksgiving, and the game.
What an incredible victory!
The "48-14 Button" became succinctly classic, no words were needed.
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I was there. We physically and mentally beat the crap out of them and they quit. Typical Paterno victory.
The schedules then were brutally tough…so we’re the PSU teams of that era…and super-talented.
A magnificent day!
AKA the day Pitt football died.
When the game ended, there were probably only 20,000 people left in that outhouse on the hill. Most of them wore blue and white.
I still remember Dan Marino's whiff on Mark Robinson's interception return. Classic.
Also remember after a turnover or loss of downs by Pitt, Greg Gattuso running to the sideline high fiving Scott Radecic, but they deliberately missed the hand and hit the others raised foot. Choreography at its finest.
Those Penn State teams were fundamentally sound and physically tough, just like their coach.
AKA the day Pitt football died.
When the game ended, there were probably only 20,000 people left in that outhouse on the hill. Most of them wore blue and white.
I still remember Dan Marino's whiff on Mark Robinson's interception return. Classic.
Also remember after a turnover or loss of downs by Pitt, Greg Gattuso running to the sideline high fiving Scott Radecic, but they deliberately missed the hand and hit the others raised foot. Choreography at its finest.
Those Penn State teams were fundamentally sound and physically tough, just like their coach.
They definitely were well-coached and tough, and had a belief that they would beat even the best teams on their schedule. However, even though that era of PSU football was very successful and may have been my favorite, they still lost games, even during the 1982 National Championship season. That's why, although the OSU and Michigan losses were frustrating this season, we still should be thankful that we have a program that reguarly posts 10 or 11 seasons and is selected to good bowls, and still matters in the college football world.
and let us not forget the most important in game adjustments Paterno made. He recognized that the DB were biting on the play action and drew up the plays to Kenny Jackson at half time. he had them in his hand on yellow note pad paper. Pattern at his best could come up with those type in game adjustments that could totally change the course of the game. He said afterwards he noticed what the Dbs were doing and thought could take advantage of them
Play action. I miss that. Nothing is tougher on a defense than a well executed play action pass,
Yep, get a Qb that knows how to fake, hide the ball on his hip, carry out a fake…. Really opens up a defense.
I was much younger then, and more emotional. When Pitt was up two TD’s and driving for a third I punched a hole in the wall in my TV room. To this day I can show visitors the exact spots where I released my anger at our agonizing old losses and my one great mistake.
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