1980 – A Decade of the Fiesta Penn State and Ohio State battled in one of the outstanding bowl match-ups of the 1980 season. The game could have gone either way, as both teams had several opportunities to win. But it was the Nittany Lions defense that held their ground in the second half to help PSU overcome a 19-10 halftime deficit and post a 31-19 victory in front of a then-record crowd of 66,738.
alumni highlight: Trevor Lawrence The 2019 Fiesta Bowl Offensive Player of the Game kicked off his 2020 campaign in a big way, dominating Wake Forest 37-13. The Heisman Trophy frontrunner threw for 351 yards on 22-of-28 passing. The story of his game, however, came on the ground as the junior rushed for two touchdowns. While some may be surprised at Lawrence’s rushing ability, Fiesta Bowl fans are not after watching him burn the Ohio State defense for a 67-yard rush in one of the Fiesta Bowl’s defining plays. Lawrence’s performance earned him ACC Quarterback of the Week honors and was the first time a Clemson player had 350-plus yards passing and multiple rushing touchdowns since Tajh Boyd in 2012. Lawrence and the Tigers remain No. 1 in the polls and get ready to take on The Citadel on Saturday at 1 PM on ACC Network.
The game had several fireworks, and it didn’t take long to set them off. On Penn State’s first play from scrimmage, Curt Warner took a handoff off left tackle and sprinted 64 yards for a touchdown for a 7-0 advantage. It didn’t faze Ohio State, however, as the Buckeyes promptly scored 19 straight points. Quarterback Art Schlichter completed 15 of 22 first-half passes for 244 yards and three touchdowns. Two of his TD tosses went to split end Doug Donley and the other to Gary Williams. Penn State came out of the locker room like gangbusters in the second half, scoring a touchdown in less than five minutes on a three-yard quarterback keeper by Todd Blackledge. PSU then turned to its ground game. Jonathan Williams had a four-yard TD run to give PSU the lead, and Booker Moore added a 37-yard dash to secure the win in the 1980 Fiesta Bowl. A little-known fact is that Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban coached in this game as defensive backs coach for Ohio State.
EPISODE 10 - Mack Brown This episode we are joined by College Football Hall of Fame and current North Carolina Head Coach Mack Brown. Brown joins us to talk his return to coaching, Matthew McConaughey stories from Texas, what leadership means to him and his 2009 Fiesta Bowl victory. We’ll bring you a new interview-style conversation twice a month with some of the biggest names in college football and college athletics. Please subscribe and keep an eye out for our updated episodes.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL INSIDER | 2020 | WEEK 3
