Alabama-PSU rivalry has produced classic moments

NCAA Football Betting Lines

09/09/2010 -

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) -Barrett Jones was 5 months, 2 days old the last time Alabama and Penn State played.

He doesn't remember the game, but the top-ranked Crimson Tide's guard has become fairly well versed on a rivalry that has featured memorable kicks, great defenses and a goal line stand that is a significant part of 'Bama lore.

``I can't speak for everybody on the team, but I really feel like I appreciate the history of the game,'' said Jones, born on May 25, 1990. ``I feel like this is really something special. You go into an old Alabama restaurant - which there are many of them across the state - and you see old games playing. And a lot of times you see Alabama-Penn State, and it's great to be a part of that rivalry.

``Maybe one day they'll be showing our Alabama-Penn State (game) on the TVs.''

Saturday night's showdown will be televised.

The Tide and 19th-ranked Nittany Lions face off at Bryant-Denny Stadium in their first meeting since 1990, renewing a rivalry that has produced some classic moments and monumental games.

Jones knows about the biggest of them all. ``The goal line stand in '79.''

In a battle of No. 1 vs. No. 2, Alabama's Barry Krauss upended running back Mike Guman at the goal line to preserve the Tide's 14-7 win in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1979. It gave second-ranked 'Bama a national title.

Defensive back Don McNeal had knocked Scott Fitzkee out of bounds about a foot from the goal line on the second-and-goal play before that.

``Can I ever forget it? I don't want to ever forget it, I really don't,'' said McNeal, a great uncle of current Penn State quarterback Rob Bolden. ``I had covered my guy in the end zone on that play, I saw he made the throw and just reacted. I hit him and took him out of bounds. My roommate Curtis McGriff said, `Don, that's one heck of a play you just made.' I didn't realize that. I was just playing football.''

Krauss was the one immortalized. Penn State assistant athletic director Fran Ganter, running backs coach for that '79 team, knows that from his last Tuscaloosa trip.

``We went into the building, and the first thing we saw was a mural of Barry Krauss stopping Mike Guman,'' Ganter recalls.

The first four meetings included Hall of Fame coaches Bear Bryant of Alabama and Penn State's Joe Paterno - an assistant in the 1959 game.

Much has changed in the two decades since the teams last met, when Penn State's defense dominated the game. The Nittany Lions picked off five passes and recovered a fumble in a 9-0 win in 1990. Alabama managed just 6 yards rushing, nearly 200 below its season average.

Paterno recalls Alabama agreeing to play a home-and-home series, something other Southeastern Conference teams were reluctant to do.

``It's a great experience to take a bunch of kids down to the stadium such as the one we're going to play in with that many people and the kind of enthusiasm,'' he said. ``And they'll learn from it. They'll be better, they'll remember.''

The two teams played eight times in the 1980s, producing a bounty of memories.

If the '79 Sugar Bowl is the biggest one for Alabama fans, there are a few more pleasing to the Nittany Lions (though the Tide leads the series 8-5).

-Oct. 12, 1985. National title contender Penn State set up Matt Knizner's 11-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brian Siverling with Michael Timpson's 29-yard reverse. Eventual Tide coach Mike Shula threw for a 14-yard score to Thornton Chandler with 14 seconds left, but the onside kick failed. Penn State 19-17.

-Oct. 8, 1983. Alabama quarterback Walter Lewis' pass to Preston Gothard in the end zone was ruled out of bounds in Penn State's 34-28 win. The Nittany Lions then stopped Kerry Goode short from the 2 as time expired.

Happier memories for the Tide:

-Oct. 13, 1984: Van Tiffin's 53-yard field goal set a then-school record in a 6-0 Alabama win. Penn State missed two first-half kicks, then couldn't cross Alabama's 45.

-Oct. 28, 1989. Defensive lineman Thomas Rayam blocked Ray Tarasi's last-second 17-yard field goal attempt after a high snap. Alabama wins 17-16.

The average score of the first 13 meetings was appropriate for two programs known for defense: Alabama 12.4, Penn State 11.8.

All that history is ancient for the current players on both sides.

``I'm sure to our fans it probably means something,'' Tide coach Nick Saban said. ``To most of our players, I think they have a tremendous amount of respect for Penn State based on the great program that they've had in their lifetime, whether they've played Alabama or not. I really don't think it means a lot to the players, and it's not something that we emphasize with the players.

``We're looking forward, not in the rear-view mirror.''

Penn State guard Stefen Wisniewski knows more than most of his teammates about the history with Alabama. His father, Leo, played for the Nittany Lions from 1979-81.

``I think most people my age probably don't appreciate the whole Bear Bryant-JoePa thing as much,'' the younger Wisniewski said. ``Personally I have a little more of an appreciation for it because of my father's connection to the program. My dad played in the '79 Sugar Bowl and played against Alabama, so I have a little bit a sense of the history, and how cool of a rivalry this is.''

Alabama linebacker Dont'a Hightower is only vaguely familiar with the stand in the '79 game, but he can picture making a game-saving stop like Krauss.

``I'd be speechless,'' Hightower said. ``You got a vision going in my head. I don't even know how to explain that feeling. That would be something that'd go down in history.''

---

AP Sports Writer Genaro C. Armas in State College, Pa., contributed to this report.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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Pacific-10 Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Stanford

Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.

Should be in:

Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.

Southeastern Conference odds
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State

It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.

Work left to do:

Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.

Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.

Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile.

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