1983 Penn State vs Alabama (10 Minutes or Less)

www.Linebacker-... - The #3 Crimson Tide storms into Happy Valley to face a Penn State squad foundering at 2-3. The Nittany Lions were the defending national champions, but not playing like it through the first 5 games of 1983. But Penn State forced a half-dozen Alabama turnovers to go up 31-7 on the Tide. Alabama would not go quietly, rallying to a 34-28 deficit late in the game. With the ball inside the 10 yard line, Alabama had four chances to score and win the game with an extra point. But a controversial call, a Penn State offside penalty, and a run stuffed on fourth down would etch this game into college football history...

[@scottjackson163]

Walter Lewis for Alabama: an interception machine.

[@stevemtc1]

One comment from another page Joe Pa offered to forfeit but Perkins refused if that’s true that just shows the greatness of both programs

[@gopens24]

I have looked for video of this game for the longest time. Just the 2nd game I ever went to (was 7 at the time) and the only part I remember is the last play. Thanks for putting it together.

[@mattkrafft5899]

My first game ever at the Beav 10 yrs old.

[@CapeFear1]

I dont know if this is a very popular opinion but I sure liked Gary Bender as a CBS broadcaster for both college football and basketball in the early 80s.

[@TheScooter1963]

The fumble by Patrick was a bogus call as well. He was down.

[@chrisbath3956]

Little did anyone know at that time that Penn State freshmen class would be the foundation for another national championship run in 1986.

[@robjohnson8861]

Yeah and Testerverde throwing 5 interceptions, but PSU wins by a meager 4. Miami would love to have a do over on that one and the one the year before where that idiot threw 3 interceptions.

[@crimsonjet94]

I watched that game, Walter Lewis was screwed.

[@RandysRacingPlace633]

I haven't watched this video in a long time, but after watching it again recently, I forgot exactly how much 'Bama was screwed by the refs in this game, especially on the next-to-last play of the game.

[@RedElephantStampede]

Looking forward to our meeting in Happy Valley once again. The Alabama Penn State rivalry (to me) is legendary. I hope Coach Saban tells the troops that when you go to State College, you better tighten your belt, have 2 mouth pieces ready, and ignore the blood (because there will be alot of it!)

[@randallzastrow4724]

Those officials should be in the shame of hall...

[@user-is9tf9xx4u]

7:22 love the hurky from the state trooper. Bama got royally screwed but should never have had to come from behind. 6 turnovers? Are you kidding me? They beat themselves.

[@brianmartin3084]

Penn state created a lot of turnovers that year. Looks like Alabama just got overpowered by a great defense in the end. No shame in that!

[@stevemtc1]

@@brianmartin3084 no no shame but a hollow victory but not a thing I can do about it. It was an obvious touchdown

[@ethanhill9460]

I love PENN STATE and I loathe Alabama. Officials did well under trying circumstances. Can't believe last play was toss right. Helmet to helmet at best the visitors could expect was a draw. If Vanderbilt or Southern Mississippi or the Citadel or SMU or Memphis were the opponent that call might had been the game winning call.

[@aaronrider4051]

9:11: no one ever mentions the fact that the PSU offsides induced motion by Alabama's tight end, meaning, by the rules, that the play should have been blown dead immediately as a dead ball foul and so the Gotthard play shouldn't have happened to begin with. That is to say, in a sense, if Alabama was screwed by the incompletion call, well, PSU would have been screwed if it had been called a TD since it was a dead ball foul.

[@toddaustin4171]

Hey! We beat Bama...lets vandalize our stadium! We still got cheated on that pass in the back of the end zone...that was a TD!

[@chrisb8655]

Alabama has gotten more calls in their favor than any team in college football history. They were due.

[@stevemtc1]

@@chrisb8655I’ve seen some shady call gs Alabama’s direction

[@WarEagleTimeMachine]

If Bama WR had not bobbled the ball there would have been no question. Oh well, so close but no cigar.

[@kymheiser]

Greatest comeback in college football history, denied because a homer official. It is a darn shame. Every time I hear about the Maryland comeback over Miami, this still chafes me. Thanks to the PSU guy that put this together.

[@MeIn321]

Looks like that Bama receiver may have trapped the 1st td too...

[@kymheiser]

BTW, for a good laugh go the SI.com Vault and look at page 18 of the Oct 24, 1983 issue to see a nice rendering of PSU's 'interesting' field configuration.

[@RyanSheeran]

Penn states always gonna be linebacker u, too many great linebackers ... Jack ham, Sean Lee, Cameron Wake, Michael mauti, tamba hali, etc.

[@targfu]

bama is natl title u.

[@bennymc1]

The Guman game.

[@donaldtittle349]

7:21

[@robjohnson8861]

PSU fans try to claim that on the play where Bama was robbed, that it was a neutral zone infraction (NZI) anyway. An NZI is an infraction in which a football player, on defense, gets into or crosses the neutral zone during the snap, causing an offensive player to false start. The penalty is against the defense, not the offense. The whistle is blown immediately and there is no play. It is a 5 yard penalty, period. However, the whistle WAS NOT BLOWN immediately. This was ruled an offsides. With offsides, the offense gets a free play. In terms of instant replay today, offsides or NZI are not reviewable plays (most penalties aren't). But the no touchdown was a reviewable play. It would have been a touchdown. Bama was robbed. The only thing the ref could say was that he was bobbling it when as he was going out. Does not look that way to me.

[@sweetdaddy62]

illegal procedure against the right end of Alabama, 5 yard penalty, 1 more play from the 9 yard line with 1 sec remaining...

[@robjohnson8861]

lol. PSU fans claim a neutral zone infraction by bama, but he was drawn off by the defender BUT offsides was called, not NZI. With defense being offsides the play continues (free play), correct. With a NZI, the whistle is blown immediately and the penalty assessed. The whistle was not blown immediately. In terms of instant replay today, offsides (they didn't call NZI) is not a reviewable play, correct. But the no touchdown was a reviewable play. It would have been a touchdown. Bama was robbed.

[@mikepayne7091]

Same official screwed Nebraska the year before. When you played at Penn State in the 1980s, you weren't just playing against the team, you were also playing against the officials.

[@MeIn321]

Like Penn State has never been screwed by the NCAA. How many times were we undefeated and not given the championship?

[@RyanSheeran]

Old

[@USFLForever]

Bama was robbed. I remember this game.

[@kevinconlin5909]

games like this are why alabama rarely travels to play quality opponents outside the SEC

[@stevemtc1]

Wisconsin Michigan Penn St(2) Michigan State they are like 9-1 over the last decade vs big 10

[@rickeyh2334]

We was Robbed!!!

[@BAMAVADER]

Worst call in college football history? Linebacker U? What a complete joke. 2011 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS....RTR

[@kevinfisher7036]

But you can't beat clemson

[@carlosnuckols8470]

Alabama won this game.

[@ethanhill9460]

alabama lost the game.

[@carlosnuckols8470]

Ethan Hill Alabama had the game won but lost, they shot themselves in the foot and gave penn state a win. I’m not an Alabama fan by very far.

[@mws755]

Alabama was as good as they claimed in 2010 and 2011 when they beat Penn State like a drum

[@stevemtc1]

They did

[@jmua04]

One of the biggest screw-jobs in football history.

[@stevemtc1]

Even penn state fans agree with that