1996 Outback Bowl (10 Minutes or Less)

www.linebacker-... -- Penn State is no stranger to the Outback Bowl. This Saturday's clash with Florida will be the Nittany Lions' fourth trip to Tampa, the fourth time facing an SEC opponent in the game. But today we're taking you back 15 years, to Penn State's first time playing in the Outback Bowl.
The Nittany Lions were coming off a stressful 12-0 season, in which they were denied a national title by the nation's sportswriters and coaches. Many of the core players from that 1994 squad had returned for 1995 in Happy Valley, but a few of the biggest stars were on to the NFL. Penn State had struggled on both defense and offense--compared to the stellar performance a year prior--and lost three games for an 8-3 overall record and No. 15 ranking coming into the 1996 Outback Bowl. But the offensive line, fullbacks, wide receivers, and defensive line were strengths of the team, and all would play a huge part on New Years Day.
The Tigers were just off probation, and in a bowl game for the first time in five seasons. Head coach Tommy Bowden was one of the hottest names in the sport, leading Auburn to its own 8-3 record in the SEC. One of the most explosive offenses in the nation, Auburn was racking up nearly 40 points per game coming into the Outback Bowl.
It was the first year that the Outback Steakhouse restaurant chain sponsored this bowl game, which was known the year prior as the All-American Bowl. Enjoy...

[@eugenehosack5294]

Attended that game with friends. The water ran down the stairs like a river. Loved it.

[@richardclifford003]

Reminds me of my sophomore season in high school. We were 9-0 going into the last week of the season (decades before the HS football playoff system). At the end of the ninth game, it started raining and continued for more than a week straight. By the time the came started, there was a thin layer of mud on the field because of pre-game warmups. At the north end of the field was the water treatment plant and the open leachbed had crested. The plant was on higher ground than the playing field so we weren't only covered in mud, but in shit smelling mud. The regulation time ended at 0-0 so we went into overtime. Riverdale, our visiting opponent, couldn't score so they kicked a field goal. We had the ball second and drove down to inside the five. Our QB, the best wishbone QB I've ever seen, attempted a pass. Threw it to a wide open receiver (so he thought) but, it was a Riverdale DB. Game over. That year, we had the best overall talent in the four years I played HS ball. I came from a small Single A school in Ohio; however, over half the seniors went on to play D-1 football. That year, we physically destroyed nine teams until God decided to piss on us for a week straight. Best football game I ever played in, win, lose, or draw.

[@untexan]

The grass in the old Tampa Stadium was usually immaculate and it drained like a champ, so you know it had to have rained a TON for the field to end up like this

[@David-su2vv]

I was in Orlando that day on vacation. What a washout!

[@ethanswiech3148]

It's kind of funny that this was the last time Terry Bowden faced Penn State until the 2014 season when he came to Happy Valley as the Akron HC.

[@cbrady2k8]

Ah, I remember this morning well. I had to work across the bay in Clearwater and the spot I was in got more than 7 inches in rain in just a few hours. My car was a piece of crap that I spun once on the road, then as I got to work my defogger didn't work and I couldn't barely see anything and I turned into the parking lot only to have my car feel like it was floating for a few seconds - well because I had just turned into 3-feet deep of water which of course flooded the car and it got stuck in the middle of the parking lot. They didn't get as much rain by the stadium, only like 4 inches, but what a mess it was. Good times, good times.

[@BAYAREA-kd1ig]

At least you survived that heck of a day .

[@holtridge7337]

Whatever happened to Wally Richardson?

[@tedmahala1924]

I was at that game!

[@gregbrahman]

it was the hall of fame bowl before this not all-american bowl

[@TideatMileHigh]

Thank you very much Penn State for doing this to Auburn!

[@emcllns]

Sadly, this guy died recently of a meth overdose and a raging case of syphilis he got from his sister.

[@LeRoyBoxley434]

@@emcllns LMAO

[@LeRoyBoxley434]

I see when you posted this you were still upset about the 2010 Iron Bowl.

[@MeIn321]

Why throw with a 43-7 lead in the 4th quarter? Give the fullback some love.

[@jabbers081769]

can you get the full game

[@cbowden777]

LBU vs RBU

[@TideatMileHigh]

@garnerboy420 What is this "28-27" you speak of good sir?

[@nystmind]

I was in the house that day....WE

[@randymatson5710]

#%*& Mike Mcquery