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Lions take to the air to stop Hurricanes
By DENISE BACHMAN
Daily Collegian Sports Writer
From Miami came the Hurricanes and
from University Park came swirling 20
mph winds, but Penn State didn’t allow
itself to get caught in the whirlwind.
As a matter of fact, the Lions (7-1)
turned in their finest performance of the
season, both offensively and defensively,
en route to a 27-12 victory over Miami
(4-3) Saturday before a chilled All-
University Day crowd of 83,661 and
representatives from the Fiesta, Gator,'
Garden State and Sugar Bowls at Beaver
Stadium.
“I think it was our best effort on all
levels against a good football team,”
Penn State coach Joe Paterno said. “We
played as well defensively as we played
offensively.”
Contrary to earlier games this season,
the Lions came out throwing and found it
to their liking. They eclipsed their
season highs in the attempts and yar
dage departments with 29 tosses and 176
yards.
“We’ve been trying to get better
balance offensively,” Paterno said.
“We’ve been in a couple of football
games where we really didn’t have to
throw. But we didn’t think we could run
against this club unless we opened them
up.”
The Lions’ strategy worked as
tailback Curt Warner ran rampant, col
lecting 146 yards in 24 carries and giving
him 740 yards this season. It was his
second-best outing (149 yards against
Colgate) and third 100-yard perfor
mance of the season and moved him into
13th place on the all-time Penn State
rushing list with 1,131 yards. He also was
named TCS player of the game for the
fourth time this season. •
Warner’s efforts added to his backfield
mates’ 137 yards gave the Lions 283
yards rushing for 459 total yards against
a defensive unit which allowed 241.3
yards per game and was ranked 11th in
the country in total defense prior to the
game Saturday.
“The offensive line just went out today
with it in mind just to blow those people
away,” Lion quarterback Todd
Blackledge said. “And they just did a
super job, and when you got: a guy like
Curt and Booker (Moore) who know how
to pick their way through, there’s no tell
ing what can happen.”
Warner also credited the offensive
line, saying, “They were quick today.
They knew they had to do a good job.
Once they know they’re in for a tough
game, I think it makes them play a little
better because they know the challenge
is there.”
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State offense flies the friendly skies
By TOM VERDUCCI
Daily Collegian Sports Writer
After plodding along with all the ar
tistry of a Sherman tank, the Peinn State
offense finally took off on Saturday.
And when the Lions . chucked that
mode of movement and ventured into the
wild blue yonder of a passing game, the
results were spectacular.
Three Penn State quarterbacks and
one tailback combined for 13 comple
tions in 29 attempts for 176 yards in a
27-12 win over Miami. It was the Lions’
most productive passing game of the
season, surpassing the 123 yards against
Nebraska.
“People were getting down on us a lit
tle bit,” freshman wide-out Kenny
Jackson said, “but we knew we could do
the job. And there was no doubt about it.
You saw it and everybody else saw it,
and now everyone knows that we can
pass just as well as we can run.”
Freshman quarterback Todd
Blackledge led the assault by com
pleting 10 of 24 passes for 130 yards, in
cluding a 25-yard touchdown throw to
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Photo by Rick Grail
Lion tailback Curt Warner rushed for 140 yards on 24 carries in Penn State’s 27- third 100-yard performance this season for Warner, who was voted TCS player
12 victory over Miami on Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium. It was the of the game.
Perhaps overshadowed by the Lions’
passing fancy* was the defense’s perfor
mance. The Lions punctured the Hur
ricanes’ ground game, surrendering just
48 yards in 25 attempts, and prevented
Miami quarterback Jim Kelly from en
joying the same success as last year,
even though Kelly and Mike Rodrigue
combined for 206 yards in the air.
But twice the Hurricanes had to settle
for field goals after reaching the 1- and
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tight end Vyto Kab, whose closest
defender was somewhere near
Bellefonte.
“I felt great,” Blackledge said. “I love
to throw the football, there’s no question
about it. But I think we have to be
realistic with the kind of running backs
we have and the line that it doesn’t make
sense to go out and throw every other
down.
“But when we can go out and open
things up, it’s a good feeling.”
Penn State coach Joe Paterno gave
everyone an indication of what to expect
by calling for a pass on the Lions’ first
play from scrimmage. Blackledge faked
a reverse to Jackson and hit tight end
Brad Scovill for 27 yards to the Miami 30,
setting up a Herb Menhardt 28-yard field
goal.
But Paterno’s message was wired to
his young Lions in particular, who faced
the 11th best defense in the country.
“I just wanted the kids to know that we
wanted them to go in there and play this
one loose,” Paterno said, “and not go in
there and think we could just knock their
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10-yard lines, as the Lion defense didn’t
give up a touchdown for the second time
this season.
“They’ve (the defense) been keeping
us in every game this year,” Blackledge
said. “They bend but they don’t break
very often. They just did a great job of
getting us the football and keeping us in
pretty good field position.”
Linebacker Chet Parlavecchio led the
defensive charges, making 10 tackles,
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brains out. We wanted to set a tone if we
could.”
From that point on, Paterno pulled out
all sorts of chapters from his dusty pass
ing playbook, including dropbacks, roll
outs, a double pump flanker screen and a
halfback option pass.
"... we knew we could do the job. And there was no
doubt about it. You saw it and everybody else saw it,
and now everyone knows that we pan pass just as we
can run.'
The halfback pass was a rewrite of the
play that saved last year’s Liberty Bowl
the 40 pitch pass and Paterno again
called on Joel Coles to author it.
The result was a wind-blown 25-yard
scoring flip to Jackson, who ripped the
ball away from the Hurricanes’ Ron Lip-
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while end Gene Gladys made his
presence felt in the Miami backfield. He
killed the Hurricanes’ scoring drive late
in the fourth quarter when he stole the
ball from Kelly after Miami marched to
the 34-yard line.
“I thought the defense played a gobd
solid game,” Gladys said. “We didn’t
give up the big play. We bent and gave
up some yardage, but overall I thought
we played well.”
pett. It was one of four catches for 58
yards for the Lions’ top receiver (15 cat
ches for 244 yards).
“I thought he was never gonna throw
it,” Paterno said. “Kenny broke open
right away and I said, ‘Joel,:throw it!
Throw it!’”
Plays like that kept the Hurricanes
guessing, and the running game, led by
Curt Warner (24 carries, 146 yards),
were quick to make fools of them. Miami
had been allowing just 243.1 total yards
per game, but the Lions churned out 459
yards (283 rushing, 176 passing).
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P cchii o :'e c ho e d-; Gladys’.
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“Ithqught the defense was excellent,”
ParlaveCcKid said. “The secondary
played superbly and the defensive line
put excellent pressure on them. We still
made a few mistakes, but it’s starting to
jell.
“Our defensive plan was very team
oriented. Everybody had to be at the
right spot at the right time, and
Photos by Rick Graff
It’s anyone’s ball as Penn State’s Kenny Jackson (82) and Miami’s Ron Lippett
(17) battle in the Hurricane end zone for a third quarter pass thrown by Lion
tailback Joel Coles. Jackson finally made the grab for the touchdown to give
Penn State a 17-6 lead. The pass the same 40 pitch pass Coles made famous
against Tulane in the Liberty Bowl last season was one of four caught by
Jackson and one of 13 caught by the Penn State offense in the Lions’ most
successful passing day of the season.
“We didn’t think we could run against
this club unless we opened up,” Paterno
said. “Obviously, we’re still not a really
good passing team but we’re getting
better.”
Scovill, who caught four passes for 69
yards, said all the hard work is beginn
ing to pay off.
“We’ve been working on our passing
game probably twice as much as we
have in the three years I’ve been here,”
Scovill said. “It’s getting to the point
now where, hey, we spent all this time
practicing, we better be getting good at
it.”
The offensive line also is getting good
at its part of the passing game. The only
Miami sack came late in the game
against the Penn State back-ups.
“We’re good pass blockers when we
get the chance,” tackle Bill Dugan said.
“Passing balances our attack so we can
honestly be a good football team. If it’s
not balanced it’s frustrating to run the
same plays over and over, knowing that
everybody was. They knew what they
had to do and everybody went back and
did it. No one drifted from their game.”
Penn State opened the scoring, putting
three points on the scoreboard the first
time it had the ball when Herb Menhardt
connected with a 28-yard field goal.
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Miami struck back two times on Dan
Miller field goals of 23 and 24 yards
before Penn State went ahead to stay in
the second quarter as Moore capped an
80-yard drive with a 1-yard plunge. The
drive was highlighted by the feet and
hands of Warner as he accounted for 52
of the 80 yards 40 yards rushing and 12
yards pass receiving.
“Curt had a great game; Curt ran like
a big-leaguer today,” Paterno said.
“The opponents are starting to worry
about Moore now and it’s gonna give
Warner some daylight. The two of them
really give us solid running backs.”
The Lions came out in the third
quarter and set the tone for the re
mainder of the game. Penn State turned
a Miami miscue —l2 men on the field on
a punt into seven points when it suc
cessfully executed its Liberty Bowl
instituted halfback option pass. Tailback
Joel Coles took the pitch from
Blackledge and connected .with
freshman flanker Kenny Jackson on a ,
25-yard touchdown strike. ,
On the flipside, the Lion defense kbpt
Miami bottled up most of the thjrd
quarter, not giving up a first down unlil
there were about three minutes remaity
ing in the quarter. The Hurricanes tH|n
put together their first sustained drive of
the half, only to erase their chances for *
another score when they , fumbled the
ball away on a controversial call.
But the Hurricanes wasted little time
getting back on the scoreboard. On third
down and buried deep in its own ter
ritory, Penn State punted. Miami’s Fred
Marion fumbled the ball, but quickly *
recovered and ran right through the
Lions’ coverage for a 53-yard
touchdown.
“They were aggressive and they had a
strong offense,” Blackledge said. ~‘ ; I
think it tells us a lot. I think the Penh
State football team is for real this year.
It’s just a matter of improving each
and. hopefully by the end of the
season wfefll HaVe a pretty good football
team.” ■' < •:
EXTRA POINTS: Penn State’s t%»
other scores came on a 25-yard pass!
from Blackledge to tight end Vyto
and a 25-yard Menhardt fielct
goal. . . .Menhardt missed' a 57-ya’rjcf
field goal attempt in the first>
quarter. $$
Related story and statistics on page 8j
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it’s like they know what we’re going to
run.”
Offensive captain and center B<jb
Jagers said the emergence of the pass
ing game Saturday will force the Lions’
remaining opponents to “lopk at a lot of
things now. Anytime you’ve got people
guessing, it’s a lot easier to do what yQu,
want.” '•'<
And with their top quarterback and
receiver only freshmen, the Lions fig^|ef
to cause opponents trouble for a longi
time. i {V;
“I was talking about that today, as-a
matter of fact,” Jackson said. “We were
in the hotel and I said to Todd, ‘We’re
gonna be around here for four years. We
gotta do things in the summer just to get
a lot better and we can have a realty
good combinatibn.’
“And he said, ‘Yeah, you know Kenny,
you’re right.’ ”
But right now, a bruising running
game and a dangerous passing game is
not a bad combination either. 0
Monday, Nov. 3 6
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, Below, Rich Gorodesky directs the Blue Band and watches the Lions at the same time. Right, Brad
' ' Scovill tries to catch a Todd Blackledge pass, but is unsuccessful in his attempt as the Lions had to settle
for a 28-yard Herb Menhardt field goal which put Penn State on top, 3-0. The Penn State passing game
enjoyed better success throughout the game, however, as the Lions had their most productive output of
the season in the air the Lions completed 13 passes for 176 yards. Middle right, Penn State hero Ray
Weatherspoon brings down Hurricane wide receiver Larry Brodsky. Middle left, Penn State tailgaters
seem to go on and on in a sea of motor vehicles in this view from atop the press box. Bottom left, mem
bers of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority launch balloons before the game.
Lions pass through eye o f Hurricone
Photos by
Jonis Burger,
Brian Gamarman
and
Pick Graff
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The Daily Collegian Monday, Nov. 3, 1980—7
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