44 Years ago today Penn State upset #2 Nebraska on their journey to win their first National Championship.

ApexLion

Heisman
Nov 1, 2021
6,423
10,899
113
Remember ‘Stone Hands’ Bowman making the catch like it was yesterday. I ended up 5 rows down and an unknown woman kissed me by the time the play was over.

My most vivid memory was walking out of the stadium and watching people on car roofs cheering replays of Fran Fisher’s call on radio.
 

Pennstatetate

Redshirt
Sep 25, 2026
5
8
3
Still one of the top five all-time games at Beaver Stadium. I don’t remember it as a night game, though. I think it was a late afternoon kickoff. May have ended under the lights.
For sure! Crazy to think they would win the National championship that year and then again in 1986. We need a couple of those again.
 

Missileer

Freshman
Oct 31, 2021
35
70
18
It’s been a long time, but if memory serves me correctly, PSU really shot themselves in the foot that day. They had over 500 yards of total offense, but missed a couple field goals, had a TD called back, and some other untimely penalties. Game shouldn’t have been that close. At least that’s how I remembered it. Maybe some generous officiating on the McCloskey catch too 😂.
 

nittanymoops

All-Conference
Feb 4, 2004
816
1,424
93
All good memories. The game was amazing. PSU came out firing on all cylinders, but UNL withstood the storm.
Down 24-21, PSU’s final drive was insane from the stands. The Bowman TD resulted in delirium. Absolute joy in Happy Valley.

However, that wasn’t how our day started. Living on the west side of the Wyoming Valley, if you went outside early that morning you heard a lot of sirens, so many that you knew it was bad. As it turned out, that was the same morning that George Banks killed a dozen or so members of his family and then barricaded himself into a home for an urban firefight. For a day to start so tragically and end so joyously is a dichotomy that has stayed with me lo these many years.
 

pendal1

Senior
Apr 24, 2003
6,646
861
113
It’s been a long time, but if memory serves me correctly, PSU really shot themselves in the foot that day. They had over 500 yards of total offense, but missed a couple field goals, had a TD called back, and some other untimely penalties. Game shouldn’t have been that close. At least that’s how I remembered it. Maybe some generous officiating on the McCloskey catch too 😂.
Your memory is correct. We're going up and down the field but we were stopping ourselves. Game could have easily been a blowout in our favor.
Like 94 at scum Kijana scored a TD and we were going up 17-0 and just destroying scum.but the ann arbor boys called a bs holding on Conlin and that kept scum in the game.
 

razpsu

Heisman
Jan 13, 2004
14,538
14,834
113
Sold my 15 or so trays of Cokes at the game in 10th grade then watched the entire 3rd and 4th quarters. Was on west side pretty much in front of where bowman caught it. What a game!!
 
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PSUForever

All-Conference
Feb 17, 2007
1,919
1,940
113
This was an awesome game! Attended with my Dad who had season tickets in section WF. This was the only time I remember that my Dad and I went on the field after a game. What a memory!

We capped that year off by going to New Orleans and watching us win the Sugar Bowl and National Championship.

From the thrill of this Nebraska win to the misery of that Alabama loss to the euphoria of a National Championship. What a season!
 

olelion

Senior
Jun 10, 2001
2,724
901
113
When I lived in Colorado among way to many Husker fans, I had to hear all the time about the McCloskey "catch". I'd let them rant and then tell them that it just didn't matter whether or not he was called out of bounds or not because.........it was a 3rd down play, not 4th down and Nebraska just wasn't going to stop them on that drive.
 
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Bkmtnittany1

All-American
Jan 12, 2014
5,841
8,897
113
I remember being in the Corner Room having a few pops and some dinner when we watched the goal posts come down College Ave!
 

WSTLion87

All-Conference
Oct 10, 2021
895
1,991
93
Perhaps the greatest game ever played at Beaver Stadium.
The George Banks tragedies.
The Who, The Clash, Santana, and The Hooters live at JFK in Philly

(ALL IN THE SAME DAY!)
 
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Psumatt85

Senior
Jan 5, 2002
563
689
93
Still one of the top five all-time games at Beaver Stadium. I don’t remember it as a night game, though. I think it was a late afternoon kickoff. May have ended under the lights.
Late afternoon. CBS brought in lights. They failed in the third quarter when Nebraska came back. Most electric game in beaver stadium……ever
 

Lil Nicky Scarfo

All-American
Jul 1, 2025
1,917
5,384
113
Perhaps the greatest game ever played at Beaver Stadium.
The George Banks tragedies.
The Who, The Clash, Santana, and The Hooters live at JFK in Philly

(ALL IN THE SAME DAY!)
I was at that concert. Didn’t remember it being the day of that game. I remember walking for what seems like a mile and a half from where we parked to get into JFK
 

ApexLion

Heisman
Nov 1, 2021
6,423
10,899
113
Still one of the top five all-time games at Beaver Stadium. I don’t remember it as a night game, though. I think it was a late afternoon kickoff. May have ended under the lights.
Lights? Say what? No lights. Temp lights stopped working but this was before the lights were installed.
 
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bbrown

Heisman
Jul 26, 2001
15,006
30,367
113
Still one of the top five all-time games at Beaver Stadium. I don’t remember it as a night game, though. I think it was a late afternoon kickoff. May have ended under the lights.
Yes, ended up under the lights, that I don't think at that time were permanent yet. It was that Nebraska game and a Bama game I remember with temporary light set up that year.
 

bbrown

Heisman
Jul 26, 2001
15,006
30,367
113
It’s been a long time, but if memory serves me correctly, PSU really shot themselves in the foot that day. They had over 500 yards of total offense, but missed a couple field goals, had a TD called back, and some other untimely penalties. Game shouldn’t have been that close. At least that’s how I remembered it. Maybe some generous officiating on the McCloskey catch too 😂.
I also thought there was a really sketchy call on a non fumble by Nebraska that led to one of their TD's.
 

Tor_Eckman

Sophomore
Feb 26, 2016
164
135
43
Had seats in row L of section EE behind the PSU bench. A friend played on the JV squad at the time. I did not see the McCloskey catch since my view was obstructed by the crowd in the student section, but did see the Bowman TD. Following the game, the only way out was over the trail onto the field and through the tunnel. We heard about the questionable catch on the sideline on the radio during the ride home. Didn’t see the play until the late night news.
 

psuro

Heisman
Aug 24, 2001
9,735
21,435
113
I was at JFK Stadium at The Who concert. Great show - The Hooters, Santana, The Clash and The Who. Tickets were about $25-$30. Place was sold out.

I was informed it was their "Final Tour". In August 2025, I went to their most recent "Final Tour" stop in Philly.
 
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MtNittany

All-American
Oct 12, 2021
3,705
5,233
113
Just a great day. Had to trudge to the Blue Course for qualifiers first thing in the am. Maintenance let us out early, we played in 2 hours and were tailgating by 10:30.

The temporary lights, the tailgating, the atmosphere. We'd never seen anything but a noon game that time of year before that for the most part.

A friend in Hamilton had blue end zone grass in a bowl of water for the rest of the school year in his room.
 
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