Penn State vs. Oregon 1994 GAME STORY Rose Bowl
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The only Rose Bowl victory in Penn State history is on the very short list of the most meaningful games the Nittany Lions have ever played. It culminated a 12-0 perfect season for a team that laid claim to being champions of their conference, as well as national champions. At a school that was traditionally known for it's stout defenses over the years, it was the offense that carried this squad to blowout almost every opponent. The offense has gone down as one of the best to ever be assembled in college football history.
Within this matchup against the Ducks, as soon as the Nittany Lions touched the ball, it was game over. Ki-Jana Carter's 84-yard touchdown run on the very first play exemplified the capabilities of this offense and has been one of the iconic plays ever made in the rich tradition of the Rose Bowl throughout it's history. That long run almost seemed to allow the Lions to become too complacent, as this performance was not their best outing. The offense struggled to move the ball for the rest of the first half until play calling allowed Collins to rip the ball downfield to his receivers. There were also a few plays you'll notice where a slippery spot on the field affected Collins and Carter on plays that could have been dangerous for Oregon, otherwise. But the Ducks came to play. Their quarterback, Danny O'Neill, put up huge numbers in the passing game and set the all-time Rose Bowl record with 456 yards through the air. The two interceptions he threw were costly as sophomore safety Chuck Penzenik picked off both of them as a third string player, and the hero of the bowl game for Penn State. It was a battle well into the third quarter but special teams and the defense help set up the offense to begin to pull away on the scoreboard. In the forth quarter, the defense just unleash on Oregon's Danny O'Neill, constantly pressuring him and forcing him into making mistakes. Despite the offensive power these Lions possessed, it was fitting for a Paterno coached Penn State team that the end of the game came down to domination from the defense, to cap the championship. 1994 will always be remembered as one of the most special seasons in school history.
Penn State's Top Performers:
Ki-Jana Carter: 21 carries, 156 yards, 3 TDs
Chuck Penzenik: 2 interceptions
Kerry Collins: 19 of 30, 200 yards, Int.
Penn State wrapped up 1994 with a 12-0 record, a Big Ten championship and a National Championship. With the loss, Oregon finished 9-4, with a Pac-10 championship and an 11th place ranking in the final AP Poll.
Пікірлер: 16
'Freddie Scott is the man in motion; here's Carter...and BREAKS IT! He's gone, goodbye! It'll be touchdown Penn State, first play of the ball game!'
I was there at that game. Right in the corner of the end zone that KiJana ran to for that TD
Last game for a lot of great Lions, but I want to single out my all-time favorite Penn State offensive lineman, Bucky Greeley, a TRUE PENN STATER and a great Nittany Lion through and through!
Third (or fourth?) string safety Chuck Penzenik stepping up in this game.
finally!
This was the 95 rose bowl PSU 38 Oregon 20 final Penn State could have won by a lot more than that
I watched that game. WE ARE.. PENN STATE!
Could you please upload the entire 2006 northwestern at Penn State game I'd love to watch that game thank you so much
@arc-lite
2 жыл бұрын
It's on the way. May not be within the next few months but I assure you it's in my plans to do so down the line here.
Nebraska should had played Penn st for the national championship that would have been a great game
Ki-jana Carter's touchdown run was 84 yd not 83 they were at the 16-yard line 84 + 16 is 100
@arc-lite
2 жыл бұрын
Yup. Not sure why the statisticians miscalculated that one.
An odd game. First of all, Oregon was actually a run-heavy team in 1994, even by the standards of the 1990s (when all teams ran more). Then they come out for this game and act like they're a Joe Tiller Purdue team. Clearly Oregon's coaches decided super-aggression was their only chance. Ballsy stuff. They deserve credit. Secondly, while Oregon's defense was good throughout 1994 (or at least after the first few games, which were inexplicably bad for the whole team), it was VERY good in this game - and certainly the most aggressive defense Penn State had played. They decided to stuff the box to do anything to slow down Penn State's amazing offensive line and run game, and their DBs held up fairly well against Engram and Scott. Turning to an unsung young player, Joe Jurevicius finally used his massive size (he's basically Mike Gesicki) to make, in my opinion, perhaps the most crucial offensive play of the game for State. The Penn State offense was good, by most teams' standards, but well off its usual mark. In fairness, Penn State's "usual mark" in 1994 is, in my opinion, by far the best offensive standard ever set (considering that Paterno played the starters the whole game only twice, against Michigan and Illinois). Thirdly, Penn State's players say even today they were somewhat deflated by the fact that the jagoff voters had already crowned Nebraska - meaning Penn State had no chance no matter how well they played. This despite the fact that Oregon was a very good team; Oregon beat the Washington squad that crushed the Miami team that almost beat Nebraska. It's ironic that a team could start off with an explosion like the Carter play yet look somewhat lethargic on offense otherwise. Yet, with all this, Penn State still beats a tough opponent - one that totally changed its templates for this game - by 18 points. And what I most like about this one is how well Penn State's defense adjusted for the second half, finding blitzes that stymied Oregon's passing game in crucial spots. The special teams also chipped in, like with the huge return by Fletcher. Best team ever.
@arc-lite
Жыл бұрын
Glad you mention all of this. The '94 team's performance in the Rose Bowl really wasn't indicative of how powerful and great it was that year. The news of the pre-determined crowning of Nebraska being national champions the night before, I feel had a lot to do with the Lions playing such a "ho-hum" game against Oregon.
Defense won that game