1983 Sugar Bowl

August 2023 May 2026 1983 Sugar Bowl Louisiana Superdome - Unbranded - 26 July 2021.jpg The Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, hosted the Sugar Bowl. 49th Sugar BowlNational championship game 1982 Penn State Nittany Lions Pennsylvania State University Georgia Bulldogs University of Georgia 10–1 Independent 11–0 SEC Joe Paterno Vince Dooley 2 2 1 1 7 13 0 7 3 7 7 6 January 1 Louisiana Superdome New Orleans, Louisiana Todd Blackledge(Penn State QB) Penn State by 4 points Vance Carlson (Big Eight) 78,127 ABC List of announcers of major college bowl games Keith Jackson and Frank Broyles College football championship game 1979 1984 The 1983 Sugar Bowl was the 49th edition of the college football bowl game, played at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Saturday, January 1. Part of the 1982–83 bowl game season, it was a de facto national championship game that matched the undefeated and top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and the #2 Penn State Nittany Lions, an independent.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=xfkRAAAAIBAJ&pg=7024%2C77835 Spokesman-Review Spokane, Washington Sugar Bowl foes eye No. 1 test January 1, 1983 15 Penn State won 27–23 to finish atop the final polls as national champions for the first time in school history.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LHEjAAAAIBAJ&pg=6771%2C254996 Pittsburgh Press Donovan Dan Penn State triumphs, 27-23; No. 1 next? January 2, 1983 C1https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=rW8RAAAAIBAJ&pg=4691%2C438035 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Associated Press No. 2 Lions sweeten bid to be No. 1 January 2, 1983 1Dhttps://www.si.com/vault/1983/01/10/627613/but-how-bout-them-lions Sports Illustrated Papanek John But how 'bout them Lions? January 10, 1983 14https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LXEjAAAAIBAJ&pg=6316%2C1476438 Pittsburgh Press Donovan Dan National title belongs to players – Paterno January 3, 1983 C1 Teams 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season Penn State 1982 Penn State Nittany Lions football team Georgia 1982 Georgia Bulldogs football team Game summary The game kicked off shortly after 7 p.m. CST, televised by ABC, at the same time as the Orange Bowl on NBC. Both teams scored on their first possession of the game. Penn State running back Curt Warner scored on a 2-yard touchdown run and the Nittany Lions led 7–0. He finished the game with 117 yards rushing. Georgia got on the board following a 27-yard field goal from Kevin Butler to make it 7–3. In the second quarter, after two possessions for each team had ended in punts, Nick Gancitano kicked a 38-yard field goal to put the Nittany Lions ahead, 10–3. After a 65-yard punt return by Kevin Baugh only resulted in a missed field goal for Penn State, Warner added a 9-yard touchdown run on a 65-yard drive that took just under two minutes. With only 44 seconds left in the first half, Gancitano made a 45-yard field goal for Penn State to take a commanding 20–3 lead. After the ensuing kick-off, however, quarterback John Lastinger drove the Bulldogs down the field, completing four of five passes, including one that Kevin Harris lateralled to Herschel Walker for a 26-yard gain. With five seconds remaining in the half, Lastinger threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Herman Archie to cut the margin to 20–10 at halftime. Opening the second half, Georgia mounted a 64-yard drive, which was capped when Herschel Walker scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, cutting the margin to 20–17. Georgia had thus scored touchdowns on consecutive possessions (one to end the first half and one to open the second), with Penn State only touching the ball intermittently to run out the clock in the first half. However, the Bulldogs wouldn't score again for almost 22 minutes of game time and John Lastinger went on to throw two interceptions. Penn State cashed in on the second one with a 47-yard play-action touchdown pass from Todd Blackledge to wide receiver Gregg Garrity to give Penn State a 27–17 lead. Lastinger threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Clarence Kay to close the margin to 27–23 with 3:54 left. After the subsequent kick-off, however, Penn State was able to run out the clock, only having to punt as time was expiring. Scoring summary PSU: Curt Warner 2-yard run (Nick Gancitano kick), 12:09 (1st)UGA: Kevin Butler 27-yard field goal, 6:05 (1st)PSU: Nick Gancitano 38-yard field goal, 11:47 (2nd)PSU: Warner 9-yard run (Gancitano kick), 2:43 (2nd)PSU: Gancitano 45-yard field goal, 0:44 (2nd)UGA: Herman Archie 10-yard pass from John Lastinger (Butler kick), 0:05 (2nd)UGA: Walker 1-yard run (Butler kick), 10:37 (3rd)PSU: Gregg Garrity 47-yard pass from Todd Blackledge (Gancitano kick), 13:16 (4th)UGA: Clarence Kay 9-yard pass from Lastinger (Run failed), 3:54 (4th) Statistics No. 2 Nittany Lions 7 13 0 7 No. 1 Bulldogs 3 7 7 6 Penn State Nittany Lions PSU Georgia Bulldogs UGA 19 67–367 44–139 228 13–23–0 30:38 19 74–326 46–160 166 12–28–2 29:22 Penn State Nittany Lions Penn State Georgia Bulldogs Georgia References Sugar Bowl Category:Sugar Bowl Category:Georgia Bulldogs football bowl games Category:Penn State Nittany Lions football bowl games Sugar Bowl Sugar Bowl