1982_Penn_State_Nittany_Lions_football_team
1982 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
American college football season
The 1982 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University during the 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season.[1] Penn State defeated the Georgia Bulldogs, 27–23, in the Sugar Bowl to win Joe Paterno's first consensus national championship. The team was selected national champion by AP, Billingsley, DeVold, Dunkel, FACT, FB News, Football Research, FW, Litkenhous, Matthews, NCF, NFF, The New York Times, Poling, Sagarin, Sagarin (ELO-Chess), Sporting News, UPI/coaches, and USA/CNN, while named co-champion by Helms.[2]
Quick Facts Penn State Nittany Lions football, Consensus national championSugar Bowl championEastern champion ...
| 1982 Penn State Nittany Lions football | |
|---|---|
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Sugar Bowl, W 27–23 vs. Georgia | |
| Conference | Independent |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 1 |
| AP | No. 1 |
| Record | 11–1 |
| Head coach |
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| Offensive coordinator | Dick Anderson (2nd season) |
| Offensive scheme | Pro-style |
| Defensive coordinator | Jerry Sandusky (6th season) |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| Home stadium | Beaver Stadium |
Seasons | |
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More information Conf, Overall ...
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Penn State $ | 6 | – | 0 | – | 0 | 11 | – | 1 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Pittsburgh | 4 | – | 1 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19 West Virginia | 4 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston College | 3 | – | 2 | – | 0 | 8 | – | 3 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rutgers | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Temple | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Syracuse | 1 | – | 5 | – | 0 | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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More information Conf, Overall ...
| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | T | W | L | T | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 1 Penn State | – | – | 11 | – | 1 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Pittsburgh | – | – | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 13 Florida State | – | – | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 19 West Virginia | – | – | 9 | – | 3 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston College | – | – | 8 | – | 3 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southwestern Louisiana | – | – | 7 | – | 3 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Carolina | – | – | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miami (FL) | – | – | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Southern Miss | – | – | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Virginia Tech | – | – | 7 | – | 4 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Notre Dame | – | – | 6 | – | 4 | – | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | – | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Georgia Tech | – | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Navy | – | – | 6 | – | 5 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Louisville | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rutgers | – | – | 5 | – | 6 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Army | – | – | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| South Carolina | – | – | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Temple | – | – | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tulane | – | – | 4 | – | 7 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Syracuse | – | – | 2 | – | 9 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memphis State | – | – | 1 | – | 10 | – | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rankings from AP Poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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More information Date, Time ...
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 4 | 1:30 p.m. | Temple | No. 8 | ESPN (tape delay) | W 31–14 | 80,000 | ||
| September 11 | 1:30 p.m. | Maryland | No. 7 |
| TCS | W 39–31 | 84,597 | [3] |
| September 18 | 1:30 p.m. | Rutgers | No. 8 |
| TCS | W 49–14 | 83,268 | |
| September 25 | 3:50 p.m. | No. 2 Nebraska | No. 8 |
| CBS | W 27–24 | 85,304 | |
| October 9 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 4 Alabama | No. 3 | CBS | L 21–42 | 76,821 | [4] | |
| October 16 | 1:30 p.m. | Syracuse | No. 8 |
| TCS | W 28–7 | 84,762 | |
| October 23 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 13 West Virginia | No. 9 | USA | W 24–0 | 60,958 | [5] | |
| October 30 | 1:30 p.m. | at Boston College | No. 8 | TCS | W 52–17 | 33,205 | ||
| November 6 | 1:30 p.m. | NC State | No. 7 |
| TCS | W 54–0 | 84,837 | [6] |
| November 13 | 3:50 p.m. | at No. 13 Notre Dame | No. 5 | ABC | W 24–14 | 59,075 | ||
| November 26 | 12:30 p.m. | No. 5 Pittsburgh | No. 2 |
| ABC | W 19–10 | 85,522 | |
| January 1, 1983 | 8:00 p.m. | vs. No. 1 Georgia | No. 2 | ABC | W 27–23 | 78,124 | ||
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More information Players, Coaches ...
| 1982 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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See also: 1982 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
More information Week, Poll ...
| Week | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 3 (7) | 3 (9) | 8 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 5 (1) | 3 (2) | 2 (2) | 2 (2) | 2 | 1 (44) |
| UPI | 5 | 5* | 8 | 5 | 3 (3) | 3 (6) | 10 | 8 (1) | 7 | 6 | 4 (1) | 3 (3) | 2 (2) | 2 (2) | 2 (3) | 1 (33) |
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* A new poll was not released for this week, so for comparison purposes, the previous week's ranking is inserted in this week's slot.
Temple
See also: 1982 Temple Owls football team
More information Period, Total ...
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| #8 Penn State | 21 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
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More information Game information ...
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Temple vs. Penn State – Game summary
- Date: September 4
- Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 80,000
- Referee: William Parkinson
- TV announcers (ESPN): Jim Simpson, Bud Wilkinson
Maryland
More information Period, Total ...
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| Maryland | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
| #7 Penn State | 3 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 39 |
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More information Game information ...
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Maryland vs. Penn State – Game summary
- Date: September 11
- Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 84,597
- Referee: J. Vincent Price
- TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno
Rutgers
More information Period, Total ...
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| Rutgers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| #5 Penn State | 7 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 49 |
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More information Game information ...
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Rutgers vs. Penn State – Game summary
- Date: September 18
- Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 83,268
- Referee: Thomas Thamert
- TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno
#2 Nebraska
See also: 1982 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team
More information Period, Total ...
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| #2 Nebraska | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| #8 Penn State | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
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More information Game information ...
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Nebraska vs. Penn State – Game summary
- Date: September 25
- Game time: 3:50 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 85,304
- Referee: William Parkinson
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender, Pat Haden
#4 Alabama
More information Period, Total ...
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| #3 Penn State | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| #4 Alabama | 7 | 14 | 3 | 18 | 42 |
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More information Game information ...
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Penn State vs. Alabama – Game summary
at Legion Field
- Date: October 9
- Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 76,821
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender, Pat Haden
Syracuse
More information Period, Total ...
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| Syracuse | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| #8 Penn State | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
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More information Game information ...
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Syracuse vs. Penn State – Game summary
- Date: October 16
- Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 84,762
- TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno
#13 West Virginia
More information Period, Total ...
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| #9 Penn State | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
| #13 West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
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More information Game information ...
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Penn State vs. West Virginia – Game summary
Boston College
See also: 1982 Boston College Eagles football team
More information Period, Total ...
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| #8 Penn State | 14 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 52 |
| Boston College | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
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More information Game information ...
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Penn State vs. Boston College – Game summary
- Date: October 30
- Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 33,205
- TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno
North Carolina State
More information Period, Total ...
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| North Carolina State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| #7 Penn State | 17 | 9 | 21 | 7 | 54 |
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More information Game information ...
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North Carolina State vs. Penn State – Game summary
- Date: November 6
- Game time: 1:30 PM EST
- Game attendance: 84,762
- Referee: Thomas Thamert
- TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno
#13 Notre Dame
More information Period, Total ...
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| #5 Penn State | 0 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 24 |
| #13 Notre Dame | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
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More information Game information ...
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Penn State vs. Notre Dame – Game summary
- Date: November 13
- Game time: 3:50 PM EST
- Game attendance: 59,075
- TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles, Tim Brant
- [7]
#5 Pittsburgh
See also: 1982 Pittsburgh Panthers football team
More information Period, Total ...
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| #5 Pittsburgh | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| #2 Penn State | 3 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 19 |
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More information Game information ...
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Pittsburgh vs. Penn State – Game summary
- Date: November 26
- Game time: 12:30 PM EST
- Game attendance: 85,722
- Referee: Raymond Bower
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels, Lee Grosscup, Tim Brant
#1 Georgia (Sugar Bowl)
See also: 1982 Georgia Bulldogs football team and 1983 Sugar Bowl
More information Overall record, Previous meeting ...
| Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
|---|---|---|
| First meeting | ||
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More information Period, Total ...
| Period | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
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| #2 Penn State | 7 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
| #1 Georgia | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
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More information Game information ...
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Penn State vs. Georgia – Game summary
- Date: January 1, 1983
- Game time: 8:00 PM EST
- Game attendance: 78,127
- Referee: Vance Carlson
- TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson, Frank Broyles, Jim Lampley
- Pete Speros
- Nittany Lion of the Year
Nine Nittany Lions were drafted in the 1983 NFL Draft.
More information Round, Pick ...
| Round | Pick | Overall | Name | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 3 | 3 | Curt Warner | Running back | Seattle Seahawks |
| 1st | 7 | 7 | Todd Blackledge | Quarterback | Kansas City Chiefs |
| 3rd | 17 | 73 | Walker Lee Ashley | Linebacker | Minnesota Vikings |
| 4th | 4 | 88 | Mike McCloskey | Tight end | Houston Oilers |
| 5th | 10 | 122 | Bill Contz | Offensive tackle | Cleveland Browns |
| 5th | 28 | 140 | Gregg Garrity | Wide receiver | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 10th | 8 | 261 | Dave Laube | Offensive guard | Detroit Lions |
| 10th | 10 | 263 | Pete Speros | Offensive guard | Seattle Seahawks |
| 10th | 15 | 268 | Ralph Giacomarro | Punter | Atlanta Falcons |
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Radio
More information Flagship station, Play-by-play ...
| Flagship station | Play-by-play | Color commentator | Sideline reporter | Studio host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMAJ AM 1450 | Fran Fisher | John Grant | ||
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- "Penn State Yearly Results (1980-1984)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on August 5, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
- 2018 NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision Records (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2018. p. 114. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
- "Penn State rallies to edge Maryland". The Sunday News. September 12, 1982. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- "'Bama brings Penn State back to earth". The Philadelphia Inquirer. October 10, 1982. Retrieved February 19, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Penn State's defense devastates W. Virginia". Democrat and Chronicle. October 24, 1982. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- "Nittany Lions follow new script". The Sunday Times. November 7, 1982. Retrieved January 28, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- Eugene Register-Guard. November 14, 1982. Retrieved December 15, 2014.