PSU snapshot: 1982
A daily series featuring each Penn State football season from 1947-2019:
Year: 1982
Coach: Joe Paterno
Final record: 11-1
Final ranking: AP No. 1, UPI No. 1
Regular-season wins: Temple, Maryland, Rutgers, Nebraska, Syracuse, West Virginia, Boston College, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Pitt
Regular-season losses: Alabama
Bowl game: Beat Georgia, 27-23, in the Sugar Bowl
Team stat leaders: Curt Warner rushed for 1,041 yards; Todd Blackledge passed for 2,218 yards and 22 TDs; Kenny Jackson caught 41 passes for 697 yards and 7 TDs; Scott Radecic had 71 tackles; Walker Lee Ashley had 5 sacks; Radecic and Mark Robinson each intercepted 4 passes
All-Americans: RB Curt Warner, DE Walker Lee Ashley, WR Kenny Jackson, S Mark Robinson
Neil Rudel’s take: After so many years (1968-69 and ’73) of falling short in the polls, this team delivered the Lions and JoePa to the mountain top, clinched by the 47-yard TD pass from Todd Blackledge to former walk-on (and future NFL receiver) Gregg Garrity to beat Herschel Walker and Georgia in the Sugar Bowl, 27-23. Mike McCloskey’s controversial reception (he was way out of bounds) set the stage early with a win over Nebraska, and the Nits survived a blocked punt when their protector drifted into their punter, sealing a loss at Alabama before regrouping to beat Notre Dame and Pitt to keep their title hopes alive. Paterno being carried off the Sugar Bowl turf is one of the most iconic photos in PSU history. The team flew into Harrisburg, and then bused into State College, fans lining Route 322 at night to celebrate the No. 1 moment.
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