College Football Old School Game of the Week: Penn State Completes Undefeated Season with Rose Bowl Triumph

Penn State running back Ki-Jana Carter ran for 156 yards on 21 carries and scored three touchdowns.

The 1995 edition of the Rose Bowl featured two teams that had not been there in generations as the Penn State Nittany Lions faced off with the Oregon Ducks with an undefeated season on the line for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State was led by head coach Joe Paterno, who in his 29th season as the Nittany Lions' head coach, had led Penn State to the Rose Bowl in just their second season as a member of the Big 10 conference and playing in Pasadena for the first time in 72 years after the Nittany Lions played in the ninth edition of the "Granddaddy of Them All" as they lost 14-3 to the USC Trojans.

The Nittany Lions in 1994 were an offensive juggernaut as they averaged 47.8 points per game and 520 yards per game with quarterback Kerry Collins, running back Ki-Jana Carter, and wide receiver Bobby Engram leading the way for Penn State.

Penn State won all 11 of its regular season games which included a 31-24 win over Michigan in the "Big House"(To read about that game click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2017/10/college-football-old-school-game-of_18.html) and a 35-31 win over Illinois to clinch the Big 10 title where the Nittany Lions drove 96 yards in 14 plays for the game-winning touchdown(To read about that game click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2023/09/college-football-old-school-game-of_13.html).

If the Nittany Lions, who were ranked #2 in the country, could knock off Oregon in the Rose Bowl, many felt that Penn State should at least share the national championship with #1 Nebraska Cornhuskers, who had completed a 12-0 season the night before with a 24-17 win over the Miami Hurricanes in the Orange Bowl.

Standing in their way were the Oregon Ducks, who had stunned the college football world by winning the Pac-10 championship to earn their first trip to the Rose Bowl in 37 years.

The Ducks were led by head coach Rich Brooks who in his 19th season as the Ducks' head coach had led Oregon to a 9-3 regular season after Oregon got off to a 1-2 start to start the '94 season.

While the Nittany Lions' strength was their offense, the Ducks were led by their defense, the "Gang Green" defense which gave up 17.6 points per game and helped secure a 31-20 upset win over Washington with "The Pick" a 97-yard pick-six by cornerback Kenny Wheaton in the final seconds(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2018/10/college-football-old-school-game-of_10.html).

On offense, the Ducks were led by quarterback Danny O'Neil, who threw a 19-yard touchdown pass to running back Dino Philyaw in the fourth quarter of Oregon's 17-13 win over Oregon State in the regular season finale to clinch the Ducks' spot in the Rose Bowl(To read about that game, click on the link which is highlighted here: https://oldschoolsportsblog.blogspot.com/2024/09/college-football-old-school-game-of_11.html).

If the Ducks were to have any chance of upsetting the Nittany Lions, they would need a big day from O'Neil as Penn State came into the game as a 17-point favorite.

Oregon got the ball to start the game as they would drive from their 19-yard-line to the Penn State 49-yard-line before punting the ball to the Nittany Lions who would take over at their 17-yard-line for their first drive of the game.

That is when Collins pitched the ball to Carter, who ran to his right and broke a tackle from Ducks cornerback Herman O'Berry at the line of scrimmage as the Heisman runner-up would outrun the rest of the Oregon defense for an 83-yard touchdown to give Penn State a 7-0 lead.

Oregon would begin its ensuing possession at their 20-yard-line as O'Neil would hit tight end Josh Wilcox for 18 yards, then complete a 28-yard screen pass to Philyaw, and then a 33-yard pass to Wilcox to put the Ducks at the Penn State one-yard-line.

O'Neil would find Wilcox in the back right corner of the end zone for the one-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at seven just 45 seconds after Carter's touchdown run.

The "Gang Green" defense would force the Nittany Lions to punt on their next possession to give their offense the ball back at their 42-yard-line as O'Neil continued his hot streak as he completed three straight passes to put Oregon at the Penn State 34-yard-line.

However, O'Neil would throw an interception as he overthrew Cristin McLemore as Penn State safety Chuck Penzenic would make the pick as his 14-yard return would give the Nittany Lions the ball at their 23-yard-line.

The Nittany Lions would go three-and-out to give the ball back to the Ducks who took over at their 49-yard-line as the Ducks would drive to the Penn State six-yard-line to set up a 24-yard field goal attempt by Matt Belden that would give Oregon the lead.

But Belden's kick would sail wide right to keep the score tied at seven as Penn State would take over at their 20-yard-line with 2:29 left in the first quarter.

Oregon quarterback Danny O'Neil set numerous Rose Bowl records as he completed 41 of 61 passes for 456 yards and threw two touchdowns.

Penn State would then drive 51 yards in 10 plays to set up a 46-yard field goal attempt by Brett Conway, which would fall short of the uprights as the game remained tied at seven as Oregon would get the ball back at their 29-yard-line with 12:26 left in the second quarter.

The two teams would trade punts until 5:54 left in the second quarter when Oregon linebacker Reggie Jordan knocked the ball loose from Carter as defensive end Troy Bailey recovered the fumble to give Oregon the football at the Penn State 33-yard-line.

However, the Ducks could not pick up a 1st down as Bolden would come to attempt a 44-yard field goal which like his earlier miss would sail wide right as the Nittany Lions would take over at their 27-yard-line.

From there, Collins would complete back-to-back passes to Engram that totaled 30 yards before an incomplete pass and a two-yard-loss by fullback Jon Witman set up a 3rd & 12 situation when Collins hit wide receiver Joe Jurevicius for a 44-yard gain to give Penn State a 1st & goal at the Oregon one-yard-line.

After Witman was stopped for no gain on 1st down, Collins handed the ball off to fullback Brian Milne who would punch it in for the one-yard touchdown to give Penn State a 14-7 lead with 1:26 left before halftime.

The Ducks would start their ensuing possession at their 18-yard-line with one timeout in their pocket and 86 seconds left in the first half for Oregon drive down the field and pick up some points.

O' Neil would complete four straight passes to four different receivers for a total of 58 yards before scrambling for one yard to go out of bounds at the Penn State 23-yard-line with 30 seconds to go in the first half. 

O'Neil would then hit Wilcox for 12 yards before spiking the ball at the Penn State 11-yard-line as O'Neil would then complete a two-yard pass to McLemore, causing the Ducks to spend their final timeout with 11 seconds to go.

Instead of sending in Belden to attempt a field goal, Brooks decided to get one more play off as O'Neil would complete a four-yard pass to McLemore, who was tackled inbounds at the Penn State five-yard-line as the Ducks could not stop the clock as the first half came to an end with the Nittany Lions on top 14-7.

Following an exchange of punts to start the second half, the Nittany Lions got the ball at their 40-yard-line as Collins completed two passes to Mike Archie for 28 yards to help set up a 42-yard field goal attempt for Conway which would sail wide right to give Oregon the ball at their 25-yard-line.

The Penn State defense would force a three-and-out to give their offense the ball at their 21-yard-line as three completions by Collins for 29 yards plus a three-yard run would put the Nittany Lions at the Oregon 47-yard-line when Collins was intercepted by Jordan, whose 38-yard return gave the Ducks offense the ball at the Nittany Lions' 17-yard-line.

After Dwayne Jones was stopped for no gain, O'Neil threw a pass toward the left corner of the end zone where McLemore made a leaping catch for the 17-yard touchdown that with the extra point tied the game at 14 with 4:54 left in the third quarter.

It looked like the Ducks had the Nittany Lions on the ropes until the ensuing kickoff when sophomore running back Ambrose Fletcher returned the kick 72 yards to the Oregon 21-yard-line as Carter would run for four yards on 1st down, then take up the middle for a 17-yard touchdown to give Penn State a 21-14 with 3:53 to go in the third quarter.

Oregon would start its next possession with a 20-yard pass from O'Neil to Philyaw to put the Ducks at their 40-yard-line when O'Neil overthrew McLemore and was intercepted by Penzenic, who returned the pick 44 yards to the Oregon 13-yard-line.

Three plays later, the Nittany Lions were back in the end zone as Carter ran it in from three yards out for Penn State's second touchdown in a span of 76 seconds and extend their lead to 28-14.

Now facing their largest deficit of the game, the Ducks would drive from their 20-yard-line to the Penn State 28-yard-line as O'Neil would complete five of nine passes for 52 yards on the drive to set up another field goal attempt for Belden, this time from 44 yards out.

The third time would not be the charm for Belden as his kick bounced off the right upright and no good to keep the score at 28-14 in favor of Penn State with 14:11 left in the fourth quarter.

The two teams would exchange punts until the Ducks drove to the Penn State 35-yard-line when on 4th & 14, Brooks decided to go for the 1st down as his team needed two scores to salvage at least a tie.

However, O'Neil's pass for McLemore would fall incomplete to give the ball to the Nittany Lions who would take over at their 35-yard-line with 8:57 remaining in the game.

From there, the Nittany Lions would drive 39 yards in six plays to set up a 43-yard field goal attempt by Conway which me made to extend Penn State's lead to 31-14.

Penn State head coach Joe Paterno is surrounded by his Penn State players including quarterback Kerry Collins(12) after the Nittany Lions' win in the Rose Bowl.

Oregon would take over at its 18-yard-line as three plays gained five yards to set up 4th & 5 when the Ducks again went for the 1st down and once again failed to convert as O'Neil was sacked by Penn State linebacker Phil Yeboah-Kodie for a nine-yard loss to give the Nittany Lions the ball at the Oregon 13-yard-line.

Wittman would then carry for four yards on 1st down then run it in for the nine-yard touchdown to push the game out of reach as Penn State now had a 38-14 lead with 4:24 to go in the game.

The Ducks would then drive 75 yards in 12 plays as O'Neil completed five of nine passes for 48 yards on the drive which was capped off with a three-yard touchdown run by Ricky Whittle to make it a 38-20 game as Oregon failed to convert on the two-point conversion.

The Ducks attempted an onside kick only for to Engram to recover it as the Nittany Lions ran the ball six straight times for 33 yards to run out the clock and come away with the 38-20 victory to complete the fifth undefeated season in Paterno's career.

Despite the loss, the Ducks would finish #11 in both the final AP and coaches polls with a 9-4 record as one month later, Brooks would resign as the Oregon head coach to become the head coach of the St. Louis Rams in the National Football League.

Brooks would be replaced with offensive coordinator Mike Belotti, who would lead the Ducks for 14 seasons as he would go 116-55 during his tenure as the Oregon head coach.

As for Penn State, their win over Oregon did not impress many voters as the Nittany Lions finished #2 in both the AP and coaches polls behind Nebraska, who would win its first national championship since 1971.