1983: Penn State 27, Georgia 23
Georgia could only inch beyond its own 45 twice in the first half – though both times the drives resulted in points. The Bulldogs, though, closed the gap to 20-17 on the first series of the third quarter, going 69 yards in 11 plays with Herschel Walker scoring from the 1. Suddenly, the Sugar Bowl was up for grabs – and Penn State’s national championship could be down the drain. When Todd Blackledge got the ball back, in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter, with a first down at the Bulldog 47, and Georgia in two-deep coverage and playing the run, Blackledge called “six-43,” a routine play-action fake while four receivers streak downfield. Flanker Greg Garrity flew past freshman cornerback Tony Flack and made a diving, skidding catch in the end zone. The only turnover Penn State would commit that night, a fumbled punt return by Kevin Baugh, made things close to the end. Bulldog quarterback John Lastinger pushed Georgia from the Nittany Lion 43 to the 9, where he scrambled and then threw back across the field to tight end Clarence Kay for a touchdown with 3:54 remaining. A two-point conversion would put Georgia – with one of the nation’s best kickers in Kevin Butler – in position to win with a field goal. But Walker was stopped short, leaving the score at 27-23.