1982 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
American college football season
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The 1982 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University during the 1982 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by 17th-year head coach Joe Paterno, the Nittany Lions compiled a record of 11–1. Penn State defeated the Georgia Bulldogs, 27–23, in the Sugar Bowl to win 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.[1]
ConferenceIndependent
CoachesNo. 1
APNo. 1
Record11–1
| 1982 Penn State Nittany Lions football | |
|---|---|
 | |
Sugar Bowl, W 27–23 vs. Georgia | |
| Conference | Independent |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 1 |
| AP | No. 1 |
| Record | 11–1 |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Dick Anderson (2nd season) |
| Offensive scheme | Pro-style |
| Defensive coordinator | Jerry Sandusky (6th season) |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| Captains |
|
| Home stadium | Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania |
| 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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| 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 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Schedule
| 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 | [2] | |
| 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 | [4] |
| September 25 | 3:50 p.m. | No. 2 Nebraska | No. 8 |
| CBS | W 27–24 | 85,304 | [5] |
| October 9 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 4 Alabama | No. 3 | CBS | L 21–42 | 76,821 | [6] | |
| October 16 | 1:30 p.m. | Syracuse | No. 8 |
| TCS | W 28–7 | 84,762 | [7] |
| October 23 | 1:30 p.m. | at No. 13 West Virginia | No. 9 | USA | W 24–0 | 60,958 | [8] | |
| October 30 | 1:30 p.m. | at Boston College | No. 8 | TCS | W 52–17 | 33,205 | [9] | |
| November 6 | 1:30 p.m. | NC State | No. 7 |
| TCS | W 54–0 | 84,837 | [10] |
| November 13 | 3:50 p.m. | at No. 13 Notre Dame | No. 5 | ABC | W 24–14 | 59,075 | [11] | |
| November 26 | 12:30 p.m. | No. 5 Pittsburgh | No. 2 |
| ABC | W 19–10 | 85,522 | [12] |
| January 1, 1983 | 8:00 p.m. | vs. No. 1 Georgia | No. 2 | ABC | W 27–23 | 78,124 | [13] | |
| ||||||||
Rankings
| 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) |
* 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.
Game summaries
Temple
Temple vs. Penn State – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| #8 Penn State | 21 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 31 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 4
- Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 80,000
- Referee: William Parkinson
- TV announcers (ESPN): Jim Simpson, Bud Wilkinson
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Maryland
Maryland vs. Penn State – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
| #7 Penn State | 3 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 39 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 11
- Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 84,597
- Referee: J. Vincent Price
- TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Rutgers
Rutgers vs. Penn State – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rutgers | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| #5 Penn State | 7 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 49 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 18
- Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 83,268
- Referee: Thomas Thamert
- TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
#2 Nebraska
Nebraska vs. Penn State – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 Nebraska | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| #8 Penn State | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
- Date: September 25
- Game time: 3:50 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 85,304
- Referee: William Parkinson
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender, Pat Haden
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
#4 Alabama
Penn State vs. Alabama – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #3 Penn State | 7 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 21 |
| #4 Alabama | 7 | 14 | 3 | 18 | 42 |
at Legion Field • Birmingham, Alabama
- Date: October 9
- Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 76,821
- TV announcers (CBS): Gary Bender, Pat Haden
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Syracuse
Syracuse vs. Penn State – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Syracuse | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| #8 Penn State | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
- Date: October 16
- Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 84,762
- TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
#13 West Virginia
Penn State vs. West Virginia – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #9 Penn State | 3 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 24 |
| #13 West Virginia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Boston College
Penn State vs. Boston College – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #8 Penn State | 14 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 52 |
| Boston College | 7 | 3 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
at Alumni Stadium• Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts
- Date: October 30
- Game time: 1:30 PM EDT
- Game attendance: 33,205
- TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
North Carolina State
North Carolina State vs. Penn State – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Carolina State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| #7 Penn State | 17 | 9 | 21 | 7 | 54 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 6
- Game time: 1:30 PM EST
- Game attendance: 84,762
- Referee: Thomas Thamert
- TV announcers (TCS): Stan Savran, George Paterno
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
vs #13 Notre Dame
No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions (8–1) vs. No. 13 Notre Dame Fighting Irish (6–1–1) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Nittany Lions | 0 | 13 | 0 | 11 | 24 |
| No. 13 Fighting Irish | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
at Notre Dame Stadium • Notre Dame, Indiana
- Date: November 13, 1982
- Game time: 3:50 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 59,075
- Referee: Tom Quinn
- TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson (play-by-play), Frank Broyles (color commentator), and Tim Brant (sideline reporter)
- [14]
| Game information |
|---|
No scoring
|
| Statistics | PSU | ND |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Notre Dame | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
Officials
| Game | Position | Name |
|---|---|---|
| at #13 Notre Dame | Referee | Tom Quinn |
| Umpire | Don McDonnell | |
| Linesman | Otto Puls | |
| Line Judge | Richard Farina | |
| Filed Judge | Larry Nemmers | |
| Back Judge | Weldon Waites |
No. 5 Pittsburgh
No. 5 Pittsburgh Panthers (9–1) vs No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions (9–1) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Panthers | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| No. 2 Nittany Lions | 3 | 0 | 10 | 6 | 19 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 26, 1982
- Game time: 12:30 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 85,722
- Referee: Raymond Bower
- TV announcers (ABC): Al Michaels (play-by-play), Lee Grosscup (color commentator), and Tim Brant (sideline reporter)
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | PITT | PSU |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | ||
| Total yards | ||
| Rushing yards | ||
| Passing yards | ||
| Passing: comp–att–int | ||
| Time of possession | ||
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pittsburgh | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Penn State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
Officials
| Game | Position | Name |
|---|---|---|
| No. 5 Pittsburgh | Referee | Raymond Bower |
| Umpire | Robert Aebersold | |
| Linesman | Richard Farina | |
| Line Judge | Earl Birdy | |
| Field Judge | Thomas Adams | |
| Back Judge | Paul Lattanzi |
vs No. 1 Georgia (1983 Sugar Bowl)
| Overall record | Previous meeting | Previous winner |
|---|---|---|
| First meeting | ||
1983 Sugar Bowl
No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions (10–1) vs No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (11–0) – Game summary
No. 2 Penn State Nittany Lions (10–1) vs No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs (11–0) – Game summary
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 2 Nittany Lions | 7 | 13 | 0 | 7 | 27 |
| No. 1 Bulldogs | 3 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 23 |
at Louisiana Superdome • New Orleans, Louisiana
- Date: January 1, 1983
- Game time: 8:00 p.m. EST
- Game attendance: 78,127
- Referee: Vance Carlson
- TV announcers (ABC): Keith Jackson (play-by-play), Frank Broyles (color commentator), and Jim Lampley (sideline reporter)
| Game information |
|---|
|
| Statistics | PSU | UGA |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 19 | 19 |
| Total yards | 367 | 326 |
| Rushing yards | 44–139 | 46–160 |
| Passing yards | 228 | 166 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 13–23–0 | 12–28–2 |
| Time of possession | 30:38 | 29:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving | |||
| Georgia | Passing | ||
| Rushing | |||
| Receiving |
Officials
| Game | Position | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 Sugar Bowl vs No. 1 Georgia | Referee | Vance Carlson |
| Umpire | Bob Klisares | |
| Linesman | Dale Schreurs | |
| Line Judge | Kent Houck | |
| Field Judge | John Schroeder | |
| Back Judge | Artie Palk |
Roster
| 1982 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
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Defense
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Special teams
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Awards
- Pete Speros
- Nittany Lion of the Year
NFL draft
Nine Nittany Lions were drafted in the 1983 NFL draft.
| 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 |
Media
Radio
| Flagship station | Play-by-play | Color commentator | Sideline reporter | Studio host |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WMAJ AM 1450 | Fran Fisher | John Grant | ||