This was the game that redefined the momentum swing.

The mere mention of the 1992 Fiesta Bowl still draws grumbles in Tennessee. The Volunteers owned the first two quarters, taking a dominating 17-7 lead over Penn State. The Lions looked listless, tired.

"At the half, Tennessee should have been ahead by three or four touchdowns," Lion Coach Joe Paterno recalled.

Instead, they were on the other end of those touchdowns. A turnover here, a big play there, and Penn State had a 42-17 blowout victory in this tale of two halves.

The rematch will occur exactly two years to the day, in the CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl, Jan. 1 in Orlando, Fla. The setting will be in the Florida sunshine instead of the Arizona desert, but the cast will contain many of the same faces.

"Defensively, they were as sound as anybody and as good as anybody that we had seen in our conference in a while," said Tennessee Coach Phillip Fulmer, who was an assistant coach with the Volunteers that year.

Penn State's defense may face its stiffest challenge of the season, however, in Tennessee quarterback Heath Shuler. The Volunteers have opened up their offense to tailor Shuler's style.

"Heath is a great football player," Fulmer said. "He's a guy that has a lot of natural ability. He has really become a complete quarterback."

In a year without Florida State's Charlie Ward, Shuler would be a serious contender for the Heisman Trophy. He has completed 64.6 percent of his passes for 2,353 yards and 25 touchdowns, with a pass efficiency rating of 157.3.

And just minutes after the No. 13 Lions and No. 6 Volunteers officially accepted their bowl bids, Paterno was typically scared. The coach has watched Tennessee on television a few times. He has seen the Volunteers' high-octane offense.

"My impression of Tennessee is just fantastic speed," Paterno said. "They would be in a class with Florida State offensively. If I looked at them closely, they might be better offensively in some areas."

But Penn State is coming off its own offensive explosion in a 38-37 comeback victory over Michigan State last Saturday. So, as usual, the respect was mutual.

"It should be a very exciting game because both offenses are very exciting. An example of that was the comeback that Penn State was able to exhibit this past weekend," Fulmer said.

And just for irony's sake, it seems only appropriate that a 20-point comeback win would set up a game against a team which is still stinging from the Lions' last comeback.

Note:

-- Ticket orders for the Citrus Bowl game will be taken on Thursday and Friday at the Beaver Stadium ticket office from 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. and at the Rec Hall ticket office from 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Orders also will be taken all next week.

Tickets cost $40 each and are not refundable once purchased. For further information, please call the Penn State ticket office at 865-7567.

Fans from outside the State College area can reserve tickets from Dec. 5-8 by calling 1-800-770-2111.