ORLANDO, Fla. -- He quickly sprang to his feet -- the pigskin secured in his right hand. Then, the 5-foot-9, 190-pound safety dropped the ball and pranced to the sideline with both arms held high in the air. As senior Lee Rubin greeted his teammates, jubilation set in.

No. 39, wearing wristbands around his biceps and skin-tight gloves on both hands, had just come up with a very timely play. It was a play that seemed to swing the momentum of the CompUSA Florida Citrus Bowl -- a play that disrupted the flow of the Tennessee offense. Heisman Trophy runner-up Heath Shuler never really recovered from it and his offensive weapons lay dormant.

With less than one minute and 30 seconds remaining on the clock in the first quarter, the Volunteers' were on the move. It appeared they would strike again. Shuler dropped back, released the ball and then the unthinkable happened. The ball was tipped at the line by Tyoka Jackson and ultimately hauled in by Rubin, who made a shoe-string catch for the interception.

"I think that was definitely one of the big plays," cornerback Shelly Hammonds said. "We had (Tennessee) in check . . . I think it was really just a total team effort."

And the ringleader was Rubin. Along with the interception, the Manalapan, N.J., native had five tackles. For his efforts, Rubin was named the game's outstanding defensive player.

"As a Penn State ballplayer, I go into every game thinking that we're going to win," Rubin said. "Whatever the media says, whatever the poll says, that's beside the point. We wanted to go out with a bang."

Rubin and the rest of his defensive counterparts made a point of toying with the lethal offensive arsenal from Knoxville, Tenn., throughout the game. The Vols were limited to their lowest point total of the season. The Nittany Lions gave Coach Phillip Fulmer's team a variety of looks from their nickel package.

"They did some things they did on film, some things they did two years ago and they disguised their coverage well," Fulmer said. "They had a great game plan."

It was a plan Penn State and Rubin carried out to perfection.