Missed field goal gives Lions victory

With just seconds left in the game, Wisconsin kicker John Hall's failed 57-yard field goal attempt crushed the Badgers' hopes of winning and gives Penn State victory in its first Big Ten game of the 1996 season.

MADISON, Wis. - All Brett Conway could do was watch. The Nittany Lion placekicker had warned his coaching staff about what his opposite on the Wisconsin squad, John Hall, could do if given the chance.

"I kept screaming," Conway said. "I kept telling them, you can't let him near midfield. He's got the kind of leg. It's not going to be a question of distance, it's going to be a question of accuracy."

With just seconds left in the game and a 57-yard field goal needed to bring Wisconsin out of a three-point deficit, Hall came onto the field.

- Brett Conway, Penn State placekicker

"This was a big letdown," Badger linebacker Pete Monty said. "Your heart sinks down to your shoes."

For the first time this season, Penn State totaled more yards passing than rushing. And that was with a passing attack that frequently used two tight ends.

"We're not a fancy offensive football team," Lion coach Joe Paterno said. "We went to two tights and that limited our passing game a great deal."

Penn State was still able to air it out when necessary, coming up big in key situations several times. In the first quarter, wide receiver Joe Jurevicius pulled in a 46-yard bomb from quarterback Wally Richardson that set up the Lions' first touchdown of the afternoon. Four plays later, tailback Curtis Enis found the end zone for the sixth time this season to extend the lead to 10-3.

"On a couple of the long plays, we had two guys bite on a play-fake, and you can't do that," Wisconsin coach Barry Alvarez said. "On the others we were just flat getting beat."

The Lions opened a dominating 17-3 lead in the second quarter on Enis' second touchdown of the day, as he scored from seven yards out after bouncing off a few defenders.

The Badgers took the ball and their freshman tailback Ron Dayne did his best Enis impression by bowling over opponents en route to his first touchdown of the game to cut the lead to 17-10.

After both teams exchanged the ball, the Lions captured a 10-point lead on a 28-yard field goal by Conway with no time remaining in the first half.

Holding the double-digit advantage at half, Paterno wanted to start substituting younger players. His staff warned against it, which turned out to be the right move. The Badger defense began shutting down the Lion offense, holding it scoreless in the third quarter. Penn State returned the favor, and the score stood at 20-10 as the final quarter began.

Dayne scored halfway through the fourth quarter to close the gap to 20-17. Less than two minutes later, Wisconsin stood poised to take the lead. On first down from the Lions' 10-yard line, Richardson dropped back to pass. He hit tight end Cuncho Brown, but the sophomore couldn't hold on. The ball bounced from his hands into those of Badger defensive tackle Neil Miklusak.

"I was down, because at that point in the game, it's wrong to make those kind of mistakes," Richardson said. "I just forgot about it and realized we'd get another chance. The chance we had, we had to make the most of it."

But the Lion defense allowed the Badgers to convert the signal caller's miscue into only a field goal, which tied the game at 20-20 with 3:22 left.

Richardson made up for his fifth interception of the year by leading Penn State down the field, aided by a 40-yard completion to Jurevicius. Four plays later the Lions were at the Wisconsin 7. A 25-yard field goal by Conway put the Lions ahead, 23-20, and closed the scoring.

"Wally's won a couple of those games for us, Texas Tech last year, Michigan State," Paterno said. "He's been pretty darn good in those situations."After narrowly beating an unranked Wisconsin squad, people were wondering just how good Penn State actually is. The answers could come as the Lions travel to Columbus to take on undefeated Ohio State.

"I think we'll find out," Paterno said, "next week."