Miami, Fla.Fun City turned into Stun City for the Kansas Jayhawks here New Year’s Night.
Penn State, getting life when Kansas had 12 men on the field during a two-point conversion attempt, converted the extra try into a 15-14 victory over KU in the 35th Orange Bowl football classic.
A total of 77,719 fans watched in 65-degree weather as the two clubs battled to the most nerve-wracking finish in Orange Bowl history.
Here’s what happened:
Kansas forced Penn State to punt with 2:04 left in the game. The Jayhawks needed to run out the clock to earn the victory. They couldn’t do it.
Twice 204-pound tackle Mike Reid threw KU quarterback Bobby Douglass for loses and, with fourth and 23, the Jays were forced to punt.
Kicker Billy Bell’s punt was deflected by safety Neal Smith and rolled dead at the 50. Only 1:16 remained. Penn State wasted no time.
Quarterback Chuck Burkhart lofted the ball high to halfback Bob Campbell who caught it in front of Tommy Anderson and rambled to the three before the KU safety could bring him down.
Twice fullback Tom Cherry tried to rip up the middle, but was stopped successively by Dave Morgan and Pat Hutchens. Then Burkhart kept the ball, sweeping around left end for the touchdown that made it 14-13. Just 15 seconds were left.
It was two-point conversion time and Burkhart swept to his right, flung the ball to Campbell and watched as Anderson and Dave Morgan batted the pass away for what looked like a thrilling climax to a KU victory.
Hardly a jubilant Kansas fan saw and official wave a red flag. The Jays had 12 men on the field and were charged with illegal procedure. It was like being handed a million dollars, then discovering it was counterfeit money.
Seconds later, the two teams lined up again and Burkhart sent Campbell roaring to the end zone to give an Eastern team its first Orange Bowl victory in nine tries.
It was a finish as one person said, that will go down in history and be debated for as long as they play football. It also dulled Kansas’ finest defensive effort of the season.
In the first half, the Jayhawks gave up twice as many first downs and twice as much total yardage as the Nittany Lions. But, in the clutch Kansas defenders had it.
Four Penn State errors kept the Jays alive while they tried to get something going offensively. Micky Doyle’s interceptionthe only one of the year for the senior linebackerstopped an early PSU drive. Just minutes later, linebacker sidekick Emery Hicks covered a Don Abbey fumble at the KU 35.
Both times, however, the Jayhawks couldn’t get going. Finally, still in the first quarter another linebackerthis time Pat Hutchensswiped a Burkhart aerial and it led to a score.
Gobbling up 45 yards in nine plays Mike Reeves bulled in from the two with 3:08 left until the second stanza. The Jays stayed on the ground in the drive. Fullback John Riggins ripped off the longest gain12 yards. Donnie Shanklin, the miniature 168-pound tailback who was the be named most valuable player in the game, produced two runs good for 15 yards.
For Reeves, who alternated at fullback with John Riggins much of the year, it was ironically his only score of the season.
Field position hurt the Jays in the first half. Six times they found themselves inside their own 20, and once it hurt them.
Unable to move early in the second quarter, Bell punted from the 12 and PSU started from the KU 47. Just six plays later, the Lions pushed over to knot the count at 7-7. Speedster halfback Charlie Pittman stormed up the middle for the last 13 practically untouched with 11:08 until halftime.
A 42-yard pass from Douglass to Shanklin carried KU to the Penn State 35 on the next series of downs, but the drive petered out as Mike Reid and Steve Smear, the other tackle, dropped Douglass for a four-yard loss and Shanklin for a five-yard setback.
After an exchange of punts Douglass passed from his own 12 intending the ball for Junior Riggins. Linebackers Dennis Onkotz deflected the pass into the arms of cornerback Mike Smith at the 35 and the 185-pound sophomore raced to the 11 before being bumped out of bounds.
A Campbell run moved the ball to the nine and Doyle made another defensive gem. He hit fullback Cherry, forcing a fumble that end Vernon. Vanoy leaped on at the six.
For the Jayhawks, it was still no go, and the ball changed hands three times before Bob Garthwaite’s 31-yard field goal attempt went far wide right on the last play of the half.
Halftime in the stands and the press box, was spent discussing what happened to the predicted wild offensive show. Eastern writers grumbled that Penn State should have been far ahead. Midwestern writers whistled a sigh of relief.
Penn State, no one would argue, looked like the better team. Those mistakes. That’s what hurt the Nittany Lions. As the second half opened, the unbeaten Pennsylvanians set out to prove it.
KU received the kickoff, but it took only three plays before Bell had to toe the ball again. Starting on its own 33, Penn State began to creep along. Two Burkhart passes, good for 40 yards to All-American Ted Kwalick and a 12-yarder to end Greg Edmonds, were the big gainers as the Lions streamrolled to the Kansas five.
A touchdown appeared inevitable. The KU defense, maligned oft-times for giving up a lot of points, stood poised. What ensued was the finest hour for that underrated defense all season.
Cherry, a 220-pound battering ram, rumbled to the two. On second down he was stopped at the one by Morgan. On third down, Cherry again toted and he was stopped at the half-yard line by middle guard Al Jakobeic and Vanoy.
On fourth and goal, Hicks burst in to dump Pittman on the two as he tried to slice off left tackle.
Apparently the gutsy goalline stand was all the dormant Kansas offense needed. Beginning at the two, the Jays strung up four straight first downs to their own 35.
Passes to George McGowan (16 yards) and wingback John Jackson (19 yards) penetrated to the P-State 31. A five-yard wingback reverse by Jackson went to the 26. Seconds later, Bell tried a 42-yard field goal after the drive fizzled. His kick fell far short.
The quarter ended scoreless, but for the first time, the Jays knew they could move. Yet, early in the fourth quarter, it took the play that helped Shanklin earn the MVP honor to put the Jays on top 14-7.
With fourth and an inch or so to go at their own 14, the Lions punted. Shanklin fielded it on the KU 47, got a timely block from Hicks and skirted down the south sidelines, reversed his field, spun off a would-be tackler and finally was lassoed from behind by Pittman on the seven.
Big John Riggins burst through the one and scored on the next play with 12:38 remaining. Bell’s kick was good, but the Lions had plenty of time.
The KU defense, however, stopped them at their own 36. After Steve Brezna’s punt, KU began a march from its own 38. It resulted in what will be remembered as the second most discussed happening in a game full of happenings.
Two Douglass passes to Mosier and a piling-on call helped moved the ball all the way to PSU’s 14 before Shanklin leaped and skipped off tackle to the seven. It was third and three when Shanklin advanced the ball to the five to make it fourth and one.
A field goal would have given Kansas a 17-7 lead, but coach Pepper Rodgers, in an ultimate fateful decision, decided to go for the first down. John Riggins was stacked up at the line of scrimmage and Penn State took over.
And again the Kansas defense forced to punt. With 6:25 left, the Jays managed a first down but also had to kick. Penn State had the ball with 3:32 yet to tick off.
And, would you believe, again the Jays stopped the powerful Lion attack after three plays setting the stage for those climactic two minutes that will be discussed, rehashed and wept over for many moons.
Campbell led the Lions in rushing with 104 yards in 18 carries while John Riggins paced KU with just 52 in 18 tries.
Penn State finished 11-0 on the season and Kansas ends at 9-2. Before the game, the Lions were installed as a half point favorite. They didn’t miss by much.
For the Jayhawks, today’s fishing derby and awards banquet didn’t figure to be happy. And it’s certain some of the players had a tough time getting to sleep Wednesday night.
If you were looking for a phrase to describe the Balmoralthe Kansas team headquartersyou’d have to go back to that old Elvis Presley song. On New Year’s Night, the Balmoral was strictly Heartbreak Hotel.
