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| Penn State's #32 Matt Suhey tries to dive over the top into the end zone, but is stopped by Alabama's defense in the closing moments of the 4th quarter of the Sugar Bowl. The classic goal-line stand preserved the Crimson Tide's 14-7 lead and give them the national championship in football with their victory over the Nittany Lions on January 1, 1979. |
By Steve Martin
News Sportswriter
Tuscaloosa News
January 3, 1979
NEW ORLEANS - The University of Alabama's defensive unit figured the best defense was a strong pass rush on the passer as Penn State quarterback Chuck Fusina found out Monday afternoon.
Fusina was kept in a pressure cooker most of the time as Alabama kayoed the number 1 ranked Nittany Lions in the Sugar Bowl 14-7.
The Crimson Tide defense limited Penn State to only 19 yards rushing on 38 attempts. The main reason was a strong pass rush on Fusina. The runnerup in the Heisman Trophy balloting, Fusina was tackled six times for losses totaling 64 yards.
"The whole key was to put pressure on Fusina," said defensive tackle Marty Lyons. "Their offensive line tightened up the gaps in the second half and it was hard to get to him."
Sophomore tackle Byron Braggs got to him twice once for a 21 yard loss and another time for a 15 yard loss. He tackled Fusina so hard on the first one that the Nittany Lions quarterback fumbled the ball but a teammate recovered.
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| Alabama Head Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant and Penn State Head Coach Joe Paterno at the 1979 Sugar Bowl. |
"I guess you can say I was in the right place at the right time," Braggs said. I guess I was just lucky. Their blockers were trying to funnel me to the outside and I just got to him. We wanted to put the pressure on. We wanted to contain their running game, too, and I thank we did a good job of that. They ran a lot of sweeps, but we are accustomed to sweeps.
We studied Fusina play-action fakes in films, but he wasn't deliberate at it. He would kind of bounce around with it and take the ball out real quick. We worked extra hard on the pass rush."
Wayne Hamilton made two tackles for 17 yards of losses and fellow end E.J. Junior made four tackles for 10 yards in losses.
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| Associated Press file Penn State's Jim Romano (53) recovers a fumble from his quarterback as Alabama's Thomas Boyd (90) tries for the ball during the first half of Jan. 1, 1979, Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Alabama won, 14-7. |
"We knew we had to stop Fusina," Junior said. "We wanted to put him on the ground."
Hamilton felt Alabama's quickness helped the Crimson Tide keep Fusina under constant torment.
"There is no question about it," Hamilton said. "In a game like this you are five times quicker. We played with lots of desire, We didn't want to do anything fancy. We just wanted to stop them."
Strong Safety Murray Legg and end John Mauro also had tackles for losses Legg one for 11 yards and Mauro one for nine yards.
Leading tacklers were Rickey Gillilland with nine, Barry Krauss with eight, Braggs and Hamilton with seven each, Legg with six, Junior with five, Lyons and Don McNeal with four each and Curtis McGriff and Thomas Boyd and Rich Wingo with three each.
Legg, McNeal and Mike Clements and Jim Bob Harris each intercepted a pass. McNeal, Krauss, Legg and Allen Crumbly all broke up pass attempts.
"We had good senior leadership on the defensive side of the unit," Junior said. "When things looked bad we just look to Marty, Barry and Murray. They've been through it plenty of times before. All we had to do was be quiet and pay attention."
Evidently, Alabama did just that.
Listen live on my790am or www.my790am.com Saturday April 21 2012.
Wayne Hamilton, former Leesburg High
School Tory Harrison (University of Southern Mississippi, and Hartford
Colonels UFL, Omaha Beef IFL), Leesburg High School senior linebacker
Jordan Tucker, Florida State University and NFL player Greg Johnson
(Philadelphia Eagles, Baltimore Colts, Tampa Bay Buccaneers), and will
be the featured guests along with the show host Billy Matthews (The
Voice Of The Leesburg Yellow Jackets), Sonny Bronson (Belton Bail Bonds
Scoreboard Show Host), Allison Crawford (Belton Bail Bonds Scoreboard
Show Co-host) and Gerald Lacey (Carver Heights Quarterback Club Staff
Writer).
Below is a short list of Hamilton's accomplishments:
-Leesburg High School Football Varsity Letters 1974, 1975, 1976
-Leesburg High School Basketball Varsity Letter 1974, 1975, 1976
-1974 Leesburg Commercial All-Area Boys Basketball Honorable Mention Team
-1974 Leesburg Commerical All-Area Football Second Team Defense
-1975 Boys Basketball All-Big Sun Conference Team
-1975 Class AAA Football Defense All-State Honorable Mention Team
 |
| Gerald Lacey (Carver Heights Quarterback Club Staff Writer), Allison Crawford (Belton Bail Bonds Scoreboard Show Co-host), Sonny Bronson (Belton Bail Bonds Scoreboard Show Host), Lake County Sports Show Host Billy Matthews (The Voice Of The Leesburg Yellow Jackets). |
Below is a short list of Hamilton's accomplishments:
-Leesburg High School Football Varsity Letters 1974, 1975, 1976
-Leesburg High School Basketball Varsity Letter 1974, 1975, 1976
-1974 Leesburg Commercial All-Area Boys Basketball Honorable Mention Team
-1974 Leesburg Commerical All-Area Football Second Team Defense
-1975 Boys Basketball All-Big Sun Conference Team
-1975 Class AAA Football Defense All-State Honorable Mention Team
-1976 Parade High School Football All-American
-1976 Daily Commercial All-Area Basketball Team 17ppg, 14rpg
-1976 All-Big Sun Conference Boys Basketball Team
-1976 Boys Basketball Rotary Tournament Champion
-1976 Boys Basketball Rotary Tournament All-Tourney Team
-1976 Leesburg High School Athletic Booster Club Best All Around Lineman
-1976 Class AAA Football First Team Defense All-State
-Alabama Crimson Tide Football Varsity Letters 1977, 1978, 1979
-5th All-Time Best College Recruiting class according to Sports Illustrated
-1976 Daily Commercial All-Area Basketball Team 17ppg, 14rpg
-1976 All-Big Sun Conference Boys Basketball Team
-1976 Boys Basketball Rotary Tournament Champion
-1976 Boys Basketball Rotary Tournament All-Tourney Team
-1976 Leesburg High School Athletic Booster Club Best All Around Lineman
-1976 Class AAA Football First Team Defense All-State
-Alabama Crimson Tide Football Varsity Letters 1977, 1978, 1979
-5th All-Time Best College Recruiting class according to Sports Illustrated
-Overall Record at Alabama 41-5
-1977 Coaching News Football All-American
-All-SEC 1977, 1978, 1979
-1979 College Football All-American
-1979 College Football Academic All-American
-1977 National Runnerup
-1978 National Champion
-1976 Liberty Bowl Champion
-1977, 1978, 1979 Sugar Bowl Champion
-1979 National Champion
-1979 Lee Roy Jordan Headhunter Award
-1977, 1978, 1979 SEC Football Champion
-1977 voted most outstanding defensive player of the game #7 Alabama Crimson Tide @ #1 USC Trojans.
-1980 Sugar Bowl Champion
-1980 Hula Bowl All-Star
-1980 San Diego Chargers Draft pick
READ MORE CLICK BELOW
Wayne Hamilton On The Lake County Sports Show
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| #94 Wayne Hamilton (Leesburg High School, Okahumpka, Florida) Alabama’s Barry Krauss (36) stops Penn State’s Matt Suhey on a third down play at the goal line as the Crimson Tide held on to beat the Nittany Lions 14-7 in the 1979 Sugar Bowl and captured the national title. CDT FILE PHOTO |
Resources
News Sportswriter
Tuscaloosa News
January 3, 1979
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