1973 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

Schedule

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Game summaries

Stanford

;Second Quarter

• PSU — Safety blocked kick went out of the end zone.

• PSU — Hayman 14-yard pass from Shuman (Natale pass from Shuman).

;Third Quarter

• PSU — Cappelletti 2-yard run (Bahr kick).

;Fourth Quarter

• PSU — Field goal, Bahr 24 yards.

• Stan — Stone 8-yard pass from Boryla (pass failed).

Penn State’s defense dominated Stanford, consistently applying pressure and forcing the opposing offense into hurried plays. The Nittany Lions’ blitzing strategy disrupted Stanford’s rhythm, resulting in sacks, turnovers, and limited offensive production, but Penn State was mostly unable to convert that pressure into points. The scoring started in the second quarter when Lion defensemen Greg Murphy and Doug Allen broke through the punt defense, with Allen belting the ball through the end zone for a safety. Late in the half, Jimmy Bradley recovered a fumble at the Stanford 10 yard line to set up another score two plays later when quarterback Tom Shuman found Gary Hayman from 14 yards out. In the second half, Cappelletti and Bahr rounded out the scoring for Penn State and Stanford scored against the Penn State reserves with three minutes left in the game.

Navy

;First Quarter

• PSU - Heyman 17-yard pass from Shuman (Bahr kick) ;Second Quarter
• PSU - Cappelletti 10-yard run (Bahr kick)
• PSU - Herd 23-yard pass from Shuman (kick failed)
• PSU - Shuman 1-yard run (Bahr kick) ;Third Quarter
• PSU - Bahr 22-yard field goal
• PSU - Clark 1-yard run (Bahr kick) ;Fourth Quarter
• PSU - Safety, Navy center snapped ball out of end zone

Penn State capitalized on a fumble and two short punts to score three second-quarter touchdowns and break the game wide open against Navy. The Nittany Lions opened scoring with just one second left in the first as QB Tom Shuman hit SE Gary Heyman for a touchdown to cap an 88-yard drive. On the first play after the ensuing kickoff, E Greg Murphy recovered a fumble by RB Bob Jackson at the Navy 41, and the Lions took two-and-a-half minutes and five plays to score again. Penn State scored on two more quick drives of 60 and 51 yards following short punts into a stiff wind by John Stufflebeem. The Lions added a field goal by Chris Bahr midway through the third and backup QB John Clark capped a 56-yard drive with a keeper to put Penn State ahead 37-0. The final points of the contest came when a snap from Navy's center sailed over Stufflebeem's head and out of the end zone for a safety.

Iowa

;First Quarter

• PSU — Cappelletti 16-yard run (Bahr kick).
• PSU — Herd 9-yard pass from Shuman (Bahr kick).
• PSU — Bland 32-yard pass from Shuman (Bahr kick). ;Third Quarter
• PSU — Herd 12-yard pass from Shuman (kick failed). ;Fourth Quarter
• Iowa — Jensen 7-yard pass from Caldwell (Caldwell run).

Air Force

;First Quarter

• AFA — Gary Lawson 44-yard field goal ;Second Quarter
• PSU — Gary Hayman 38-yard pass from Tom Shuman (Reihner kick)
• PSU — John Cappelletti 4-yard run (kick failed) ;Third Quarter
• PSU — John Cappelletti 8-yard run (kick failed) ;Fourth Quarter
• AFA — Billy Berry 45-yard pass from Rich Haynie (kick failed)

Penn State defeated Air Force 19–9 on October 6, 1973, in a regionally televised game at Falcon Stadium in Colorado Springs. The Nittany Lions were held scoreless for more than a quarter by a quick and physical Air Force defense, which took an early 3–0 lead on Gary Lawson’s 44-yard field goal. Penn State broke through midway through the second quarter when quarterback Tom Shuman connected with Gary Hayman on a 38-yard touchdown pass.

Only 34 seconds later, following an Air Force fumble, John Cappelletti scored on a four-yard run to extend the lead. Cappelletti added his second touchdown early in the third quarter on an eight-yard run after Penn State marched 80 yards in seven plays following an end-zone interception by defensive back Jim Bradley. Air Force did not score again until the final period, when Rich Haynie threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Billy Berry.

Cappelletti rushed for a then career-high 184 yards and two touchdowns, leading Penn State to its fourth straight victory and improving the Nittany Lions to 4–0 on the season.

Army

Penn State defeated Army 54–3 on October 13, 1973, at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, before a crowd of 58,194. The victory marked the Nittany Lions’ fifth win of the season and kept them undefeated and untied. Penn State scored 26 points in the first quarter. Bob Nagle opened the scoring with a 10-yard touchdown run, followed by a 66-yard touchdown pass from Tom Shuman to Jimmy Scott. Fullback Tom Donchez added two rushing touchdowns later in the opening period, one set up by an interception and another following a long completion to Dan Natale.

Army managed its only points of the game in the second quarter on a 46-yard field goal by Jim Barclay. Penn State continued to score throughout the remainder of the contest, even after substituting reserves into the lineup. Nagle scored his second touchdown of the game, and Walt Addie added a 64-yard scoring run. Backup quarterback Dick Barvinchak later connected with Jim Eaise on a 35-yard touchdown pass, and John Huttenberger scored the final touchdown for Penn State.

Although John Cappelletti did not score, he led the offense with 151 rushing yards on 17 carries and set up several early touchdowns. Penn State amassed a season-high 607 yards of total offense, including 441 rushing yards. The Nittany Lion defense limited Army to 53 rushing yards and pressured quarterback King Fink throughout the game, recording multiple sacks.

Syracuse

West Virginia

;First Quarter

• PSU — Cappelletti 10-yard run (Bahr kick).
• PSU — Cappelletti 2-yard run (Bahr kick). ;Second Quarter
• PSU — Herd 76-yard pass from Shuman (Bahr kick).
• WVU — Buggs 96-yard pass from Williams (Nester kick).
• PSU — Cappelletti 5-yard run (Bahr kick).
• WVU — Owens 95-yard kickoff return (Nester kick). ;Third Quarter
• PSU — Nagle 53-yard run (Bahr kick).
• PSU — Cappelletti 2-yard run (Bahr kick). ;Fourth Quarter
• PSU — Boyle 4-yard run (Bahr kick).
• PSU — Pirogowicz 6-yard run (pass failed).
• PSU — Buttle 25-yard interception return (Reihner kick).

Maryland

;First Quarter

• PSU — Hayman 98-yard kickoff return (kick failed).
• PSU — Nagle 3-yard run (pass failed).
• MD — Russell 34-yard pass from Roy (Mike-Mayer kick).
• MD — FG Mike-Mayer 21. ;Second Quarter
• MD — White 11-yard pass from Carter (pass failed).
• PSU — Natale 17-yard pass from Shuman (Bahr kick).
• PSU — FG Bahr 39.
• MD — Smith 83-yard punt return (kick failed). ;Third Quarter
• PSU — Scott 29-yard pass from Shuman (Bahr kick).
• PSU — Natale 3-yard pass from Shuman (Bahr kick).
• PSU — FG Bahr 25.
• PSU — FG Bahr 28. ;Fourth Quarter
• (No scoring)

North Carolina State

Ohio

;First Quarter

• PSU — John Cappelletti 1-yard run (Chris Bahr kick).
• Ohio — Bevly 2 yard run (Homer kick).
• PSU — John Cappelletti 1-yard run (Bahr kick). ;Second Quarter
• PSU — John Cappelletti 25-yard run (Bahr kick).
• PSU — John Cappelletti 15-yard run (Bahr kick). ;Third Quarter
• PSU — Tom Hull 29-yard blocked punt return (Bahr kick).
• PSU — Ed O’Neil 66-yard interception return (Bahr kick).
• Ohio — Homer 57-yard FG.
• PSU — Walt Addie 18-yard run (Bahr kick). ;Fourth Quarter
• (no scoring).

Penn State tailback John Cappelletti delivered one of the most dominant performances of his career, rushing for 204 yards and scoring four touchdowns in less than 30 minutes of play as the sixth-ranked Nittany Lions defeated Ohio, 49–10, at Beaver Stadium. The victory marked Penn State’s 10th consecutive win of the season and its 20th straight regular-season victory overall. Cappelletti scored all four of his touchdowns in the first half, becoming Penn State’s second-leading all-time rusher and strengthening his Heisman Trophy candidacy. Penn State’s defense and special teams added to the rout in the second half, as linebacker Tom Hull returned a blocked punt 29 yards for a touchdown and Ed O’Neil intercepted a pass and returned it 66 yards for another score.

Pitt

;First quarter

• PSU — Chris Bahr 40-yard field goal ;Second quarter
• Pitt — Tony Dorsett 14-yard run (Carson Long kick)
• Pitt — Carson Long 31-yard field goal
• Pitt — Carson Long 50-yard field goal ;Third quarter
• PSU — Bob Nagle 1-yard run (Hayman pass from Shuman) ;Fourth quarter
• PSU — John Cappelletti 5-yard run (Bahr kick)
• PSU — Tom Hull 27-yard interception return (Bahr kick)
• PSU — Chuck Herd 32-yard pass from Tom Shuman (Bahr kick)
• PSU — Chris Bahr 45-yard field goal

Penn State overcame a 13–3 halftime deficit with a dominant second-half performance to defeat Pittsburgh 35–13 on November 24, 1973, before 56,600 fans at Beaver Stadium. The Panthers controlled much of the first half behind freshman Tony Dorsett, who scored on a 14-yard touchdown run and finished with 77 rushing yards. Pitt also added two field goals by Carson Long while limiting the Nittany Lions to a single Chris Bahr field goal before intermission.

Penn State’s defense turned the game in the third quarter, holding Pittsburgh to just 15 yards and no first downs in the period. Penn State narrowed Pitt's lead to 13-11 when Fullback Bob Nagle scored from 1 yard out and Hayman added the 2-point conversion on a reception. John Cappelletti put Penn State ahead for good on 5-yard touchdown and the game was sealed when Linebacker Tom Hull tallied a 27-yard interception return for a touchdown.

Cappelletti, a leading Heisman Trophy candidate, rushed for 161 yards on 37 carries and was named the game’s outstanding player. The victory capped an undefeated 11–0 regular season for Penn State and secured its bid to the Orange Bowl.

LSU

;First quarter:

• LSU – Steve Rogers 3-yard run (Jackson kick)
• Penn State – Chris Bahr 44-yard field goal ;Second quarter:
• Penn State – Chuck Herd 72-yard pass from Tom Shuman (C.Bahr kick)
• Penn State – John Cappelletti 1-yard run (kick failed) ;Third quarter:
• LSU – Team safety, Brian Masella downed in end zone ;Fourth quarter: :No scoring :Source:

Roster

• Dick Anderson
• Booker Brooks
• John Chuckran
• Jim O'Hora
• Frank Patrick
• Bob Phillips
• Jerry Sandusky
• J. T. White

Statistics

Passing

Rushing

Receiving

Kick returns

Punt returns

Kicking

Punting

Interceptions

Tackles

Scoring

Awards

• John Cappelletti