Penn State Football: Ranking the top 20 wins in program history
By Brad Weiss
11. 1974 Orange Bowl
The 1973 Penn State football team was another special one for head coach Joe Paterno, led by a running back who would win the program’s only Heisman Trophy. John Cappelletti dominated the college football landscape that year, taking home not only the Heisman but also the Maxwell Award and the Walter Camp Trophy, capping an incredible career in Happy Valley.
Cappelletti parlayed his terrific senior season by being the No. 11 overall pick in the 1974 NFL Draft, this only months after he played a key role in the team’s win in the 1974 Orange Bowl. Playing against LSU, the Nittany Lions were able to weather an early LSU lead, and when Chuck Herd his Tom Shuman from 72-yards out for a score, Penn State took the lead for good before the half.
The star running back, Cappelletti, scored a touchdown right before the half, and while Penn State was outgained by LSU in the matchup, they were able to keep them out of the end zone after that early score. A safety would be the only points scored by either team in the second half, as Penn State beat LSU, 16-9.
The victory would send the Nittany Lions to their third undefeated season since 1968, and while they were unbeaten, they finished No. 5 in the country. These two schools would not meet back up until the 2010 Capital One Bowl, the final bowl game of Joe Paterno’s career.