| First meeting | December 19, 1959 Penn State, 7–0 |
|---|---|
| Latest meeting | September 10, 2011 Alabama, 27–11 |
| Next meeting | TBD |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 15 |
| All-time series | Alabama leads, 10–5[1] |
| Largest victory | Alabama, 42–21 (1982) Penn State, 23–3 (1986) |
| Longest win streak | Alabama, 4 (1975–1982) |
| Current win streak | Alabama, 2 (2010–present) |
TheAlabama–Penn State football series is an Americancollege football matchups between theAlabama Crimson Tide football team of theUniversity of Alabama andPenn State Nittany Lions football team ofPennsylvania State University.[2][3][4] Following their three Bowl games in 1959, 1975 and 1979, the teams met for 10 straight years in what was ofted described as one of the nation's top intersectionalrivalries.[5][6][7][8]
After their 1990 game, the series became dormant with Penn State's move to theBig Ten Conference[9][10] but the teams met again in 2010 in Tuscaloosa[11][12] and 2011 in State College.[13][14][15]
In a defensive struggle, the only scoring of the game came at the close of the second quarter, as Penn State threw for a touchdown on afake field goal, leading to a 7–0 win for the Nittany Lions.[16]
With each team successfully kicking two field goals, the winning margin was a third-quarter touchdown by the Crimson Tide, as Alabama won, 13–6.[17]
Alabama scored in the second quarter, then Penn State answered in the third, then Alabama took a 14–7 lead on a touchdown set up by a 62-yard punt return.[18] Penn State had a chance to tie in the fourth, butChuck Fusina threw aninterception into the Alabama end zone. Then the Crimson Tide had a chance to put the game away, butfumbled the football back to Penn State at the Nittany Lion 19-yard-line with four minutes to go. Penn State drove to a first and goal at the Alabama eight. On third and goal from the one, Fusina asked Bama linebackerMarty Lyons "What do you think we should do?", and Lyons answered "You'd better pass." On third down, Penn State was stopped inches short of the goal line.[18] On fourth down, Penn State was stopped again,Barry Krauss meetingMike Guman and throwing him back for no gain.[18] Alabama held on for a 14–7 victory.[19][18]
| Alabama victories | Penn State victories |
| No. | Date | Location | Winning team | Losing team | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | December 19, 1959 | Philadelphia, PA | #12 Penn State | 7 | #10 Alabama | 0 | ||
| 2 | December 31, 1975 | New Orleans, LA | #3 Alabama | 13 | #7 Penn State | 6 | ||
| 3 | January 1, 1979 | New Orleans, LA | #2 Alabama | 14 | #1 Penn State | 7 | ||
| 4 | November 14, 1981 | State College, PA | #6 Alabama | 31 | #5 Penn State | 16 | ||
| 5 | October 9, 1982 | Birmingham, AL | #4 Alabama | 42 | #3 Penn State | 21 | ||
| 6 | October 8, 1983 | State College, PA | Penn State | 34 | #3 Alabama | 28 | ||
| 7 | October 13, 1984 | Tuscaloosa, AL | Alabama | 6 | #11 Penn State | 0 | ||
| 8 | October 12, 1985 | State College, PA | #8 Penn State | 19 | #10 Alabama | 17 | ||
| 9 | October 25, 1986 | Tuscaloosa, AL | #5 Penn State | 23 | #2 Alabama | 3 | ||
| 10 | September 12, 1987 | State College, PA | #19 Alabama | 24 | #11 Penn State | 13 | ||
| 11 | October 22, 1988 | Birmingham, AL | Alabama | 8 | Penn State | 3 | ||
| 12 | October 28, 1989 | State College, PA | #6 Alabama | 17 | #14 Penn State | 16 | ||
| 13 | October 27, 1990 | Tuscaloosa, AL | Penn State | 9 | Alabama | 0 | ||
| 14 | September 11, 2010 | Tuscaloosa, AL | #1 Alabama | 24 | #18 Penn State | 3 | ||
| 15 | September 10, 2011 | State College, PA | #3 Alabama | 27 | #23 Penn State | 11 | ||
| Series: Alabama leads 10–5[1] | ||||||||
When you start talking about the great rivalries in college football you've got to put Penn State-Alabama series on the short list.
Alabama's annual game against Penn State, which has become one of the major intersectional rivalries in college in football, may not be played after 1990
The series has been one of the nation's most exciting intersectional rivalries.
The Alabama-Penn State game 'has become one of the nation's top intersectional rivalries. No other school in the Southeastern Conference plays a game of such national preminence annually. Neither do many schools around the nation.
Since 1981 the two schools have met yearly in what has been one of college football's great intersectional rivalries, one which is devoid of animosity and cloaked in mutual respect.
