Penn State Upset Bid Cut Short, 17-16 : Alabama: Blocked field-goal attempt helps Crimson Tide defeat Nittany Lions

Alabama’s Thomas Rayam calls it the “desperation block” play, and the Crimson Tide needed it in a desperate situation.

Rayam, 6-foot-7 and 286 pounds, broke through the Penn State line with eight seconds left to block a 17-yard field-goal attempt by Ray Tarasi as the No. 6 Crimson Tide held on for a 17-16 victory.

Alabama (7-0) became the first team to beat a Joe Paterno-coached Penn State team three years in a row. The loss was the first for No. 14 Penn State (5-2) since an opening-game defeat by Virginia.

“I almost started crying,” said Rayam, who had entered the game a few plays earlier. “I didn’t see it. I just threw my hands up. It hit my right hand.

“It stung. I knew it was blocked. I knew it couldn’t get over (the crossbar).”

Rayam said he was surprised because his job in the “desperation block” play is to clear the way for another player.

The snap by Mark Lawn was a little high, but the holder got it down for Tarasi, who earlier had kicked a career-best 46-yarder.

“I didn’t know it was a bad snap until I got off the field,” Tarasi said. “When I got to the spot where the ball was, it was a little slow. But it was a short-distance kick, the sort I should have made.”

Tarasi had made six of eight field-goal attempts before Saturday. He was successful on three of four attempts against Penn State.

Alabama Coach Bill Curry said the idea behind his desperation play is simple: “You zero in with every ounce of everyone on the team, and you find a way to block the kick. You believe you’re going to block the kick.”

Paterno said his team “didn’t have any options.”

“There wasn’t anything to do but kick it,” he said. “I wanted to milk the clock before I kicked a field goal, so Alabama wouldn’t have time” to respond.

Paterno said he knew exactly what he wanted to do, get the ball in front of the goal posts.

“It was a high snap and the kid (holder Joe Markiewicz) had to come off his knee to handle it, and that threw everyone’s timing off.”

Paterno said his instructions on a high snap are for the holder to get up and throw the ball through the end zone, but Markiewicz “obviously didn’t think it was a high snap.”

Running back Siran Stacy scored Alabama’s winning touchdown from 12 yards out 1:17 into the fourth quarter. It was set up by quarterback Gary Hollingsworth, who completed passes of 20, 16, 13 and six yards on the drive.

For the game, Hollingsworth completed 26 of 43 passes for 244 yards and one touchdown. Stacy carried 19 times for 106 yards. Penn State intercepted Hollingsworth four times. He was averaging one interception a game.

Penn State’s Blair Thomas ran 35 times for 160 yards.

Penn State took the opening kickoff to its 34 and drove to the Alabama 14. But three plays netted only five yards and Tarasi kicked a 26-yard field goal.

Alabama tied it at 3-3 with 2:26 left in the first half on Philip Doyle’s 32-yard field goal.

Penn State went ahead 10-3 with 10:11 left in the third period on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Tony Sacca to O.J. McDuffie.

Alabama came right back as Gene Jelks returned the kickoff 38 yards, plus 15 more for a late hit. Starting from the Penn State 41, Alabama went the distance in eight plays, Hollingsworth throwing the final six yards to Lamond Russell to tie it 10-10 with 6:55 remaining in the third.

Penn State edged ahead 13-10 with 1:20 left in the third period on Tarasi’s 24-yard field goal. The kick was set up by a 43-yard interception return to the Alabama seven by Darren Perry.

Penn State took the kickoff to its 31, and with Sacca passing 13 yards to Terry Smith and a 23-yard run by Thomas, moved to a first at the Alabama 29. After three passes fell incomplete, Tarasi kicked a 46-yard field goal, the longest of the senior’s career, to make it 17-16 with 11:33 left.