BYU Hopes Fiesta Film Will Help

Those looking for insight into the outcome of today’s Holiday Bowl game between Brigham Young and Penn State might want to look at the 1987 Fiesta Bowl film.

That was the last time Penn State, a team known for conservative offenses and rugged defenses, played a team with a potent passing game with a talented quarterback.

The opponent was Miami, the quarterback Vinny Testaverde. And the result was a 14-10 victory in which Penn State secured its second national title in five seasons.

The 19th-ranked Cougars (10-2), who obtained a copy of that film shortly after clinching the Western Athletic Conference title, will attempt to utilize what they learned tonight at 5 when they play No. 18 Penn State (7-3-1) for the first time at San Diego Jack Murphy Stadium.

“We figured it would be worth a look,” said BYU quarterback Ty Detmer, whose 4,560 passing yards this season were the most by a sophomore in NCAA history. “They must have done something right that game, because they sure made it rough on Miami.”

The Nittany Lions intercepted five passes by Testaverde, including one at the goal line in the final seconds to end Miami’s last-minute attempt at a rally.

“What we saw (on film) is that they just play hard,” Detmer said. “They are a lot more physical than most of the teams we play. You can see they really hit hard.”

Penn State’s hardest hitter might be senior Andre Collins, one of five finalists for the Butkus Award as the best linebacker in college football.

“With any good passing team, you want to hit hard,” Collins said. “You want the receivers to think before they catch the ball. You want the quarterback to worry about being hit.”