Penn State Throws Scare at Miami : Intersectional: The Hurricanes prevail, 26-20, when the Nittany Lions’ last drive is stopped by an interception.

Broiled by the afternoon sun, wilted by the still, humid south Florida air and nearly exhausted by a proud Penn State team, Miami defensive end Rusty Medearis stood at midfield, a 26-20 Hurricane victory only moments away, and began to cry.

The tears trickled down his dirt-smudged cheeks and fell to the Orange Bowl field--that is, if they didn’t evaporate first. It was that hot--85 degrees at kickoff and climbing fast. It was also that emotional, enough to cause Medearis, his uniform drenched in sweat, to sob for all to see.

“I’ve never had that happen to me,” he said.

Then again, it was a day of firsts for the No. 2-ranked Hurricanes (5-0), so accustomed to flicking away the opposition with their speed, their attitude and their 54-year-old, not-so-secret weapon--the Orange Bowl, where Miami owns a 41-game winning streak, the longest in the nation.

For the first time this season, the Hurricanes actually trailed. For the first time, they couldn’t put an opponent out of its misery. And for the first time since 1988, when Miami nearly lost to Arkansas at home, the Hurricanes looked less than invincible.

In the end, it came down to a final Penn State (5-2) drive, a Medearis plea to his Hurricane teammates and, maybe, a missed safety call by a crew of Big Ten officials.

“That drive was for the national championship,” Medearis said, repeating the same line he had used earlier in the Miami huddle. “If we got knocked off, that’s it. We knew it.”

So did ninth-ranked Penn State, which entertained hopes of keeping its own championship hopes alive with an improbable comeback against a Miami team that hadn’t lost at the Orange Bowl since Sept. 7, 1985.

Starting on their 26-yard line, only 2:36 left and only a single timeout at their disposal, the Nittany Lions began pecking away at the tired Hurricane defense. A 15-yard completion here, another 15-yard catch there. In no time at all, Penn State had a first and 10 at the Hurricane 44 and 2:11 remaining--plenty of time to score. The near-sellout crowd of 75,723 could hardly believe what it was seeing.

Quarterback Tony Sacca could barely muster enough strength to throw. Earlier, Penn State Coach Joe Paterno had wanted to give his starter a quick breather, but Sacca, who would finish with 24 completions in 38 passes, 263 yards and two touchdowns, said he wanted to stay put.

Miami’s defensive players, supposedly unaffected by this sort of muggy weather, were gasping for breath.

“I thought I blew a lung,” Medearis said.

Truth is, the Hurricanes were in danger of blowing a lead. At one point, they had moved ahead, 20-6, late in the third quarter. Now this: the distinct possibility of a loss, to say nothing of the Hurricanes’ national championship aspirations.

A first-down run by halfback Gerry Collins gained zilch. A Sacca pass fell incomplete, as did the one right after that. Fourth down and 10, 1:15 left to play.

Sacca faded back and heaved a wobbly pass in the general direction of tight end Troy Drayton. The ball, well overthrown, landed in the hands of Miami free safety Darryl Williams, who caught it at the one-yard line, moved into the end zone, apparently took a step out, ran back into the end zone and then out of bounds.

The officials, all from the Big Ten Conference, placed the ball on the one, allowing Miami to take control of the ball and run out the clock. But afterward, there was confusion as to whether Penn State should have been awarded a safety. Such a call would have made the score 26-22 and given the Nittany Lions another possession.

But in a postgame statement, referee John Nealon said Williams’ “momentum” carried him in the end zone, which meant the ball had to be spotted where the catch occurred. Still unclear, however, was if any of the officials saw Williams actually step out of the end zone.

Don’t ask Sacca what happened.

“I was so tired, I couldn’t really see it clearly,” he said.

Sacca played well, but the Hurricanes, especially their three wide receivers--Horace Copeland, Lamar Thomas and Kevin Williams--played better.

Copeland caught an 80-yard bomb from quarterback Gino Torretta that broke a 6-6 tie with 6:34 remaining in the third quarter. Minutes later, Williams scored on a 91-yard punt return, the longest in Miami history. And early in the fourth quarter, Thomas, who said he was open the entire game, breezed past a stunned Penn State defender and caught a 42-yard touchdown pass, giving the Hurricanes a 26-13 lead.

“I’d come back to the huddle and say, ‘Gino, please. Gino, please. Gino, please,’ ” Thomas said. “Gino just looked at me like, ‘Be patient.’ ”

The Miami receivers, who wear sweat suits with “Ruthless Posse” patches sewn on them, aren’t known for their patience or their modesty. Thomas said Penn State cornerback Derek Bochna didn’t have a chance against him.

“He was a little bit too close to the fire and he got hurt,” Thomas said.

The Hurricanes nearly got burned. In the second half, Miami started handing Penn State field position and first downs with assorted major penalties. In all, the Hurricanes were flagged 11 times for 124 yards.

Despite the many mistakes, the Hurricanes prevailed. They sacked Sacca eight times. They held firm when it counted most. They produced championship plays when needed.

“Hey, when it comes to the big games, we’re here ,” Thomas said.