# Alabama–Penn State football rivalry

The Alabama–Penn State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Alabama Crimson Tide football team of the University of Alabama and Penn State Nittany Lions football team of Pennsylvania State University. 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 intersectional rivalries.
After their 1990 game, the series became dormant with Penn State's move to the Big Ten Conference but was renewed in 2010 in Tuscaloosa and 2011 in State College.

## Bowl games
### 1959 Liberty Bowl

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 a fake field goal, leading to a 7–0 win for the Nittany Lions.

### 1975 Sugar Bowl

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.

### 1979 Sugar Bowl

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. Penn State had a chance to tie in the fourth, but Chuck Fusina threw an interception into the Alabama end zone. Then the Crimson Tide had a chance to put the game away, but fumbled 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 linebacker Marty 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. On fourth down, Penn State was stopped again, Barry Krauss meeting Mike Guman and throwing him back for no gain. Alabama held on for a 14–7 victory.

## Game results

| Alabama victories | Penn State victories |
| No. | Date | Location | Winning team | Winning team | Losing 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 |||||||