1983 Sugar Bowl
| 1983 Sugar Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||
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| Date | January 1, 1983 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Season | 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Stadium | Louisiana Superdome | ||||||||||||||||||
| Location | New Orleans, Louisiana | ||||||||||||||||||
| Referee | Vance Carlson (Big Eight) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Attendance | 78,127 | ||||||||||||||||||
| United States TV coverage | |||||||||||||||||||
| Network | ABC | ||||||||||||||||||
| Announcers | Keith Jackson and Frank Broyles | ||||||||||||||||||
The 1983 Sugar Bowl was the 49th edition to the annual game. It featured the second-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, and the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. Penn State won, 27–23, to finish atop the polls and win a national championship.
In the first quarter, Penn State running back Curt Warner scored on a 2-yard touchdown run, for Penn State to take a 7-0 lead. He finished the game with 117 yards rushing. Georgia got on the board in the first quarter following a 27-yard field goal from Kevin Butler to make it 7–3.
In the second quarter, Nick Gancitano kicked a 38-yard field goal to put the Nittany Lions atop 10–3. Warner added a 9-yard touchdown run, and Gancitano a 45-yard field goal for Penn State to take a commanding 20–3 lead. Before halftime, quarterback John Lastinger threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Herman Archie to cut the margin to 20–10.
In the third quarter, Herschel Walker scored on a 1-yard touchdown run, cutting the margin to 20–17. Penn State responded in the fourth quarter with a 47-yard touchdown pass from Todd Blackledge to wide receiver Gregg Garrity to give Penn State a 27–17 lead. Lastinger threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Clarence Kay to make the score 27–23 Penn State. Penn State held on to win 27–23.