Penn State Football: The 25 Best Bowl Games in School History

The Penn State Nittany Lions are 27-14-2 all-time in postseason bowl matchups.

Penn State's longstanding tradition of bowl success is the backbone of a storied collegiate program. Success began with Rip Engle, and Joe Paterno has more than carried on the tradition over his long, illustrious career.

The Nittany Lions currently sit at 6-1 for the 2011 college football season. Barring an epic late-season collapse, Penn State will be adding to their bowl record.

Out of Penn State's 53 bowl appearances and 27 bowl victories, 25 games stand out as games for Penn State fans to remember.

Here are Penn State's 25 best bowl games:

1961 Gator Bowl

The 1961 Gator Bowl pitted the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets against the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Penn State would grab the victory by a 30-15 score. Penn State quarterback Galen Hall was named MVP of the game after a standout performance in the Penn State victory.

Rip Engle came away with another bowl win toward the end of his career with a huge victory over the Yellow Jackets.

The Nittany Lions' sixth ranked offense played a major role in Penn State's victory.

1948 Cotton Bowl

The 1948 Cotton Bowl pitted two undefeated teams against each other in an anticipated matchup.

The SMU Mustangs and the Penn State Nittany Lions would finish the game tied 13-13.

All-American SMU running back Doak Walker finished the game with 66 yards rushing and a touchdown toss.

Penn State quarterback Elwood Petchel led the Nittany Lions with two touchdown passes on the night.

1969 Orange Bowl

The 1969 Orange Bowl gave the Nittany Lions a 15-14 victory over John Riggins and the Kansas Jayhawks.

Penn State running backs' Charlie Pittman and Bob Campbell led the way with over 160 yards on the ground.

The Nittany Lions grabbed a huge victory over a solid Jayhawks' squad with their victory in the Orange Bowl.

1959 Liberty Bowl

The 1959 Liberty Bowl was former Alabama coach Bear Bryant's first bowl game as the leader of the Crimson Tide.

This was Penn State's first bowl appearance since the 1948 Cotton Bowl. The Nittany Lions won this game 7-0.

The only touchdown of the contest came from the hands of former quarterback and current Nittany Lions' offensive coordinator, Galen Hall.

1967 Gator Bowl

The 1967 Gator Bowl was Joe Paterno's first appearance in the postseason as Penn State's head coach.

The Nittany Lions tied with Florida State 17-17.

Penn State took a 17-0 lead in the first half. However, in Seminoles' quarterback Kim Hammond would lead a comeback in the second half with the help of 'Noles receiver Ron Sellers.

Hammond finished the game with over 400 yards passing, but the Nittany Lions managed to squeak a tie out of a nearly fatal second half collapse.

1970 Orange Bowl

The 1970 Penn State squad capped their undefeated season with a 10-3 victory over Missouri in the Orange Bowl.

The lone touchdown of the game was a reception by Penn State running back Lydell Mitchell.

Chuck Burkhart and Mike Reid shared the MVP honors for the Nittany Lions. Burkhart threw the lone touchdown of the game. Reid was a major part in the Tigers' three point performance.

1977 Fiesta Bowl

Penn State's 6-0 Fiesta Bowl record began in 1977 with a 42-30 victory over Arizona State.

The Nittany Lions' ran for 268 yards as a team. Steve Geise and Bob Torrey were each over 100 yards. Matt Suhey added over 70 yards to the Nittany Lions' total.

Penn State linebacker Matt Millen won defensive player of the game.

The hard-nosed Nittany Lions found a way to win over a tough Arizona State passing offense led by Dennis Sproul.

1974 Orange Bowl

The 1974 Orange Bowl gave the Nittany Lions a 16-9 victory over LSU. The victory allowed Penn State to finish the season a perfect 12-0.

Penn State running back John Cappalletti was held to 50 yards, and the Nittany Lions were held to 185 yards total.

Chuck Herd and Cappalletti scored the two touchdowns for Penn State and to help secure the victory.

1979 Liberty Bowl

Penn State defeated Tulane 9-6 in the 1979 Liberty Bowl. This marked Penn State's third Liberty Bowl appearance and their 18th overall bowl appearance.

Kicker Herb Menhardt scored all nine Nittany Lions' points with three field goals.

The Nittany Lions suffered four losses in 1979, but the victory over the Green Wave was a great way to finish the season. Defensively, the Nittany Lions turned in an outstanding performance.

1982 Fiesta Bowl

Penn State continued their Fiesta Bowl success in 1982 with a 26-10 victory over USC.

Running back Curt Warner took home his second Fiesta Bowl MVP award in three years with a 145 yard, two touchdown performance. Todd Blackledge added 175 yards and two touchdowns through the air for Joe Paterno's boys.

Leo Wisniewski garnered outstanding defensive honors.

Penn State used 1982 to continue a sterling Fiesta Bowl reputation.

1975 Cotton Bowl

By 1975 the Nittany Lions were an experienced bowl team. However, the Baylor Bears were not.

The Nittany Lions won the game 34-14 behind the arm of Tom Shuman. Shuman threw for over 200 yards.

Jimmy Cefalo and Tom Donchez added a powerful rushing attack behind Shuman. Donchez had one rushing touchdown, and Cefalo managed to catch a score and run a score in for Joe Paterno's squad.

Penn State's victory over Baylor continued to add to Penn State's dominance in the postseason.

1983 Aloha Bowl

Penn State defeated Washington, 13-10, in the 1983 Aloha Bowl.

The game was largely defensive. Penn State managed to take the lead with three minutes remaining in the game. The Nittany Lions had trailed since the second quarter following Washington's 56 yard punt return touchdown.

The 1983 Aloha Bowl was one of only four occasions the game was not scheduled for Christmas Day.

1989 Holiday Bowl

The Nittany Lions defeated the  BYU Cougars in a 1989 Holiday Bowl shootout.

Prolific BYU quarterback TY Detmer threw for 576 yards, which is a Holiday Bowl record. Detmer had the Cougars primed for a game-winning score before Gary Brown stripped the signal-caller, sealing a Nittany Lions' victory.

Penn State running back Blair Thomas ran the ball 35 times for 186 yards.

The Nittany Lions finished the season 7-3-1.

1980 Fiesta Bowl

Penn State defeated Ohio State 31-19 in the 1980 Fiesta Bowl.

Nittany Lions' running back Curt Warner took home offensive player of the game honors, while Frank Case was recognized as the best defender on the field.

Art Schlichter outperformed Penn State quarterback Todd Blackledge. However, Curt Warner's 155 yards helped Penn State grab a huge victory over a talented Buckeyes' squad.

1994 Citrus Bowl

Penn State defeated Tennessee 31-13 in the 1994 Citrus Bowl.

The Volunteers were led by prolific quarterback Heath Shuler. However, Penn State's stifling defense held Shuler's offense to just 13 points.

Penn State running back Ki-Jana Carter ran for two scores. Quarterback Kerry Collins threw touchdowns to tight end Kyle Brady and receiver Bobby Engram.

Penn State's victory over Tennessee marked their second postseason victory over the Volunteers in three seasons.

1997 Fiesta Bowl

Penn State defeated Ricky Williams and the Texas Longhorns 38-15 in the 1997 Fiesta Bowl.

Curtis Enis and Anthony Cleary had a great game on the ground, giving Penn State three rushing touchdowns.

Wide receiver Chafie Fields stopped the Longhorns in their tracks with an 85-yard run off a reverse late in the third quarter.

Fields' run was a major part of the Nittany Lions' 330 yards in the second half. Defensively, the Nittany Lions held Texas to 188 second-half yards.

1992 Fiesta Bowl

Penn State defeated a very talented Tennessee team 35-17 in the 1992 Fiesta Bowl.

A Nittany Lions' victory in the Fiesta Bowl was no surprise at this point.

Tennessee boasted a high-power offense led by quarterback Andy Kelly and receiver Carl Pickens and running back James Stewart. However, Penn State's defense stifled the Volunteer's attack.

Penn State's offense was led by Tony Sacca. After accumulating just 59 yards in the first half, the Nittany Lions exploded in the second half led by Sacca and receiver O.J. McDuffie.

1995 Rose Bowl

The Penn State Nittany Lions finished their second season as a member of the Big Ten ranked second in the country.

In the 1995 Rose Bowl the Nittany Lions defeated the Oregon Ducks 38-20 to finish their season 11-0.

Penn State running back Ki-Jana Carter and Oregon quarterback Danny O'Neil shared Rose Bowl Player of the Game honors. Carter ran for three scores, cementing his number one selection in the upcoming NFL draft.

The Rose Bowl victory put the cap on one of the best season's Penn State has ever had.

1996 Outback Bowl

Penn State defeated Auburn 43-14 to win the 1996 edition of the Outback Bowl. Penn State's 43 points is still a record.

Wally Richardson hurled four scores for Penn State. Two of those touchdowns landed in the hands of electric receiver Bobby Engram.

Consistent running back Curtis Enis also made solid contributions on the ground.

A balanced attack came together for a rout in favor of the Nittany Lions.

2010 Capital One Bowl

Penn State defeated LSU 19-17 in a rainy 2010 Capital One Bowl.

Both teams came into the matchup in the Top 15 in the 2010 BCS rankings. The rain put a damper on many pregame expectations.

The Nittany Lions grabbed the victory thanks to one Darryl Clark touchdown and four Collin Wagner field goals.

Darryl Clark took home MVP honors as he helped Penn State finish their 10-2 2010 season.

2007 Outback Bowl

The unranked Nittany Lions defeated the No.18 Tennessee 20-10 in the 2007 Outback Bowl.

Penn State running back Tony Hunt earned MVP honors despite scoring no touchdowns on the ground.

The Nittany Lions received touchdown contributions from Andrew Quarless, and Tony Davis. Quarless caught a two yard touchdown from Anthony Morelli in the second quarter. Davis returned a fumble 88 yards for a fourth-quarter touchdown.

Penn State finished 2007 with an 8-4 record.

1999 Outback Bowl

Penn State earned a 26-14 victory over Kentucky in front of the first ever Outback Bowl sellout crowd.

The Nittany Lions got contributions from the arm of Kevin Thompson, and the legs of Chafie Fields.

Fields showed his shiftiness on a 19-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.

Penn State's defense played a great game against 1998 All-American Kentucky quarterback Tim Couch. Couch tossed two touchdowns but was shutdown in the second half by the stingy Nittany Lions' defense.

Defensive end Courtney Brown earned MVP honors with his excellent performance on the edge of Penn State's defense.

2006 Orange Bowl

Penn State's most recent triumphant season came in 2006. The Nittany Lions defeated Florida State 26-23 to win the Orange Bowl.

The matchup went to triple overtime and cleared the four hour mark. Florida State would hit the upright on a crucial field goal in the third overtime, allowing Penn State's Kevin Kelly to kick the game winner.

Austin Scott led the way for Penn State with two touchdowns on the ground.

Quarterback Michael Robinson showed great leadership throughout the 2006 season, and continued the trend against the Seminoles.

The battle between the two winningest coaches in NCAA history added more fuel to an already-great matchup.

1983 Sugar Bowl

The Penn State Nittany Lions defeated Georgia 27-23 in the 1983 Sugar Bowl. The victory secured Penn State's coveted national championship.

Curt Warner outperformed all-everything running back Herschel Walker with two touchdown runs on the night.

Quarterback Todd Blackledge threw one touchdown pass to receiver Greg Garrity.

The Nittany Lions finished their 10-1 season with this important victory over top-ranked Georgia.

1987 Fiesta Bowl

Penn State defeated Miami 14-10 in the 1987 Fiesta Bowl. This matchup is still considered one of the best college football games of all time.

Miami outscored their opponents 420-136 during the season. Mainly because of the arm of Vinny Testaverde. Defensively, the Hurricanes were led by two All-Americans, Jerome Brown and Bennie Blades.

Penn State had talent as well. Linebacker Shane Conlan, defensive tackle Tim Johnson and running back D.J. Dozier were all All-Americans.

The Hurricanes had a chance to win the game. However, Penn State linebacker Pete Giftopoulos had a different idea.

With Miami at the six-yard line and eighteen seconds remaining Giftopoulos ended the Hurricanes' threat with an interception at the goal line.

The interception and overall effort of the Nittany Lions secured one of the great upsets in college football despite Penn State's talent on both sides of the ball.