If you like big plays, this game is one of the great ones to watch! A highly anticipated match-up to kick off the 1999 college football season took place in the Lions home stadium against a ranked Arizona team. Penn State was considered by some to be the #1 ranked school in the pre-season rankings with an experienced squad and a star-studded defense. With vows to open up the offensive play calling, Joe Paterno witnessed his team jump all over the Wildcats early. Chafie Fields was the big play man for a new look offense that hit the big plays, but still appeared to need work in the line of consistency. Arrington led the charge on defense, but in a game where the Nittany Lions deserved a shutout on paper, the second-teamers gave up a late score in the fourth quarter to prevent that from happening. Nonetheless, this was one of the more exciting season openers in Penn State's big ten era.
Penn State's Stat Leaders:
Chafie Fields: 3 runs, 110 yards, TD .. 3 catches, 76 yards, TD
Kevin Thompson: 5 of 8, 135 yards, 2 TD passes, Int.
Courtney Brown + Justin Kurpeikis: 4 sacks combined
Penn State makes a statement to the nation by winning in impressive fashion while Arizona headed back West to work out their problems on the gridiron. The Wildcats would finish 1999 with a 6-6 record after having been named pre-season #4 by the Associated Press. They did not play in a bowl game.