While field-goal kicking has seemed to haunt @AlabamaFTBL fans now and again, that wasn’t the case 37 years ago in Happy Valley. No. 6-ranked Alabama survived a trip to State College, Pa., with a miraculous 17-16 victory over No. 14-ranked Penn State when Thomas Rayam broke through the line and blocked a last-second, chip-shot field goal attempt by Nittany Lion place-kicker Ray Tarasi on Oct. 28, 1989. Behind the running of Blair Thomas, who carried it 11 consecutive times on the last drive, Penn State drove to the Alabama 1-yard line with 13 seconds remaining. Instead of going for a touchdown, Nittany Lion coach Joe Paterno decided to place the outcome on the foot of Tarasi with a 17-yard field goal attempt. Tarasi had already made three field goals in the game. On a special teams play called “Desperation Block,” Rayam used every inch of his 6-foot-7 body to swat away the kick from Tarasi to keep Alabama undefeated at 7-0. “I didn’t see (the ball),” Rayam said after the game. “I just threw my hands up.” Siran Stacy led an Alabama offense that misfired at times with 106 yards rushing which included a 12-yard touchdown run. Quarterback Gary Hollingsworth threw four interceptions, but threw a 6-yard touchdown pass to Lamonde Russell. Philip Doyle also added a field goal for the Crimson Tide.