[1] Penn State drew first blood in the first quarter on a six-play, 83-yard drive that culminated in a touchdown pass from Todd Blackledge to Kirk Bowman.
[2] Penn State scored again in the second quarter, this time on a six-play, 71-yard drive that culminated in a Curt Warner touchdown run from the Nebraska 2.
[3] Late in the half, Nebraska got on the board after a seven-play, 80-yard drive culminated in a Turner Gill touchdown pass followed by the extra point by Kevin Seibel.
Penn State returned the ensuing kickoff to their own 20 yard line, but Nebraska's David Ridder was flagged for a personal foul.
Nebraska defensive players thought McCloskey was out of bounds, but without the benefit of instant replay, Penn State took advantage and Blackledge hooked up with Bowman on the winning touchdown pass with 4 seconds left.
Nebraska dropped to #8 after the loss, but ran the table over the remainder of the season, beginning with a 41-7 rout of Auburn at Jordan-Hare Stadium and ending with a win over #13 LSU in the Orange Bowl.
But they ran the table over the remainder of the regular season, and went on to win their first consensus national championship in the Sugar Bowl by defeating top-ranked Georgia (who were led by Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker), 27–23.