Doug Graber

Rutgers coach Doug Graber displays a look of disgust after Penn State completed a TD pass in the final minute to extend its lead to 25 points in a 1995 victory at the Meadowlands.

(The Star-Ledger file photo)

PISCATAWAY -- Doug Graber wants to set the record straight: Yes, he was angry as he headed to the locker room the last time Rutgers and Penn State met on a football field.

But the former Rutgers coach insists he's "not bitter'' all these years later by the touchdown that ran up the score in a now-infamous game at the Meadowlands in 1995.

"Not at all,'' Graber said.

To recap: Penn State, a 20-point favorite over Rutgers entering the final installment in the series between the border-state rivals, led 52-34 in the final minute when backup quarterback Mike McQueary faked a handoff and threw deep to wide receiver Chris Campbell for a 58-yard score to put the Nittany Lions ahead by 25 points.

ESPN Magazine reported last March that McQueary, a key witness in the Jerry Sandusky sexual abuse case, had a compulsive gambling habit as a player at Penn State.

Bettingtalk.com then raised suspicions about McQueary's run-up-the-score TD pass:



Replays showed Graber noticeably upset by the play call, and ESPN announcers also questioned it. In the post-game handshake, Graber reportedly told Paterno: "I didn't think you played like that.'' The Penn State coach fired back an expletive, and needed to be restrained from going after Graber as he jogged off the field.

While Graber declined to answer questions about the controversy after the game, Paterno said the Rutgers coach "probably has a right to be upset.''

In an interview from his Florida home earlier this week, Graber called it "ancient history'' and said "I laugh about it now.''

"As a matter of fact, I did two games at Penn State (as an announcer) after that when Joe was still there and he and I laughed about it,'' said Graber, who compiled a 29-36-1 record as Rutgers' head coach from 1990-95. "Just a couple of competitive coaches -- that's all.''

"Was I mad at the time? Certainly,'' he added. "But there was a lot of frustration over just losing the game as well.''

Since being dismissed by Rutgers, Graber has returned to the banks, by his own estimation, "for three or four games in the last 10 years'' as a color analyst on TV.

But this Saturday night will be different. Rutgers officials extended an invitation for him and his wife to attend the game against Penn State -- the first meeting between the Scarlet Knights and Nittany Lions since his final campaign as coach -- and Graber happily accepted.

"I'm really excited about this game being on campus,'' Graber said. "It's been a long, long time coming. To say I'm excited about it would be an understatement. This is kind of a momentous occasion. I'm excited about Rutgers being in the Big Ten thanks to all the hard work of Tim Pernetti and others. I'm definitely excited about having Penn State as the first Big Ten game. That's tremendous for New Jersey, for the university, for everybody involved.''

While Graber still works a few games every fall for ESPN and mentors defensive backs and linebackers in preparation for the NFL Combine during the winter months, he considers himself to be "semi-retired'' as he spends his days with his grandchildren or on the golf course "enjoying life.''

Graber, who led the Scarlet Knights to winning overall records in their first two seasons in the Big East in 1991-92, keeps tabs on Rutgers from afar.

"It's been a long, tough road to get to where they are now,'' he said. "There's a lot of people who put a tremendous amount of time and energy into this. I'm excited about them being in the Big Ten. I think it's great for the university. They certainly fit academically with the other Big Ten institutions and athletically I think it's a great fit as well.''

Penn State beat Rutgers in 22 of 24 games in a series that began in 1918. Graber saw first hand how intense the rivalry was while matching wits with Paterno in every season of his Rutgers tenure.

He doesn't see any reason why the schools can't resume their feud as members of the Big Ten East Division.

"Obviously with the other Big Ten schools, the closest schools are the ones that have a natural rivalry,'' Graber said. "If you look at the series historically, I think Rutgers has beaten Penn State twice. To be a rival, you have to be competitive. But I would certainly think that Rutgers and Penn State could develop into a very good rivalry just because of the geography involved and their traditions.''

Keith Sargeant may be reached at ksargeant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @KSargeantNJ. Find NJ.com Rutgers Football on Facebook.