| PENN STATE at MICHIGAN STATE | |
| Saturday, Nov. 28 - 3:30 p.m. ET | |
| Spartan Stadium | East Lansing, Mich. | |
| Game Day Information: | |
| Game Day Information: | |
| GAME DAY LINKS |
| TV: ESPN |
| Radio: 93.7 FM | 1450 AM | Sirius: 135 | XM: 195 |
| Live Audio |
| Football Blog | Football Media Central |
| Follow Us: @PennStateFBall | Facebook | Instagram |
| Gameday Central |
| Game Notes: Penn State | Michigan State |
| Statistics: Penn State | Michigan State |
| INSIDE THE NUMBERS | ||
| PSU | MSU | |
| 24.4 | Scoring* | 31.5 |
| 16.2 | 1st Downs* | 21.8 |
| 136.3 | Rushing* | 157.0 |
| 201.0 | Passing* | 239.1 |
| 337.3 | Total Offense* | 393.1 |
| 14/10 | Fumbles/Lost | 10/5 |
| 55/442 | Penalties/Yards | 57/468 |
| 72/35.8 | Punts/Avg. | 47/34.6 |
| 28% | 3rd Down % | 49% |
| 33% | 4th Down % | 40% |
| 44 | Sacks | 30 |
| 10 | Interceptions | 12 |
| 36/39 | Red Zone | 36/43 |
| 29:16 | Time of Possession | 33:19 |
* - Per Game Statistics
Nov. 23, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lions close out the regular season by visiting No. 6/6 Michigan State Saturday at 3:30 p.m. on ESPN. This game marks the Nittany Lions' 10th appearance of the season on an ESPN/ABC network.
Penn State look to pick up an eighth victory for the most wins since the 2012 team went 8-4, while the Spartans are vying for a berth in the Big Ten Championship game.
In 29 all-time meetings, the Nittany Lions and Spartans are 14-14-1 against each other. The Spartans have won the last two contests, including a 34-10 victory in the 2014 season finale at Beaver Stadium.
Michigan State is 10-1 overall and 6-1 in Big Ten play on the season. The Spartans are ranked sixth in both the AP and Coaches' polls. The Spartans are coming off of a 17-14 win at No. 2/2 Ohio State Saturday. Michael Geiger connected on a 41-yard field goal as time ran out to the lift Michigan State to the win.
The Penn State-Michigan State match-up will have two of the top defensive ends in the country in Nittany Lion Carl Nassib and Spartan Shilique Calhoun. Despite playing only three snaps against Michigan due to injury, Nassib still leads the country in sacks (15.5), tackles for loss (19.5) and forced fumbles (6). Calhoun is 18th in FBS in sacks with 8.5 and has 15 quarterback hurries.
The regular season finale is also a meeting of two highly-touted quarterbacks in the Big Ten Conference in Penn State's Christian Hackenberg and Michigan State's Connor Cook. Hackenberg has become PSU's career leader in passing yards (8,061), touchdown passes (46), completions (663), attempts (1,182), 200-yard passing games (20) and 300-yard passing games (9). Cook is the winningest quarterback in school history with a 32-4 record (.889) as the starter, including a 21-2 (.913) mark against Big Ten opponents. He is a finalist of the Unitas Golden Arm Award.
Saturday marks Penn State's first visit to East Lansing since 2009 when the Nittany Lions claimed a 42-14 victory at Spartan Stadium. In that game, Daryll Clark was 19-for-27 for 310 yards and four touchdown passes, while Evan Royster ran for 114 yards on 13 carries. Graham Zug caught four passes for 99 yards and two scores and Andrew Quarless had four grabs for 62 yards and a pair of TDs to lead the receiving corps.
WINNER CLAIMS LAND GRANT TROPHY
• When the Penn State-Michigan State series was renewed with the Nittany Lions' entrance into the Big Ten in 1993, the Land Grant Trophy was established to go to the winner in what was each school's annual season finale from 1993-2010.
• The Land Grant Trophy honors Penn State's and Michigan State's unique places in history as the two pioneer land-grant institutions in the United States.
• Each school was founded in 1855, Michigan State on February 12 and Penn State on Feb. 22. The schools were the prototypes after which the land-grant system was patterned.
• Each institution brought to American education the new dimensions of service and outreach in addition to education and research.
• The Land Grant Trophy joins the Governor's Victory Bell, presented to the Penn State-Minnesota victor, as the other trophy the Nittany Lions play for in Big Ten competition.
NITTANY LIONS FROM MICHIGAN
Penn State has two players from Michigan on its roster.
• TE Charles Idemudia - Detroit/Grosse Pointe North
• DL Anthony Zettel - West Branch/Ogemaw Heights
PENN STATE-MICHIGAN STATE CONNECTIONS
• Penn State sophomore S Troy Apke and Michigan State senior TE Paul Land both attended Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) High School.
• Penn State cornerbacks coach Terry Smith coached Michigan State sophomore DB Montae Nicholson for two seasons at Gateway (Pa.) High School.
• Penn State sophomore TE Brent Wilkerson and redshirt freshman RB Mark Allen and Michigan State senior LB Darien Harris all attended DeMatha Catholic (Md.) High School.
• Penn State redshirt freshman QB Billy Fessler, and Michigan State sophomore QB Damion Terry and junior running back Delton Williams all attended Erie (Pa.) Cathedral Prep.
• Penn State senior WR Matt Zanellato and Michigan State WR Austin Wolfe both attended Lake Braddock (Va.) Secondary.
LASCH RENOVATION PLAN APPROVED
The proposed Phase II upgrades to the Mildred and Louis Lasch Football Building were approved by the Penn State Board of Trustees on Nov. 20.
Plans to renovate the Louis and Mildred Lasch Football Building were unveiled by Penn State Athletics in October. The Lasch Renovation, a multi-phased project, will allow Penn State football to provide the resources it needs to recruit and support the nation's most talented student-athletes. The first two phases of this renovation include the addition of a nutrition bar, as well as upgrades to the team auditorium, lobby, locker room, hydrotherapy room and an expanded equipment room.
The Lasch Lobby has a 21st century design that will be powerful and progressive in a clean, classic Penn State way. The lobby features an awards area that will recognize the history and accomplishments of the Penn State football program, while the team auditorium, will showcase the Penn State football core values and team imagery displayed throughout the room.
The locker room concept will continue the classic Penn State theme and feature a new ceiling design with an integrated logo, new carpet, new multi-functional lockers, multi-tiered lighting controls and a video wall.
BLOCK THAT KICK
Junior linebacker and special teams captain Von Walker blocked a punt against Michigan in the second quarter. Walker's effort was the first blocked punt for the Nittany Lions since Mike Hull blocked an Ohio State punt for a touchdown in 2012.
GREEN LIGHT IN THE RED ZONE
• Penn State was 3-3 in the red zone against Michigan (3 FG), improving to 36-for-39 for the season (21 TD, 15 FG), a success rate of 92.3 percent.
• The Lions' 92.3 percent success rate is 10th in the country and is second to Michigan (.935) in the Big Ten.
BELL TURNS-OVER THE WOLVERINES
• Junior linebacker Brandon Bell turned in an outstanding performance against No. 14/13 Michigan.
• He grabbed his first interception of the season and second of his career, in the first quarter, returning it 25 yards to the Michigan 40.
• Bell the forced his fourth career fumble and recovered his first career fumble on a strip-sack in the third quarter.
• Bell is second on the team and is fifth in the Big Ten with three forced fumbles this season, behind Carl Nassib's six strips.
NOTABLES FROM MICHIGAN
• Sophomore kicker Tyler Davis made a career-high three field goals against Michigan, surpassing his previous high of two in the Oct. 31 win over Illinois.
• Senior Jordan Dudas tied a career high with two tackles versus the Wolverines. He had two on two previous occasions, the last at Northwestern.
• Safety Marcus Allen made a career-high 12 tackles.
• Safety Malik Golden, wearing No. 9 in honor of injured teammate Jordan Lucas, had a career-high eight tackles.
• True freshman running back Saquon Barkley's 56-yard run in the first quarter versus Michigan tied his career long, set at Ohio State.
• Junior tight end Brent Wilkerson had a career-high three catches against the Wolverines. He entered the game with four career catches.
GODWIN LEADS RECEIVING CORPS
• Sophomore wide receiver Chris Godwin has caught at least four passes in nine of 11 games this season and 10 of his last 13.
• Godwin was added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List for the nation's top receiver.
• Godwin has a team-best total of 52 receptions for 859 yards and is averaging 4.7 catches and 78.1 yards per game, to rank in the Top 10 in both in the Big Ten.
• With a trio of catches against Michigan, Godwin moved into a tie for the No. 9 spot on the Penn State single season receptions list with 52. He is tied with Bobby Engram's performance during the 1994 season.
• Godwin ranks 13th on the single season receiving yards list with 859 yards after registering 51 yards versus Michigan. He passed Deon Butler (2008), Joe Jurevisius (1997) and assistant coach Terry Smith (1991) against the Wolverines.
• Godwin also ranks 20th on the Penn State career receiving yards list with 1,180.
• Godwin has three 100-yard receiving games in 2015 after ending last season with 141 yards vs. Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
• He has at least one catch in 21 of 22 career games and four career games with five or more grabs, joining his seven-catch night vs. Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
• Godwin totaled 103 yards on three catches at Ohio State, and then made four catches for a season-high 135 yards and a touchdown the following week against Maryland. He became the first Nittany Lion to post back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since Allen Robinson in 2013 (106 vs. Nebraska, 122 at Wisconsin).
• He had a career-high eight catches at Northwestern Nov. 7, which bested his previous best of seven that he accomplished on two occasions, most recently vs. Illinois on Oct. 31.
• Godwin also posted his fourth career 100-yard game vs. the Wildcats with 104 yards.
BOWLING AGAIN
• Penn State is eligible to play in its 46th bowl game.
• The Lions' 45 bowl appearances ranked ninth-highest among FBS schools at the start of the season.
• Head coach James Franklin is now 5-for-5 in leading teams to bowl eligibility as a head coach.
BLACKNALL GOES DEEP
• Sophomore wide receiver Saeed Blacknall leads the Nittany Lions with an average of 27.3 yards per reception on six catches on the year.
• Blacknall hauled in his second career touchdown with a 25-yard ball from Christian Hackenberg to give Penn State a 10-7 lead over Michigan in the second quarter.
• Both of Blacknall's career touchdown catches have come in Penn State White Out games (Ohio State in 2014 and Michigan in 2015).
• Blacknall caught a 38-yard pass in the second quarter vs. Maryland to start a two-play, 75-yard touchdown drive. Hackenberg connected with Chris Godwin on a 37-yard touchdown pass on the very next play.
• It was Blacknall's first reception since he had a career-best 101 yards receiving against San Diego State, doing so on just four receptions. His previous best was 34 yards against Ohio State last year.
• Blacknall had career-long 46- and 45-yard receptions to obliterate his previous single-game standard. His previous long was a 24-yard reception last year against Ohio State.
HACKENBERG BECOMES PENN STATE'S CAREER LEADING PASSER
• Hackenberg now owns Penn State career records for passing yards (8,061), touchdown passes (46), completions (663), attempts (1,182), 200-yard passing games (20), 300-yard passing games (9) and total offense (7,818).
• With his 40-yard completion to Chris Godwin in the first quarter against Maryland, Hackenberg became Penn State's career passing yardage leader, moving past Zack Mills (7,212; 2001-04).
• Hackenberg also became Penn State's career completions leader in the Maryland game, again surpassing Zack Mills (606; 2001-04).
• Hackenberg's touchdown pass to Saeed Blacknall against Michigan moved him into a tie atop the Penn State career touchdown passes list. He is tied with Matt McGloin (46) for first place.
• With 29 pass attempts against the Terps, Hackenberg moved into a tie for first place on Penn State's career passing attempts list with Mills (1,082). With another 29 attempts against Illinois, Hackenberg took sole possession of the top spot.
• Hackenberg had 266 yards passing against Illinois, for his 19th career 200-yard passing game, the most ever by a Penn State quarterback. He had been tied with Matt McGloin for first place with 18 200-yard games.
• Hackenberg also owns the school record for 300-yard passing games, most recently extending the record against Maryland Oct. 24.
• With 134 yards of total offense against Michigan, Hackenberg passed Zack Mills (7,796) for first place on Penn State's career total offense list. He now has 7,818 yards of total offense in his three seasons.
• Hackenberg is also the first player in program history to record three 2,000-yard passing seasons. Only Anthony Morelli (2006 & 2007) and Daryll Clark (2008 & 2009) have multiple 2,000-yard passing seasons.
• Nine of Penn State's 18 seasons with 2,000 or more passing yards have occurred since 2005.