Oct. 24, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State's victory Saturday has certainly earned its place among historic wins in program history. Rallying back from behind by 14 points, the Nittany Lions completed their largest fourth-quarter comeback since at least 1967, taking down then-No. 2 Ohio State.
On the way to a No. 24 ranking in the Associated Press Poll, Penn State earned its positioning in the Top 25 poll for the first time since week 15 of the 2011 season.
Penn State upended Ohio State's Urban Meyer for the first time in the month of October throughout his entire tenure with the Buckeyes.
On the year, Penn State has now come back from double figure deficits in two of its last three games, outscoring the Golden Gophers 20-10 in the second half to force overtime before clinching the win.
The 14-point comeback is the largest in a Big Ten game and at home since the Nittany Lions rebounded from a three-touchdown deficit against Northwestern November 6, 2010 at home in Beaver Stadium.
Further back a little bit, Penn State rallied back from a 37-17 third-quarter deficit to defeat Michigan State, 38-37, on the road in East Lansing Nov. 27, 1993. The Nittany Lions scored three touchdowns in a span of five minutes to engineer the close victory. Penn State scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, sacking Spartan quarterback Jim Miller three times in the final frame.
Against The Undefeated
Holding Ohio State scoreless in two quarters for the first time since the Michigan State game last year, Penn State put an end to Ohio State's perfect 6-0 record at the time of kickoff. Penn State has halted unbeaten opponents in each of the last three games, beating Minnesota and Maryland before the Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions have played seven teams on the year that entered the matchup without a loss on the season.
Tackles For Loss
Penn State notched a season-high 11.0 tackles for loss in the win against Ohio State, marking the most for the Nittany Lions since taking down Maryland last year (11.0). The Nittany Lions have totaled at least 9.0 tackles for loss in all but one game this season, with double figure TFLs in each of the last two games. Last week, it was Garrett Sickels, who led the team with 3.5 tackles for a loss of 15 yards. Entering the week, Penn State is ranked fourth in the FBS standings and second in the conference with 9.0 tackles for loss per game on the year.
A Quick Look at Purdue
Guided by interim head coach Gerad Parker, the Boilermakers are 3-4 on the year and 1-3 in Big Ten play. Parker will lead Purdue on to the field at Ross-Ade for the first time as head coach of the squad, since being elevated to the position Oct. 16, 2016. The Boilermakers have lost their last two consecutive conference outings, most recently falling to then-No. 8 Nebraska on the road in Lincoln. Purdue led the Cornhuskers at the half, 14-10, before Nebraska rallied back with 17 unanswered points in the second half to claim the win.
Penn State holds a 13-3 advantage in the all-time series against the Boilermakers, having won each of the last seven games dating back to 2005. The Nittany Lions will also make their first trip to West Lafayette since claiming a 34-9 win on the road in 2012.