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Oct. 23, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Carrying 4-0 Big Ten records entering the halfway point of the conference slate, No. 2 Penn State and No. 6 Ohio State will start breaking up a three-way tie for the division lead Saturday. The telecast from Ohio Stadium will begin at 3:30 p.m. on FOX.
It will be the highest-ranked Big Ten game Penn State has played in since 1997, when the also second-ranked Nittany Lions hosted No. 4 Michigan.
When Penn State and Ohio State last met in 2016, the then-unranked Nittany Lions upset an Ohio State team that was ranked No. 2 at the time, and the Lions ended up winning the remainder of their Big Ten games to claim the Big Ten East Division by virtue of the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Buckeyes.
Penn State enters Saturday's game following a 42-13 win over Michigan in front of a Penn State White Out crowd that filled Beaver Stadium with a stadium-record 110,823 people. Michigan entered with the top-ranked defense in the nation with an average of just 223.8 yards allowed per game, but the Nittany Lion offense rolled to 506 yards.
Penn State will now test its nation-leading scoring defense (9.6 points allowed per game) against Ohio State's nearly nation-leading (second to UCF by 0.04 points per game) scoring offense (47.3). The Lions have not allowed more than 19 points in a game this season, while Ohio State has scored 54 or more in each of its last four games.
Saquon Barkley continues to lead the FBS in all-purpose yards per game (211.1) and career all-purpose yards per game among active players (146.5), while quarterback Trace McSorley leads the Big Ten in passing yards per game (268.4). Barkley is the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, while McSorley is the reigning Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week.
HEAD COACH URBAN MEYER
- Urban Meyer is in his sixth season as the Ohio State head coach. Meyer began his coaching career as the tight ends coach for the Buckeyes in 1986.
- Other head coaching stops have included Bowling Green (2001-02), Utah (2003-04) and Florida (2005-10).
- This will be Meyer's seventh match up against Penn State, as his Florida team beat the Nittany Lions in the 2011 Outback Bowl, 37-24.
- He has won three National Championships, guiding Florida in 2006 and 2008, and Ohio State in 2014.
- Meyer is 43-2 in Big Ten games at Ohio State.
- Meyer was an ESPN analyst for Penn State's home game with Iowa on Oct. 8, 2011.
- He is a 1986 graduate of the University of Cincinnati.
SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
- Ohio State hosts Penn State while riding a five-game winning streak and coming off of a bye week.
- The Buckeyes are 6-1, with its lone loss coming against then-No. 5/6 Oklahoma in the second week of the season. Ohio State owns Big Ten wins over Indiana, Rutgers, Maryland and Nebraska.
- Ohio State leads the Big Ten and ranks third in FBS in total offense, averaging 577.3 yards per game, and also leads in conference and ranks second in FBS averaging 47.3 points per game. It has scored at least 54 points in each of its last four games.
- QB J.T. Barrett leads the Big Ten with 21 touchdown passes and a passing efficiency of 173.8, ranking fourth in FBS in both. He is also tops in the Big Ten and second in the nation in points responsible for per game (22.6) and leads the conference in total offense, averaging 313.9 yards. Additionally in the Big Ten, Barrett only trails Penn State's Trace McSorley slightly in passing yards per game (268.4-262.6) and completion percentage (66.8-66.7).
- Freshman running back J.K. Dobbins leads the Big Ten and ranks fourth in FBS with 7.75 yards per carry, and he ranks second in the Big Ten with 110.7 rushing yards per game.
- Ohio State is also strong on defense, yielding 15.4 points per game to rank third in the Big Ten.
STORIED PROGRAMS MEET ON GRIDIRON
- Penn State is 33-2 all-time as the No. 2 ranked team Penn State and 28-19-1 in top-20 match-ups.
- Penn State and Ohio State both rank among the top-10 programs in winning percentage and total victories in NCAA history.
- Four of the top-10 winningest programs in NCAA history are from the Big Ten.
- Penn State sits No. 8 in all-time victories (874) and No. 10 in winning percentage (.688).
- Ohio State sits tied for fourth with 892 all-time victories and No. 3 with an all-time winning percentage of .724.
- The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are also among the most ranked teams in NCAA history according to the AP poll.
- Ohio State has spent 102 weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll (1st all-time) and Penn State has earned the No. 1 ranking by the AP on 21 occasions (T-15th all-time). (Not including preseason rankings).
- Penn State's 608 weeks ranked among the AP Top 25 rank ninth all-time, while Ohio State's 878 weeks are the most in NCAA history.
AP Poll statistics are since 1936; according to CollegePollArchive.com
TOP-RANKED GAMES
- Penn State is playing its 14th regular-season game in which both it and its opponent were ranked in the AP Top 6.
- Penn State is 6-7 in the 13 previous top-six regular- season match-ups, 5-3 when being the higher-ranked team and 2-1 as the No. 2-ranked team.
- Penn State's first top-six regular-season game was at Ohio State in 1978, a 19-0 win for the Nittany Lions.
- No. 4 Penn State hosted No. 3 Ohio State in 1996, taking a 38-7 loss.
- Penn State's last top-six regular-season game was the 1999 season opener between No. 3 PSU and No. 4 Arizona, a 41-7 win.
- Penn State's last top-six game overall was the 2008 Rose Bowl pitting the No. 6 Lions against No. 5 USC.
STIFF COMPETITION
- Penn State is playing ranked opponents (No. 19 Michigan, Oct. 21; No. 6 Ohio State, Oct. 28) in back-to-back weeks for the first time since playing No. 13 Michigan (Nov. 21) and playing at No. 6 Michigan State (Nov. 28) in 2015.
- The last time Penn State defeated a ranked opponent in a true road game was at No. 14 Wisconsin, 31-24, in 2013. The Nittany Lions have dropped their last three on the road against ranked foes.
- Penn State could potentially play three ranked opponents in a row with a road contest at No. 16/18 Michigan State next on the schedule. It would be the first time Penn State faced three top-25 opponents since playing four consecutive ranked opponents in 2004 (No. 20 Wisconsin, No. 20 Minnesota, No. 9 Purdue, No. 25 Iowa).
GET UP, IT'S GAMEDAY
- ESPN's College GameDay Built by The Home Depot program will be live from Ohio State on Saturday, marking the second consecutive week the show has been on the site of a Penn State game.
- It will be the 17th time all-time College GameDay has been at the site of a Penn State game.
- College GameDay has broadcast live from five Penn State games outside of Happy Valley since 2005, including the 2016 Big Ten Championship Game, 2010 Ohio State and Alabama contests, 2008 Ohio State game and 2005 Michigan State meeting.
- Last Saturday prior to Penn State's game against Michigan, College GameDay has originated from Penn State for the sixth-time all-time and the first since 2009.
PENN STATE-OHIO STATE CONNECTIONS
- Penn State junior running back Mark Allen and freshman DE Shane Simmons and Ohio State freshman DE Chase Young played together at DeMatha Catholic High School in Maryland.
- Penn State sophomore TE/H Jonathan Holland and sophomore LB Cam Brown and Ohio State redshirt freshman QB Dwayne Haskins played together at Bullis School in Maryland.
- Penn State freshman CB Donovan Johnson and Ohio State senior S Damon Webb and redshirt sophomores RB Mike Weber and OL Joshua Alabi played together at Cass Tech in Michigan.
- Penn State freshman WR KJ Hamler and Ohio State freshman S Isaiah Pryor and freshman CB Marcus Williamson and redshirt freshman DT Malik Barrow played together at IMG Academy in Florida.
- Penn State junior CB Jabari Butler and Ohio State freshman QB Tate Martell and freshman DL Haskell Garrett played together at Bishop Gorman in Nevada.
- Penn State freshman OL Alex Gellerstedt and Ohio State freshman DB Jack Hamilton and junior S Clay Raterman and junior WR C.J. Saunders played together at Coffman High School in Ohio.
- Penn State freshman QB Sean Clifford and Ohio State sophomore LB Justin Hilliard and sophomore TB Brock Davin played together at St. Xavier in Ohio.
- Penn State co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Tim Banks and Ohio State assistant defensive coordinator/cornerbacks/special teams coordinator Kerry Coombs both coached at Cincinnati during the 2010 and 2011 seasons.
- Penn State defensive line coach Sean Spencer and Ohio State quality control/kicking coach Adam Scheier both coached at Bowling Green in 2009. Spencer served as the defensive line coach and Scheier as the special teams coordinator/tight ends coach.
- Ohio State associate head coach and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano was a graduate assistant at Penn State in 1990 and went on to coach the Nittany Lion defensive backfield from 1991-95.
- Ohio State assistant head coach/defensive line coach Larry Johnson coached 18 seasons at PSU, serving four years as a defensive ends and special teams coach and 13 years as a defensive line coach.
NITTANY LIONS FROM OHIO
Penn State has five from Ohio on its roster. All are true or redshirt freshmen.
- QB Sean Clifford - Cincinnati/Saint Xavier
- OL Alex Gellerstedt - Dublin/Dublin Coffman
- OL Mike Miranda - Stow/Stow-Munroe
- DT Antonio Shelton - Westerville/Westerville-North
- SN Chris Stoll - Westerville/St. Francis DeSales
SECOND TIME ON FOX
- Penn State football will be televised on FOX for the first time since the 2016 Big Ten Championship Game and just the second time ever.
- It is just the second time since 2006 (at Notre Dame on NBC) that Penn State has played a game that was televised on a network other than the ABC/ESPN family of networks or BTN.
HIGH IN THE RANKINGS
- Penn State is ranked No. 2 in both the Associated Press and Amway Coaches Polls for a second consecutive week.
- Prior to this season, Penn State had not been ranked as high as No. 2 in the AP poll since 1999.
- The No. 2 ranking marks the eighth consecutive week Penn State has been ranked in the Top Five of the AP poll - a feat not accomplished since Penn State held strong in the Top Five for 11-straight weeks in 1999.
- Penn State's eight-week run in the AP Top Five ranks tied for its seventh-longest stretch in program history. The program record is 17 weeks on two occasions (1968-69; 1977-79).
- Penn State's streak of eight-straight weeks in the AP Top Five is the second-longest active streak, following Alabama (31).
- Penn State's streak of 14-straight weeks in the AP Top 10 is the fourth-longest active streak, trailing Alabmama (36), Clemson (36) and Wisconsin (16).
- Penn State's streak of 17-straight weeks in the AP Top 25 is the eighth-longest active streak.
AP Poll statistics are since 1936; according to CollegePollArchive.com
WINNING WAYS
- Penn State is one of two teams that has had a winning season the last 13 consecutive years, with 7-0 Wisconsin also achieving the feat in 2017. Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Boise State, USC, Florida State and LSU can also do the same this season.
- Penn State is 16-1 in its last 17 games, the best span since going 20-0 from 1993-95.
- Penn State has started a season 7-0 for the first time since 2008, when the team started 9-0.
- This is the first time that James Franklin has led his squad to a 7-0 start on the season in his head coaching career.
- The 4-0 start in Big Ten play marks the first such start since 2011, when Penn State began 5-0.
- Penn State is one of eight undefeated FBS teams remaining and one of two in the Big Ten (Wisconsin).
- Penn State's victory over No. 19 Michigan as the No. 2-ranked team was its first as a top-five team over a ranked opponent since winning 13-6 at No. 10 Ohio State in 2008 as the No. 3-ranked team.
DISCIPLINED
- Penn State is averaging just 3.57 penalties per game to rank second in the Big Ten (Minnesota; 3.50) and third in FBS (Arizona State; 3.14).
- Penn State drew just one penalty for 10 yards in its last game against Michigan. It was the second time this season that Penn State was flagged just once (Pitt; 1 penalty for 15 yards).
- After receiving a season-high eight penalties for 90 yards at Iowa, Penn State has only been penalized six times for 47 yards over its last three games.
STREAKING
- Penn State has won 15-straight regular season games, the longest streak since reeling off 18 in a row from 1993-95. It is the second-longest active streak in FBS, trailing only Alabama (28).
- Penn State has won its last 13 games against Big Ten opponents, breaking its record streak of 12 from 1993-94. It the second-longest active streak in FBS, trailing only Alabama (22; SEC).
- The Nittany Lions have won their last five road games dating back to 2016 for its longest streak since winning six in a row across the 1996-97 seasons.
- Penn State has won its last 12 games at home to tie for its 11th-longest home winning streak all-time. It is the longest streak since also winning 12-straight home games from 1997-99, and the tied for the longest home winning streak in the its Big Ten era.
- QB Trace McSorley has thrown a touchdown pass in 22 consecutive games, dating to the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl, extending his school record. It is the second-longest active streak in FBS behind Oklahoma's Baker Mayfield (31).
- TE Mike Gesicki has recorded a reception in his last 21 games dating back to the 2016 season opener.
- RB Saquon Barkley has scored a touchdown in his last 14 consecutive games, which is the longest active streak by a running back in FBS.
B1G PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
- Penn State leads the Big Ten with six Big Ten Player of the Week honors on offense, defense and special teams.
- Saquon Barkley has garnered a conference-high four Big Ten Player of the Week awards this season, earning three on offense and one on special teams.
- Barkley won his third offensive POTW nod after scoring three touchdowns (2 rush, 1 receiving) in a win over Michigan in Week 8. He also totaled 108 yards rushing on 15 carries and 53 yards receiving on three catches for 161 yards from scrimmage.
- LB Jason Cabinda was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week following the Michigan game in Week 8. He registered 13 tackles, assisted on a pair of sacks and forced a fumble in the win.
- WR DaeSean Hamilton was named the Co-Offensive Player of the Week and RB/KR Barkley was named the Special Teams Player of the Week for Week 5 following the Indiana game. Hamilton caught nine passes for 122 yards and three touchdowns, while Barkley returned the opening kickoff 98 yards for a touchdown.
- Barkley won his second Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week award of the season after a record-breaking performance at Iowa in Week 4. Barkley had a career-high 211 rushing yards on 28 carries and a touchdown to go along with 12 catches for 94 yards and three kickoff returns for 53 yards en route to a school-record 358 all-purpose yards in a thrilling win over Iowa at Kinnick Stadium.
- Barkley claimed co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after his performance against Akron in the season opener. He shared the honor with Ohio State's J.T. Barrett. Barkley had a Big Ten-leading 246 all-purpose yards on 18 touches against the Zips. The junior rushed for 172 yards on 14 carries (12.3 ypc) with two touchdowns and added three receptions for 54 yards (18.0 ypr). Barkley broke free for an 80-yard rush, which was the second-longest of his career and tied for the 10th-best rush in program history.
MILESTONE WATCH
- QB Trace McSorley is five passing touchdowns shy of 50 for his career. The Penn State record is 48.
- McSorley is 322 yards shy of becoming the fourth Nittany Lion to reach 6,000 career passing yards.
- McSorley is 121 yards shy of 2,000 passing yards this season. It would be the 20th 2,000-yard passing season in Penn State history.
- McSorley is nine completions shy of becoming the seventh Nittany Lion to reach 400 career completions.
- RB Saquon Barkley is 313 yards shy of becoming the second Nittany Lion to total 5,000 career all-purpose yards.
- Barkley is 22 yards from 1,500 all-purpose yards this year. It would be the 12th time the feat has been accomplished and Penn State and he would be the third Nittany Lion to do it twice.
- With a Penn State-record 448 yards receiving as a running back this season, Barkley is 52 yards sshy of becoming the first Penn State RB to surpass 500 yards receiving.
- TE Mike Gesicki is four receptions shy of 100 for his career.
- S Marcus Allen is 10 tackles shy of 300 for his career.
MILESTONES ACHIEVED
- QB Trace McSorley became the fifth Nittany Lion with 6,000 career yards of total offense with 358 yards of total offense against Michigan.
- McSorley became the ninth Nittany Lion passer to eclipse the 5,000-passing yard mark for a career with 315 passing yards against Indiana.
- RB Saquon Barkley is the first Penn State player and fourth Big Ten player with 3,000 rushing yards and 1,000 receiving yards in his career, surpassing 1,000 receiving yards against Michigan. Barkley is the 26th Nittany Lion with at least 1,000 receiving yards.
- With three touchdowns, Barkley became the sixth Nittany Lion overall and first non-placekicker to surpass 252 points in career.
- Barkley surged past 3,000 career rushing yards and 4,000 career all-purpose yards at Iowa. He is the seventh and ninth Nittany Lion all-time to accomplish the respective feats.
- K Tyler Davis converted his 100th career extra point on the McSorley to Stevens touchdown pass at Northwestern.
- TE Mike Gesicki became Penn State's all-time tight end receptions leader with five receptions at Iowa to total 89 for his career. He broke the record of 87 set by Andrew Quarless (2006-09).
- Gesicki surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards against Pitt, making him the 25th player to achieve the feat at Penn State.
- Head coach James Franklin earned his 50th career victory with the Nittany Lions' season opening win.
- With 74 receiving yards against Akron, DaeSean Hamilton surpassed 2,000 yards for his career.
- Jason Cabinda surpassed 200 career tackles for his career with three against Akron.
WINNING THE TURNOVER BATTLE
- Penn State's plus-12 turnover margin second in FBS only to USF (+13).
- Penn State's 17 takeaways rank tied for fifth with Central Michigan and Utah. California leads FBS with 21 takeaways, followed by Utah State (20), Memphis (20) and USF (19).
- Penn State has forced 18 turnovers in the first seven games, which is the most turnovers forced in a seven-game span since 1993 (20 turnovers forced).
- Penn State has forced at least one turnover in eight-straight games dating back to the 2017 Rose Bowl, its longest streak since forcing a turnover in eight-straight games in the 2014 campaign.
FAST STARTS
- According to Coaches by the Numbers, Penn State ranks tied for 16th in FBS in first-half scoring (21.14 avg) and second in first-quarter scoring (12.86 avg).
- Against Michigan, Penn State scored touchdowns 4:07 apart in the first quarter, which was the fastest back-to-back scores on offense since the third quarter of the 2017 Rose Bowl (1:01).
- The Nittany Lions scored 28 points in a first quarter against Indiana, marking the first time Penn State scored 28 or more points in the first quarter since 2005 at Illinois (28 points).
- Penn State has outscored opponents 90-0 in the first quarter this season and is the only FBS team yet to allow an opening-quarter score. Penn State has scored in the first quarter of all seven games this season.
- In the first three games, Penn State scored 14 points in the opening stanza of three consecutive games for the first time since 2008 (14 vs. Coastal Carolina; 14 vs. Oregon State; 21 at Syracuse).
- Against both Akron and Georgia State teams, Penn State scored 35 points in the first half. Before this season, the Nittany Lions had not scored as many in the first half of a game since scoring 38 against Eastern Illinois on the way to a 52-3 victory in 2009. The last time that the Nittany Lions scored 35 in a first half against an FBS team was in 2008 at Syracuse, a game that Penn State won 55-13.
SAQUON SCORES
- RB Saquon Barkley has scored a touchdown in 14-straight games, which is the longest active streak in FBS.
- Against Michigan, Barkley posted his 12th career multi-touchdown game and his fourth of the season. It was also his ninth career multi-rushing touchdown game and third of the season.
- Barkley also scored three touchdowns in a game for the third time in his career (5 at Pitt & 3 vs. USC, both in 2016) and first time this season.
- Barkley's three touchdowns (18 points) against Michigan gave him 252 points (42 touchdowns) for his career, the most points by a Penn State player who was not a place kicker. The previous high was Lydell Mitchell, who had 246 points on 41 touchdowns (1969-71). That record stood for 46 years.
BARKLEY IN THE RECORD BOOKS
- Running back Saquon Barkley has placed his name all over the Penn State record books.
- Barkley recorded his 13th career 100-yard game with 108 rushing yards against Michigan. He is tied for eighth in Penn State history for 100-yard games with John Cappelletti.
- With his 108 rushing yards against Michigan, Barkley has 3,329 rushing yards in his career, the most rushing yards by a Penn State player in his first three seasons. The previous high was Curtis Enis with 3,256 yards.
- Barkley's 3,329 career rushing yards moves him up to third place at Penn State, passing Tony Hunt (3,320); Blair Thomas (3,301); Curtis Enis (3,256) and D.J. Dozier (3,227). He trails Curt Warner (3,398) for second place.
- Barkley had 176 all-purpose yards against Michigan to give him 1,478 for the season, which is the 13th at Penn State. Lenny Moore is ahead of him in 12th place with 1,486 yards in 1954.
- Barkley boosted his career all-purpose yardage to 4,687 (3,329 rushing, 1,011 receiving, 273 return), which moved him ahead of Blair Thomas into third place at Penn State. Barkley trails Curt Warner for second place (4,982 yards).
- Barkley's three touchdowns (18 points) against Michigan gave him 252 points (42 touchdowns) for his career, the most points by a Penn State player who was not a place kicker. The previous high was Lydell Mitchell, who had 246 points on 41 touchdowns (1969-71). That record stood for 46 years.
- Barkley ranks fourth in career rushing touchdowns with 33. He trails Ki-Jana Carter for third place (34).
- Barkley's 53 receiving yards give him 448 this season, which betters his own single season receiving yardage record for a running back at Penn State. Last season, he had 402 receiving yards in 14 games.
- Barkley is one of just eight Nittany Lions to post multiple 200-yard rushing games and ranks in a tie for second with John Cappelletti. He trails Larry Johnson (4) for the career record.
BALANCED ATTACK
- Through the first seven games, Penn State has totaled 243 rushing attempts to 240 passing attempts.
- At Northwestern, WR Brandon Polk became the 11th different Nittany Lion to score an offensive touchdown this season.
- Eight different players have been credited with a rush, 11 have caught at least one pass and four have thrown a pass.
- Against Georgia State, Penn State had eight different players score touchdowns for the first time since nine scored in a 70-24 win over Akron in 1999.
MCSORLEY DRAWS WEEKLY HONORS
- QB Trace McSorley was named the Rose Bowl Big Ten Player of the Week and the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, while also earning places on the Manning Award Stars of the Week and Davey O'Brien Award "Great 8."
- Against Michigan, McSorley was 17-of-26 for 282 passing yards and a touchdown. He also hurt Michigan with his legs, recording 76 rushing yards and a career-high three touchdowns to total 358 yards of total offense.
B1G LEADING PASSER
- QB Trace McSorley is among Big Ten passing leaders in multiple categories for a second consecutive season.
- McSorley leads the Big Ten (25th FBS) with 268.4 passing yards per game, and ranks third with 1,879 total passing yards.
- McSorley's 66.8 completion percentage leads the Big Ten (13th FBS).
- McSorley is averaging 304.7 yards of total offense per game to rank second in the Big Ten (17th FBS).
- McSorley's 14 passing touchdowns rank third in the Big Ten (26th FBS).
- Responsible for 18.0 points per game, McSorley ranks second in the Big Ten (9th FBS).
- McSorley's passing efficiency of 155.0 ranks third (18th FBS).
- McSorley is among the most efficient active quarterbacks in FBS, as his career efficiency rating of 153.1 ranks ninth and tops among Big Ten passers.
TOP CATCHING DUOS
- DaeSean Hamilton (189) and Mike Gesicki (92) rank ninth in FBS and tops in the Big Ten among active receiving duos with 285 combined catches.
- Hamilton owns Penn State's all-time receptions record, while Gesicki owns its tight end receptions record.
LIMITED ACCESS
- Penn State leads the nation in scoring defense, averaging 9.0 points allowed per game. Alabama is second (9.8).
- Penn State has allowed 17.8 points per game fewer through seven games in 2017 than it did in the first seven games in 2016 (31.4).
- Penn State owns a pair of shutout victories and has not allowed more than 19 points in a game.
- The Nittany Lions nearly earned their third shutout of the season at Northwestern, but the Wildcats scored in the final two minutes of the game, snapping a five-quarter shutout streak that started in the second half of the Indiana game.
- Penn State has shutout opponents in at least one half in five games this season (Akron, Georgia State, Indiana, Northwestern, Michigan).
- Penn State has been particularly strong at the start of games, ranking as the only team yet to give up a first quarter point.
- Penn State ranks third in FBS in first-half scoring defense, allowing just 5.29 points per game, and first in second-half scoring (4.29 avg). The Lions are nearly as strong in the third quarter as they are in the first, ranking tied for first in scoring defense (0.43 avg). (Coaches by the Numbers)
- Iowa did not cross the 50-yard line on offense against Penn State in the first half.
- Penn State has recorded two shutouts in a single season for the first time since notching two in 2007 (59-0 over FIU; 31-0 vs. Indiana).
- The 14 points allowed by Penn State in the first three games were the fewest in any three-game stretch since allowing 13 in a three-game stretch in the middle of the 2009 season (52- 3 vs. Eastern Illinois; 20-0 vs. Minnesota; 35-10 at Michigan).
- The 14 points allowed by PSU in the first three games were the fewest allowed in the opening three games of the season since giving up only 14 points in the first four games of the 1996 season (24-7 vs. USC; 24-7 vs. Louisville; 49-0 vs. Northern Illinois; 41-0 vs. Temple).
- The shutout by Penn State of Akron marked the first shutout by the Nittany Lions in a season opener since a 59-0 win against FIU in 2007. The shutout was the first at home for Penn State since a 39-0 shutout of Illinois in 2015.
- This is the third-straight year that PSU has shut out an opponent (39-0 vs. Illinois in 2015; 39-0 at Rutgers in 2016; 52-0 vs. Akron in 2017). It is the longest such streak since a three-year stretch from 1989-91 (17-0 at Rutgers in 1989; 28-0 vs. Rutgers and 9-0 at Alabama in 1990; and 81-0 vs. Cincinnati in 1991).
ALLEN & HALEY THORPE SEMIFINALISTS
- S Marcus Allen and CB Grant Haley among the 13 semifinalists for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award, given to the top defensive back in college football. Penn State and Alabama are the only teams with two semifinalists.
- The Paycom Jim Thorpe Award is awarded to the best defensive back in college football based on performance on the field, athletic ability and character.
- Allen ranks second on the team with 41 tackles, including 22 solo stops. He also had 4.0 tackles for loss with one sack, three pass breakups and two forced fumbles. Earlier this season, Allen pulled in his first career interception against Georgia State and returned it 50 yards to set up a Penn State touchdown. He also registered a safety against Pittsburgh when he took down running back Darrin Hall in the end zone.
- Haley is second on the team with two interceptions and six pass breakups. He also has 19 tackles, including 2.0 tackles for loss and a sack. Haley has also recovered a fumble this season. Haley was selected as a Midseason All-American by The All-American and USA Today. He has been named to the Big Ten Team of the Week by Pro Football Focus three times this season.
CABINDA EARNS WEEKLY RECOGNITION
- Jason Cabinda was named the Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after the Michigan game.
- Cabinda finished 13 tackles for his eighth career double-digit tackle game. He also forced his second career fumble in the third quarter with a strip of Michigan QB John O'Korn on a rush.
- Cabinda was selected as the Lott IMPACT Player of the Week after his performance against Indiana. Penn State will receive $1,000 for its general scholarship fund in recognition of it.
- Cabinda finished with a career high-matching 14 tackles, including six solo stops, a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery against the Hoosiers.
STOPS BEHIND THE LINE
- Penn State has assumed a familiar position in the NCAA statistical rankings, ranking fourth in FBS and first in the Big Ten in tackles for loss with an average of 8.4.
- A total of 27 different Nittany Lions have at least assisted on a stop in the back field, with S Troy Apke becoming the latest to tally a TFL in the Michigan game.
- DEs Shareef Miller (6.5) and Shaka Toney (6.5) lead the team in tackles for loss.
- Penn State totaled 14 TFLs against Akron in the season opener, the most by Penn State since recording 15 at Temple in 2015, and followed with nine against Pitt, 11 against Georgia State and seven at Iowa.
GETTING OFF THE FIELD
- Penn State is averaging 5.57 three-and-outs per game to rank in a tie for sixth in FBS and third in the Big Ten.
- Penn State has prevented a first down on 39-of-92 opposition drives (42.4 percent).
SACK MASTERS
- The Penn State defense is continuing to find the quarterback, averaging 3.4 sacks to rank first in the Big Ten and fourth in FBS.
- The Penn State defense registered seven sacks against Michigan, the most since having seven sacks against Kent State in 2016. It was also the most by Penn State against a Big Ten opponent since having seven sacks at Northwestern in 2011.
- Penn State has brought a balanced pass rush as 17 different Nittany Lions have at least assisted on a sack. CB Christian Campbell, DT Kevin Givens and DT Parker Cothren each earned their first sacks of the season against Michigan.
- DE Shaka Toney leads the team with 4.0 sacks. He has three sacks in the last two games, as he had 1.0 sack against Michigan and the first multi-sack game of his career at Northwestern, registering two solo QB takedowns. He had his first career solo sack and second career forced fumble on a strip-sack of QB Clayton Thorson in the first quarter.
- The Nittany Lions have totaled 24 sacks in seven games. With 46 sacks in 2015 and 40 sacks last season, Penn State posted back-to-back 40-sack seasons for the first time since it posted three-consecutive 40-sack seasons in 2005 (41), 2006 (40) and 2007 (46).