Penn State-Rutgers Game Notes

No. 16/15 Penn State plays its final road game of the year Saturday at Rutgers, starting at noon on BTN.
 
Penn State looks to remain undefeated in Piscataway, entering with a 5-0 record, and also looks to extend its streak against schools located within 250 miles of State College, as the Nittany Lions have won their last nine games against their neighbors.
 
Penn State clinched its 14th consecutive winning season with a win last week over Wisconsin. Running back Miles Sanders led Penn State offensively with 159 rushing yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, while the defense shined with five sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
 
Sanders is the 26th Nittany Lion to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and one of 18 in FBS so far this season.
 
The Nittany Lions continued their red zone efficiency, scoring on all three trips inside the 20 against Wisconsin to improve to 38-for-40 on the season with 33 touchdowns.
 
Quarterback Trace McSorley continues to etch his name in the Penn State record books. He needs just one more win to take sole possession of the school's career record for starting quarterback wins after tying the mark (29 wins) with the Wisconsin win.
 
Sophomore defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos ranks second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss (1.6 per game) and is third in the conference in sacks (0.80 per game). Gross-Matos has made 28 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks in the last four weeks after making 17 tackles, 6.5 TFLs and 2.0 sacks the previous six weeks.

Rutgers is celebrating Senior Day with its home finale. Freshman running back Isaih Pacheco led the Scarlet Knights last week against No. 4 Michigan with 213 all-purpose yards, including 142 rushing yards and an 80-yard touchdown run.
 
HEAD COACH CHRIS ASH

• Chris Ash is in his third season as the 30th head coach of the Rutgers football program
• Last season, Ash guided the Scarlet Knights to a program record-tying three Big Ten wins and its first conference road game win in two seasons.
• Previously, Ash was an assistant coach at the collegiate level for nearly 20 years, spending the last five as a defensive coordinator at Power Five schools.
• He served at Ohio State (2014-15), helping the Buckeyes to a National Championship in his first season. In 2015, the Ohio State defense continued to make strides under Ash, ranking second in scoring defense nationally and ninth in total defense.
• He served in the same role at Arkansas in 2013 and Wisconsin from 2011-12. Other coaching stops included Drake, Iowa State and San Diego State.
• Ash was a two-time letterwinner at defensive back at Drake, where he earned his undergraduate degree in 1996.

 
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS

• Rutgers is 1-9 this season and 0-7 in Big Ten Conference play.
• The Scarlet Knights are searching for their first win since a 35-7 win over Texas State in their season opener.
• Rutgers last win over a Big Ten opponent was against Maryland, Nov. 4, 2017.
• Rutgers has two defensive touchdowns scored this season to rank third in the Big Ten.
• The Scarlet Knights have done well preventing negative yardage plays, ranking second in the Big Ten in both sacks allowed (1.20) and tackles for loss allowed (4.20) per game.
• Rutgers boasts one of the nation's strongest kickoff return defenses, allowing 15.94 yards per return to rank second in the Big Ten and ninth in FBS.
• Ball security is a strength for Rutgers with just five fumbles lost all season. The total ranks third in the Big Ten and 29th in FBS.
• Saquan Hampton ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 1.2 passes defended per game, while Trevor Morris ranks fourth in the league with 9.1 tackles per game.

 
TAKING ON THE NEIGHBORS

• For the fifth consecutive year, Penn State is playing at least four FBS teams that are within a 250-mile drive (based on Google Maps from stadium to stadium).
• Penn State went 4-0 against its neighbors last season, and is 2-0 in 2018 after defeating Pitt, 51-6, and Kent State, 63-10. The Nittany Lions have won their last nine consecutive against their neighbors.
• The only nearby FBS team Penn State has not played since 2012 is West Virginia, but the Mountaineers are on the Nittany Lions' schedule in 2023 and 2024.
• Since joining the Big Ten in 1993, Penn State is 45-4 against FBS teams within 250 miles.
• All-time, Penn State is 291-111-17 against its current FBS regional foes.

 
NITTANY LIONS FROM NEW JERSEY

• SN Kevin Cahill - Summit/Summit
• OL Will Fries - Cranford/Cranford
• OL Steven Gonzalez - Union City/Union City
• DT Fred Hansard - Burlington/The Hun School
• WR Juwan Johnson - Glassboro/Glassboro
• DE Jayson Oweh - Howell/Blair Academy
• CB John Reid - Mount Laurel/St. Joseph's Prep
• S Cody Romano - Newton/Blair Academy
• WR Justin Shorter - Monmouth Junction/South Brunswick

 
PENN STATE-RUTGERS CONNECTIONS

• Penn State freshman wide receiver Justin Shorter and Rutgers redshirt sophomore wide receiver Julius Turner played together at South Brunswick in New Jersey.
• Penn State senior cornerback John Reid and Rutgers redshirt junior P Gavin Haggerty and redshirt senior DL Kevin Wilkins played together at Saint Joseph Prep in Philadelphia.
• Penn State seniors OL Ryan Bates and LB Jake Cooper and Rutgers sophomore RB Raheem Blackshear played together at Archbishop Wood near Philadelphia.
• Penn State senior SN Kyle Vasey and sophomore DL/LS Dan Vasey and Rutgers redshirt sophomore LB Rashawn Battle played together at Wallenpuapack High School near Scranton.
• Penn State senior OL Chasz Wright and Rutgers senior DB Blessuan Austin and redshirt sophomore Elorm Lumor all attended Milford Academy in New Berlin, New York.
• The brother of Penn State junior WR Juwan Johnson, George, played at Rutgers from 2006-09. A defensive lineman, George totaled 31.5 TFLs and 130 sacks, and played eight seasons in the NFL.
• Penn State special teams coordinator/assistant defensive line coach Phil Galiano coached at Rutgers from 2014-15.
• Galiano and Rutger's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach John McNulty both coached the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2013.
• McNulty is a Penn State alum and Scranton native who played at Penn State from 1988-90.
• Penn State offensive line coach Matt Limegrover and Rutgers special teams coach Vince Okruch coached together at Northwestern from 1995-96. Okruch was the defensive line coach and Limegrover was a graduate assistant.
• Limegrover and Rutgers defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Jay Niemann just missed each other at Northern Illinois. Limegrover departed as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach following the 2010 season. Niemann arrived in the 2011 season as the defensive coordinator and safeties coach.

 
FRANKLIN SET TO BOWL AGAIN

• Head coach James Franklin has guided his teams to bowl appearances in each of his eight seasons as a head coach (3 at Vanderbilt; 5 at Penn State).
• He is one of eight active head coaches who have earned bowl eligibility in their first eight or more consecutive seasons on the job.

 
PENN STATE IN THE RANKINGS

• Penn State is ranked No. 15 in the Amway Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the Associated Press poll.
• Penn State's 36-straight weeks in the AP Top 25 is the fifth-longest active streak in FBS and seventh-longest streak in Penn State history.
• In the last College Football Playoff rankings, Penn State was ranked No. 20.
• Penn State has been ranked in the last 12 CFP rankings, dating back to its first-ever appearance in the first poll of the 2016 season.

 
WINNING WAYS

• Penn State clinched its 14th consecutive winning season. Only three other FBS teams have had a winning season each of the last 14 years (Oklahoma, Boise State, LSU). Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, USC and Florida State can also achieve the feat this season.
• Head coach James Franklin has guided his teams to a winning record each of the last seven seasons (2 at Vanderbilt, 5 at Penn State).
• Penn State is 27-6 in its last 33 games, the best span since going 27-6 from the start of the 1997 season to the first nine games of 1999.
• Penn State is 29-8 over the past three seasons (2016-18), for the 11th-best record in FBS.
• Dating back to 2015, Penn State has won 24 of its last 27 home games.
• Penn State's 43 wins over the last five years (2014-18) rank tied for 15th in FBS and third in the Big Ten (Ohio State, 58; Wisconsin, 51; Michigan State 42).
• Penn State's 85 wins over the last 10 years (2009-18) rank tied for 17th in FBS and fourth in the Big Ten (Wisconsin, 100; Ohio State, 99; Michigan State, 90).
• Penn State's 129 wins over the last 15 years rank tied for 16th in FBS and third in the Big Ten (Ohio State, 150; Wisconsin, 147).

 
BOWLING AGAIN

• Penn State became bowl eligible when it defeated Iowa for its sixth win of the season.
• The Lions have appeared in 48 bowl games in program history, tied for ninth-highest among FBS schools at the start of the season.

 
MILESTONE WATCH

• Trace McSorley is 1 TD shy of 100 career touchdowns responsible for.
  • ... 118 yards shy of the PSU career QB rushing record of 1,637 yards held by Michael Robinson (2002-05).
  • ... 186 yards shy of the PSU career QB season record of 806 held by Michael Robinson (2005).
  • ... 129 yards shy of 2,000 passing yards on the season.
  • ... 26 completions shy of 700 career completions.
  • ... 380 yards shy of 1,000 rushing yards this season.
• Juwan Johnson is 23 receptions shy of 100 career receptions.
• Tommy Stevens is 29 yards shy of 500 career rushing yards.

 
MILESTONES ACHIEVED

• Miles Sanders surpassed 1,000 rushing yards this season with 159 against Wisconsin.
  • ... 1,000 career rushing yards with 162 against Michigan State.
• Trace McSorley surpassed 9,000 career passing yards with 83 at Michigan.
  • ... 10,000 career yards of total offense with 327 at Indiana.
  • ... 1,000 career passing attempts with 32 against Michigan State.
  • ... 1,000 career rushing yards with 54 yards against Kent State.
  • ... 600 career completions with 16 against Ohio State.
• Head coach James Franklin coached his 100th career game against Iowa.
• Juwan Johnson surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards with 72 at Indiana.
• DeAndre Thompkins surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards with 101 against Kent State.
  • ... surpassed 500 career punt return yards with a 29-yard return against App State.

 
STREAKING

• Redshirt freshman WR KJ Hamler has a reception in all 10 games of his career.
• True freshman TE Pat Freiermuth has a reception in his last nine games.
• Sophomore DE Yetur Gross-Matos has at least a half-sack in each of his last five games.
• Penn State has won its last nine games against schools located within 250 miles of State College.
• Penn State has won its last 10 games against Big Ten West Division opponents.

 
WINDSOR NAMED BIG TEN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

• DT Robert Windsor earned his first Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award after his performance against his home-state Wisconsin Badgers.
• Windsor is the second Nittany Lion to win defensive weekly honors this season, following fellow lineman Yetur Gross-Matos vs. Iowa. 
• Windsor finished the Wisconsin game second on the team with a career-high-tying six tackles, including a personal-best 2.0 sacks.
• The Penn State defensive line accounted for five sacks, led by Windsor and DE Shareef Miller's two each. Entering the game, Wisconsin had only allowed 13 sacks all season.

 
McSORLEY MAKES HIS MARK

• QB Trace McSorley owns Penn State career records for passing yards (9,240), 300-yard passing games (10), 200-yard passing games (26), rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (27), passing touchdowns (72), total offense (10,759) and touchdowns responsible for (99).
• McSorley also presently holds Penn State's career passing efficiency record (146.2).
• McSorley is the first Penn State quarterback to throw for 9,000 career yards and the 14th in Big Ten history.
• McSorley has 1,123 career passing attempts to rank second on Penn State's career list. Next on the list is Christian Hackenberg with 1,235 attempts (2013-15).

 
SECOND-HALF TEAM

• Penn State is tied for eighth in FBS in scoring offense in the second half, averaging 20.0 points. Houston leads averaging 24.50 points.
• Penn State is also fourth in FBS in fourth-quarter scoring, averaging 12.00 points. Houston leads averaging 14.30 points.
• For the season, Penn State is outscoring opponents 187-114 in the second half. The plus-7.90 points per game margin in the second half ranks tied for 11th in FBS. (Per Coaches by the Numbers)

 
HAMLER NAMED HORNUNG AWARD FINALIST

• Redshirt freshman wide receiver and return man KJ Hamler has been selected as one of the five finalists for the Louisville Sports Commission's Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse.
• This is the second-straight year a Penn State player has been named a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, which was established in 2010. Saquon Barkley won the honor last season.
• The award is given annually by the Louisville Sports Commission to the most versatile player in major college football. This year's winner of the award will be announced Dec. 3 and be honored March 7, 2019 at a banquet at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville.
• The 17-person Paul Hornung Award National Selection Committee chose the finalists, with fans generating the 18th vote online. Fan voting for the winner, powered by Texas Roadhouse is open and continues through Dec. 3, 2018, at paulhornungaward.com and will count as the 18th vote. Fans can vote once every 24 hours for their favorite among the five finalists.

 
REMEMBERING WALLY TRIPLETT

• Former Nittany Lion standout and trailblazer Wally Triplett passed away Nov. 8, 2018 at the age of 92 in Detroit. Triplett was one of the inspirations for Penn State's "We Are" moniker and was the first African-American to be drafted and play in the NFL.
• Triplett, a halfback and kick returner for the Nittany Lions, was the first African-American to start for Penn State Nov. 17, 1945. Later, Triplett and end Dennie Hoggard became the first African-Americans to play in the Cotton Bowl game on Jan. 1, 1948.
• When asked to consider leaving Triplett and Hoggard at home due to a then-segregated Dallas, their teammates, led by team captain Steve Suhey, quickly responded in solidarity: "We are Penn State, there will be no meetings," referring to the 1946 Nittany Lion team having voted unanimously to cancel a game at then-segregated University of Miami.
• In the 1947 season, Triplett averaged 4.0 yards per carry (137 yards on 34 carries) and 28.2 yards per reception (141 yards on 5 receptions) with two touchdowns in nine regular-season games. Playing for Coach Bob Higgins, he tallied five total touchdowns in 1947.
• As a senior in 1948, Triplett had 424 rushing yards, 90 receiving yards and six total touchdowns. He also averaged 26.8 yards per punt return (134 yards on 5 returns) and had three interception returns for 62 yards. Triplett ranks second in Penn State history with a 16.5 punt return average (280 yards on 17 returns).
• Triplett ranks second in career punt return average with a 16.5 per game mark on 17 returns. He also has the fourth-longest punt return in program history with an 85-yard touchdown return against West Virginia in 1948.
• A native of La Mott, Pennsylvania, Triplett grabbed the game-tying touchdown on a 6-yard reception in the third quarter as the Nittany Lions tied Doak Walker-led and third-ranked SMU, 13-13, in the 1948 Cotton Bowl. Triplett also played an outstanding defensive game. The 1947 Nittany Lions finished 9-0-1 and ranked No. 4 in the final AP poll, pitching six shutouts and allowing an average of just 2.8 points per game. Triplett was inducted into the Cotton Bowl Hall of Fame in 2018.
• After his Penn State career, Triplett became the first African-American player to be drafted by and play in the NFL when he was selected by the Detroit Lions in the 19th round of the 1949 NFL Draft. He played four seasons in the NFL with the Detroit Lions and Chicago Cardinals, taking a two-year break to serve in the Korean War.
• As a professional, Triplett set the league's single-game record with 294 yards on four kickoff returns, including a 97-yard touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams October 29, 1950. The effort was NFL record for 44 seasons until it was broken in 1994 and still ranks as the third-best single-game performance in NFL history. His 73.5-yard kickoff return average still stands as the NFL single-game record.
• Two weeks after his record-setting performance, Triplettt was drafted into the Army and fought for the 594th Field Artillery Battalion for two years in the Korean War.

 
MOVING THE BALL

• Penn State is the first and only FBS team to record two 90-plus yard plays from scrimmage this season.
• Penn State is fourth in the Big Ten in "big play" (15 or more passing yards and 12 or more rushing yards) percentage (15.15% of plays; 28th in FBS) and is fifth in the Big Ten in 12 or more-yard run percentage (13.10% of plays; 23rd in FBS). (Per Coaches by the Numbers)
• Penn State ranks tied for 10th in FBS with 11 scoring drives of less than one minute.
• The Nittany Lions had 1,234 yards of total offense over the Kent State (643) and Illinois (591) games, which is the highest two-game total since posting 1,266 against Temple (605) an Rutgers (661) in 1995.
• Penn State's 591 yards of total offense at Illinois rank fifth in program history in Big Ten games and are the fourth-best outing of James Franklin's tenure.
• Penn State had 31 first downs against the Illini, the second-highest total under Franklin and the fourth-best total in the program's Big Ten history.
• Penn State's 643 total yards of offense against Kent State were the most by the Nittany Lions since having 661 yards of total offense at Rutgers in 1995.

 
GREEN LIGHT IN THE RED ZONE

• Penn State has scored on 64 of its last 67 red zone trips, including 53 touchdowns.
• This season, the Nittany Lions are 38-for-40 (33 TD, 5 FG, 1 missed FG, 1 turnover) in the red zone.
• Penn State had scored on 26-straight trips to the red zone (including 24 touchdown drives) before missing a field goal in the third quarter against Michigan State.
• This season, Penn State ranks fourth in FBS and leads the Big Ten with a 95.6 percent success rate in the red zone.
• Penn State's 91.92 percent scoring rate score over the last two seasons is tied for third in FBS.
• Penn State leads the FBS in red zone touchdown rate over the last two years, reaching the end zone on 78.79 percent of red zone trips.

 
PILING UP THE POINTS

• Penn State is averaging 35.7 points per game to rank third in the Big Ten and 26th in FBS in scoring.
• Penn State has scored 30 or more points 24 times in the last 30 games.
• Penn State has scored 20 or more points in 31 of its last 33 games. The Nittany Lions had their streak of 20-point games snapped at 28 against Michigan State when they were held to 17 points. The streak is the second-longest in Big Ten history.
• Penn State owns the lowest plays per point ratio in the Big Ten at 1.90, which ranks tied for 17th in FBS. (Per Coaches by the Numbers).
• Penn State scored 63 points in consecutive games (Kent State; Illinois) for the third time in program history (1917 & 1894).
• At Illinois, the Nittany Lions scored 60 or more points for the third time in six games.
• The Nittany Lions are the fourth Big Ten team to score 60 or more points in consecutive games in the last 100 years, joining 2016 Ohio State, 1996 Ohio State and 1971 Michigan. (Per @BTNStatsGuys)
• At Illinois, the Nittany Lions scored at least 50 points for the seventh time since 2016 and 40 points for the 15th time since 2016. By comparison, from 2008 through 2015, the Nittany Lions had 18 40-point outings.
• Penn State's 222 points in the first four games were the most in a four-game stretch in program history.
• The 35 points scored in the fourth quarter at Illinois are the most in a quarter since Penn State had 36 tallies in the second quarter against Louisville in 1997.
• The 63 points scored at Illinois are tied for the second-most by the Nittany Lions in a Big Ten game with the 1994 Ohio State and 2005 Illinois games. The program record for points in a Big Ten contest is 66 at Maryland last season.

 
GROUND GAME ROLLS

• Penn State is averaging 205.4 rushing yards per game to rank sixth in the Big Ten and 34th in FBS.
• Penn State ranks tied for 11th in FBS with 29 rushing touchdowns.
• Penn State rushed for more than 200 yards in each of its first six games and has done so in seven of 10 games this season.
• Penn State rushed for more than 200 yards in nine-straight games, dating back to November 18, 2017 vs. Nebraska, but the streak ended at Indiana when the Hoosiers held the Nittany Lions to 174 yards rushing. The streak was the longest streak since at least 1972.
• The 387 rushing yards at Illinois are the third-highest total in a Big Ten game in program history, it is also the highest total since going for 389 yards against Youngstown State in 2006.

 
LIMITED ACCESS

• Penn State ranks tied for 21st in FBS and second in the Big Ten behind Iowa (4.50) averaging 4.20 three-and-outs per game.
• Penn State leads the Big Ten and ranks 16th in FBS in red zone defense, only yielding scores on 75.0 percent of opponents' trips inside the 20.
• Penn State's 1.24 points per possession ranks 15th in FBS and third in the Big Ten behind Michigan and Michigan State. (Per Coaches by the Numbers)
• Penn State's 1.17 points per possession over the last two years is fourth in FBS. (Per Coaches by the Numbers)
• Penn State held Wisconsin to just 12 first downs, the fewest allowed by the Nittany Lions since giving up 11 last year at Maryland.
• Penn State held Wisconsin to just 10 points. It was the Badgers' fewest points scored since scoring seven points against Michigan in a 14-7 loss in 2016.
• Penn State held Wisconsin to its fewest passing yards (60) since having just 46 against Nebraska in 2014.
• Penn State held Wisconsin to just 269 yards of total offense, 178.2 yards below the Badgers' previous season average of 447.2. This included holding the Badgers' running game to 209 yards, which was 64 yards below their previous average of 273 per game.
• The Penn State defense owns three second half shutouts this season: at Pitt, Kent State and Iowa.
• Indiana ran 100 offensive plays against the Nittany Lions, the most by a Penn State opponent in program history, but was held to 1.75 points per possession.
• Penn State broke up 15 passes against Michigan State, its most since totaling 16 PBUs against Purdue in 2000.
• Penn State was the first team to hold Ohio State under 100 yards of offense in a half since Oklahoma did it last year in the first half of their 2017 meeting.
• Penn State allowed just 221 total yards to Kent State, the fewest since allowing 200 vs. Rutgers in 2017.
• Penn State held Pitt to just six points, marking the fewest points allowed by Penn State since holding Maryland to three in the 2017 regular season finale.

 
CAUSING CHAOS BEHIND THE LINE

• Penn State leads the Big Ten in both sacks (3.4) and tackles for loss (7.4) per game. Nationally, Penn State ranks sixth and 19th, respectively.
• Penn State is continuing to bring a balanced pass rush, as 14 different Nittany Lions have contributed to the team's 34 sacks for the season.
• The Lions totaled 42 sacks in 2017. Following totals of 46 sacks in 2015 and 40 sacks in 2016, Penn State posted back-to-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).

 
SACK MASTERS

• Led by DE Yetur Gross Matos ranking third with 0.80 sacks per game, Penn State has four defensive linemen ranking in the Top 13 in the Big Ten in sacks.
• DE Shareef Miller ranks ninth in the Big Ten with 0.60 sacks per game.
• Miller tied a career mark with two sacks against Wisconsin. It was his third two-sack game of the year.
• DT Robert Windsor ranks 11th in the Big Ten with 0.55 sacks per game.
• Windsor had a career-high two sacks against Wisconsin, also tying a career high with six tackles. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.
• The five sacks by the Nittany Lions against Wisconsin were the most since they recorded six at Indiana earlier this season. Entering the game, Wisconsin had only allowed 13 sacks all year.
• DE Shaka Toney ranks 13th in the Big Ten with 0.50 sacks per game.
• Toney recorded 4.0 sacks at Indiana, all coming in the fourth quarter, doubling his previous career high of 2.0 against Northwestern in 2017.
• Toney's 4.0 sacks tied the Penn State single-game record, equaling the mark held by three others – Terry Killens vs. Indiana, 1995; Jimmy Kennedy at Wisconsin, 2002; Tamba Hali vs. Wisconsin, 2005.

 
GROSS-MATOS BREAKS OUT

• DE Yetur Gross-Matos has recorded at least a half-sack in each of the last five games. He tallied a sack against Wisconsin to extend the streak and has 6.5 sacks during the span.
• Gross-Matos ranks second in the Big Ten and 11th in FBS with 1.6 TFLs per game (15.5 total). He also ranks second in the Big Ten and 20th in FBS with 0.8 sacks per game (8.0 total).
• His 15.5 tackles for loss are the most by a Nittany Lion since Carl Nassib made 19.5 tackles for loss in 2015.
• His 8.0 sacks are the most by a Nittany Lion in a season since Carl Nassib made a school-record 15.5 sacks in 2015.
• Gross-Matos posted his fifth game of the season with 2.0 tackles for loss or more against Wisconsin.
• Gross-Matos tallied a career-high 4.0 tackles for loss against Iowa and tied his career high with 2.0 sacks, marking the second-straight week he posted 2.0 sacks. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week following the Iowa game.
• Gross-Matos had a career-high 10 tackles, including six solo stops at Indiana, the most by a Penn State defensive lineman since Austin Johnson had 10 stops at Northwestern in 2015. Gross-Matos' 10 stops are the most by a Penn State defensive end since Carl Nassib had 10 tackles at Temple in 2015.

 
NO FLY ZONE

• CBs Amani Oruwariye and John Reid both rank in the top seven in the Big Ten in passes defended.
• With 14 passes defended (11 PBU, 3 INT), Oruwariye ranks second the Big Ten with 1.4 passes defended per game, which also ranks 10th in FBS.
• In eight games played, Reid (8 PBU, 1 INT) ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 1.1 passes defended per game.
• Oruwariye grabbed his third interception of the season against Wisconsin and eighth of his career.
• Oruwariye had an interception in each of Penn State's first two games. Both interceptions were in the red zone.
• At Pitt, Oruwariye intercepted a pass at the 3-yard line nullifying a potential touchdown drive. He was named to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week for his efforts.
• Against App State, Oruwariye sealed Penn State's season-opening win in overtime with an interception in the end zone.
• Oruwariye has had an interception in three consecutive season openers (2016 vs. Kent State; 2017 vs. Akron).
• Penn State only gave up nine completions against Wisconsin, the lowest single-game total by an opponent since giving up nine to Pitt earlier this season.
• S Nick Scott had his third interception of the season and his career against Wisconsin.
• Earlier in the season, Scott had interceptions in back-to-back games against Indiana and Iowa, respectively.
• Scott is the third Nittany Lion to have interceptions in back-to-back games this season, joining Oruwariye (Appalachian State, Pittsburgh) and Garrett Taylor (Ohio State, Michigan State).
• The Nittany Lions held Iowa to just 19-for-50 in the passing game, marking the sixth time since 2000 an FBS school has held an opponent to less than 20 completions on 50 attempts (Florida State vs. North Carolina [19-50] in 2002; Utah State vs. Connecticut [19-51] in 2001; Boise State vs. Nevada [19-51] in 2008; Colorado vs. Washington State [19-52] in 2004; UTEP vs. Hawaii [15-50] in 2000).
• Against Iowa, Reid grabbed his fourth career interception and returned it for 44 yards, tying his career-long interception return. He also broke up a career-high three passes.