Oct. 3, 2008
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., - Penn State begins a stretch of four away games in its next five contests, visiting Purdue on Saturday for the Boilermakers' Big Ten opener.
Kickoff is at 12:00 p.m. at Ross-Ade Stadium. ESPN, the Penn State Sports Network and www.GoPSUsports.com will air the clash. Coach Joe Paterno will be squaring off against Purdue coach Joe Tiller for the final time, as Tiller is set to retire after this season.
The No. 6 Nittany Lions (5-0, 1-0) are coming off a 38-24 win over then-No. 22 Illinois. The Boilermakers lost to Notre Dame, 38-21, last week. Penn State has won 36 of its past 45 games overall, the nation's sixth-best record over that span.
The Nittany Lions and Boilermakers are meeting for the 14th time. Penn State leads the series, 9-3-1, including a 9-2 mark since the Lions began Big Ten play in 1993. The Nittany Lions have won the last three meetings, including 26-19 last year in State College and 12-0 in West Lafayette in 2006. After this week's game, the teams are not scheduled to meet again until 2011.
Purdue has one of the Big Ten's most potent offenses, averaging a Big Ten-leading 278.2 passing yards and 125.8 rushing yards per game. Quarterback Curtis Painter is 97 of 169 (57.4) for 1,113 yards, with five touchdowns and four interceptions. He leads the Big Ten in passing at 278.2 yards per game and is second in total offense (278.2 ypg).
The Boilermakers feature four of the conference's top 10 receivers. Senior Greg Orton (25-287-1) is second in the Big Ten with 6.25 receptions per game and senior WR Desmond Tardy is third (23-366-2). Junior wideout Keith Smith is seventh in the league in receptions at 17-182-1 and senior RB Kory Sheets is tied for eighth at 16-114-0. Sheets is fourth in the Big Ten in rushing at 109.8 ypg. He has gained 439 yards on 75 carries with seven touchdowns.
The Nittany Lion defense again is ranked among the nation's Top 15 in the four primary categories, and sacks, ranking in the top three in all five categories in the Big Ten.
Penn State in NCAA/(Big Ten) Defensive Rankings:
Rushing - 15th/(1st), 79.6 ypg; Pass Efficiency - 13th/(1st), 94.3 rating; Total - 14th/(2nd), 252.2 ypg; Scoring - 11th/3rd), 12.8 ppg; Sacks - T 11th/(2nd), 15 (3.0 spg)
Penn State is ranked in the Top 15 nationally in seven of the eight combined primary team offense and defensive categories and leads the Big Ten in five of the eight categories.
The only Big Ten primary team categories the Nittany Lions are not leading are scoring defense (3rd, 12.8 ppg), pass efficiency defense (2nd, 95.5 rating) and passing offense (2nd, 247.6 ypg).
The Nittany Lions are ranked in the Top 10 nationally in three offensive categories and lead the Big Ten in three of the four of the primary offensive categories.
Penn State is No. 4 in scoring at 49.8 ppg. Tulsa is first (54.75 ppg), followed by Missouri (53.75 ppg) and Oklahoma State (51.75). All three teams have played four games.
The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten and are No. 9 in the nation in total offense with a 515.2 ypg average. The Lions are averaging 7.2 yards per play on their 356 snaps from scrimmage.
The Lions lead the conference and are No. 8 nationally in rushing at 267.6 ypg. Penn State's 19 rushing touchdowns are tied for second-highest in the nation with TCU, trailing only Oregon (21).
Penn State is second in the Big Ten and is No. 38 nationally in passing offense at 247.6 ypg. The Lions' 344 passing yards in the 55-13 win at Syracuse were the most since gaining 381 yards vs. Central Michigan in 2005 and tied for No. 10 all-time under Joe Paterno.
The Nittany Lions aren't only one of the nation's most productive offensive units, they're also the nation's most balanced unit among the leaders.
Penn State's seasonal rushing (267.6 ypg) and passing yardage (247.6 ypg) are just 20 yards a part through five games.
The Nittany Lions are the only team in the nation averaging more than 250 rushing yards per game and more than 240 passing yards per game, according to the Sept. 28 NCAA statistics.
The Nittany Lion offense is led by junior quarterback Daryll Clark, who leads the Big Ten and is No. 11 nationally with a pass efficiency rating of 168.3. For the season, Clark is 62 of 98 (63.3) for 896 yards, with nine touchdowns and one interception. He also has 131 rushing yards on 23 carries (5.7), with three scores. Clark is seventh in the conference in passing yardage (179.2 ypg) and sixth in total offense (205.4 ypg), having left each of the first four games before the end of the third quarter.
Following the Purdue game, Penn State will visit No. 18 Wisconsin. Kickoff on Oct. 11 is set for 8:00 p.m. ET. ESPN or ESPN2 will televise the contest to a national audience. The Badgers (3-1, 0-1) host Ohio State on Saturday.