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Penn State-LSU Clash Set for 64th Capital One Bowl

Dec. 6, 2009

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lions and Tigers are set to tangle in the 64th renewal of the Capital One Bowl.

Penn State (10-2) and LSU (9-3) today were selected for a clash of national powers in the Capital One Bowl. The contest will be played January 1, 2010 at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium (65,438) in Orlando, Fla. The game will kick at 1:00 p.m. ET and air on ABC, Sports USA Radio and the Penn State Sports Network.

The Nittany Lions were No. 13 in the final Bowl Championship Series standings and the Tigers were No. 12 in the BCS. Penn State is ranked No. 9 in the USA Today Coaches poll and No. 11 in the Associated Press poll. LSU is No. 13 in the AP and Coaches polls.

"We are very excited to be returning to the Capital One Bowl," said Tim Curley, Director of Athletics. "Everyone from Penn State has had a fantastic experience during our previous trips to Orlando. We're thrilled about again playing in the Capital One Bowl and one more chance for our great fans to support this team. The hospitality extended to our squad and fans by the Capital One Bowl staff has been outstanding during our previous visits and we're looking forward to taking part in the many bowl events and the outstanding attractions in the Orlando area."

"We had hoped for a tough opponent in our bowl match-up and we got just that in LSU," stated Joe Paterno, who is in his 44th season as head coach and is the all-time leader in victories among major college coaches with a 393-129-3 (75.1) record. "They have been among the top teams for years and we look forward competing with them. Our team has worked hard all season and have been a great group. It will be a terrific challenge to play LSU."

The Nittany Lions and Tigers will be meeting for just the second time. Penn State defeated LSU, 16-9, in the 1974 Orange Bowl to cap the program's first 12-0 campaign.

Jared Odrick


Penn State is 50-13 (79.3) since the start of the 2005 season, the nation's No. 8 winning percentage over that span. The five-year run includes two Big Ten Championships and BCS berths and four New Year's Bowl games. The Nittany Lions have earned their 21st season with at least 10 wins under Paterno, who is the FBS all-time leader in 10-win seasons. Penn State has earned back-to-back 10-win seasons for the first time since 1993 (10-2) and 1994 (12-0) and has won at least 10 games for the third time in the past five years.

The Nittany Lions will be making their 36th post-season trip under Paterno, who is the all-time leader in bowl wins (23-11-1) and appearances. Paterno, one of just three active coaches to be inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, will be taking a team to a 24th New Year's Bowl game, having compiled a 16-7 mark.

Penn State will be playing in its fifth Capital One Bowl and has a 1-3 record in the contest. The Nittany Lions lost to Auburn, 13-9, in the 2003 Capital One Bowl in their last trip to Orlando. Penn State lost to Clemson in the 1988 game, defeated Tennessee, 31-13, in the 1994 contest and lost to Florida, 21-6, in the 1998 game. All four of Penn State's previous appearances in the Capital One Bowl were played on New Year's Day.

Penn State ranks among the nation's best in all-time victories, bowl visits and success. The Nittany Lions are seventh nationally with 810 victories. Penn State has an all-time record of 810-351-42 in its 123rd season.

The Nittany Lions are No. 3 in the nation with 26 post-season victories, No. 8 with 41 bowl appearances and third nationally in bowl winning percentage (65.8, 26-13-2) among schools with at least 10 bowl victories.

Penn State has an all-time record of 18-19 vs. current members of the Southeastern Conference. The Nittany Lions are 8-5 in bowl games vs. SEC teams, winning six of the last eight. The last meeting resulted in a 20-10 Penn State victory over Tennessee in the 2007 Outback Bowl. Penn State is 7-4 vs. SEC opponents in post-season contests under Paterno.

The Nittany Lions are 8-5 all-time vs. SEC teams in bowl games: Alabama (1-2), Auburn (1-1), Florida (0-2), Georgia (1-0), Kentucky (1-0), LSU (1-0), and Tennessee (3-0).

Paterno has an impressive 67.14 winning percentage in bowl games (23-11), narrowly trailing Bobby Bowden (67.18, 21-10-1) for the second-best mark all-time among coaches with at least 12 bowl appearances. Georgia Tech's Bobby Dodd is first at 69.2 (9-4). Paterno is the only coach to win the Rose, Fiesta, Orange, Sugar and Cotton Bowls. He has taken Penn State to 13 different post-season contests, winning in 11 locales, more than anyone in college football history.

Sean Lee


Current Nittany Lion Club members can purchase Capital One Bowl tickets online at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets. In order to purchase tickets online, buyers will need to have their account number and password. Nittany Lion Club members also can purchase tickets by phone starting Monday, Dec. 7 at 10:00 a.m. by calling (814) 865-5555. The deadline for all online and phone orders is Wednesday, Dec. 9 at 6:00 p.m.

Penn State students can purchase Capital One Bowl tickets on Saturday, December 12, at Gate B of the Bryce Jordan Center. The sale will be held from 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. that day. Students may purchase one or two tickets with their valid Penn State student ID. Cash or credit cards will be accepted.

Student Nittany Lion Club members can purchase Capital One Bowl tickets on Saturday, December 12, at Gate A of the Bryce Jordan Center. The sale will begin at 6:30 a.m. and a valid Penn State student ID will be required.

Should tickets remain after the Nittany Lion Club sale, the general public can purchase Capital One Bowl tickets over the phone on Thursday, Dec. 10 from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. by calling (814) 865-5555.

The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten in total offense (412.5) and are No. 2 in scoring (29.7 ppg). - Penn State is the only Big Ten team ranked in the top five of the conference's four primary statistical categories: total (412.5 ypg), scoring (29.7 ppg), rushing (173.6 ypg) and passing offense (238.9 ypg).

Penn State is the only team in the nation ranked in the Top 20 of the primary six defensive categories (Top 10 in five categories). Penn State leads the Big Ten in scoring defense (4th in NCAA, 11.8 ppg), tackles for losses (6th, 8.25) and sacks (T 8th, 2.9), is second in the Big Ten in total (7th, 281.3 ypg) and rushing defense (10th, 93.9 ypg) and third in pass defense (19th, 183.2 ypg).

Penn State has not allowed a 100-yard rusher the last 15 games, the nation's third-longest streak. The Nittany Lions held seven opponents to less than 100 rushing yards this season.

The Nittany Lions had a conference-high six first team All-Big Ten selections and nine choices overall, along with Iowa. Jared Odrick was selected the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and Defensive Lineman of the Year. He is the first interior lineman to earn the conference's top defensive honor since Dan Wilkinson of Ohio State in 1993. Odrick earned first team All-Big Ten accolades for the second consecutive year, as did senior quarterback Daryll Clark (Youngstown, Ohio) and junior linebacker Navorro Bowman (District Heights, Md.). Clark is just the 12th Big Ten player to be selected the first team all-conference quarterback more than once.

Senior tackle Dennis Landolt (Burlington, N.J.), junior tailback Evan Royster (Fairfax, Va,) and junior center Stefen Wisniewski (Bridgeville) also earned first team All-Big Ten accolades.

Penn State's loyal and enthusiastic fans came to Beaver Stadium to see the Nittany Lions in near record numbers this season. A total of 856,066 fans attended the eight games in Happy Valley for an average of 107,008. Penn State has drawn nine of its top 10 all-time home crowds over the past five seasons, led this season by 110,033 against Ohio State on Nov. 7.

Information on the Capital One Bowl and all related events can be found on the bowl's website http://www.FCSports.com