Oct. 11, 2012
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.; October 11, 2012 - Penn State senior linebackers Michael Mauti (Mandeville, La.) and Gerald Hodges (Paulsboro, N.J.) have been selected Mid-Season All-Americans by Phil Steele's College Football.
Mauti was selected a second-team All-American and Hodges earned fourth-team accolades at the halfway point of the season. Mauti (Sept. 17 and Oct. 1) and Hodges (Oct. 8) have earned three of the last four Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors, giving both "LinebackerU." standouts three career weekly conference honors.
Coach Bill O'Brien's Nittany Lions (4-2, 2-0) have won four straight games and are in their bye week.
For the season, Mauti leads the team and is No. 5 in the Big Ten with 57 tackles (32 solo). He has recorded 2.5 tackles for loss (minus-29), 1.5 sacks (minus-24), two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two pass break-ups. Mauti grabbed two interceptions in the 35-7 win at Illinois, returning one a school record 99 yards en route to Big Ten weekly honors.
A candidate for the Bednarik and Butkus Awards, Mauti is tied for first in the Big Ten with two forced fumbles and tied for second with his two interceptions. A candidate for the Bednarik and Butkus Awards and the Nagurski Trophy, Hodges is second on the team and 10th in the Big Ten with 50 tackles. The 2011 first-team All-Big Ten selection also has 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and a team-high three pass break-ups.
Mauti and Hodges have been instrumental in helping Penn State rank No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 19 nationally in scoring defense (16.0 ppg) and second in the conference and No. 18 nationally in turnover margin (+ 1.17). The Nittany Lions also lead the Big Ten in Red Zone defense at 68.8 pct. (11 of 16).
Penn State is back in action at Iowa (3-2, 1-0) on Oct. 20 for an 8 p.m. ET kick on BTN and then returns to Beaver Stadium to face No. 8 Ohio State (6-0, 2-0) for a 6 p.m. kick and an all-stadium Penn State WhiteOut. The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes are tied atop the Big Ten Leaders Division.
Tickets for the Nittany Lions' remaining home games with Ohio State (Oct. 27), Indiana (Nov. 17) and Wisconsin (Nov. 24) are available. Ticket purchases and information is available at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets or fans can call Penn State athletics Customer Relations at 1-800-NITTANY (648-8269) weekdays from 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
Pre-paid single game parking passes for the general parking lots ($10) are also available at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets.
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