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Penn State-Boston College Game Notes

Dec. 19, 2014

PENN STATE VS. BOSTON COLLEGE


Saturday, Dec. 27 - 4:30 p.m. ET
Yankee Stadium | Bronx, N.Y.
Game Day Information:


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Game Notes:Penn State | Boston College | Big Ten
Statistics: Penn State | Boston College | Big Ten


INSIDE THE NUMBERS
PSU
BC
19.8Scoring*25.9
18.61st Downs*19.3
103.6Rushing*251.8
221.9Passing*132.0
325.5Total Offense*383.8
13/9Fumbles/Lost11/3
65/540Penalties/Yards49-401
71/36.8Punts/Avg,60/42.2
38%3rd Down %37%
37%4th Down %59%
30Sacks31
16Interceptions9
30-37Red Zone29-35
31:33Time of Possession33:10


* - Per Game Statistics

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State will head to the Big Apple for the first time since 1947, as the Nittany Lions will meet old rival Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl on Saturday, December 27. The game will be carried live on ESPN, with Bob Wischusen, former Penn State All-American Matt Millen and Quint Kessenich calling the action.

Pinstripe Bowl Cover | Pinstripe Bowl Notes

2014 Game Recaps | 2014 Bios & Statistics

The game will be played at Yankee Stadium and mark the fourth time in program history the Nittany Lions will play in the New York Yankees home stadium; tying West Virginia, 13-13, on Oct. 27, 1923 during the stadiums first year of existence, falling to Georgia Tech, 16-7, on Oct. 10, 1925 and NYU, 7-0, on Oct. 19, 1929.

It will be strength against strength when the Nittany Lions and Eagles take the field. Penn State's NCAA-best rushing defense (84.8 ypg) will square off with Boston College's No. 14 rushing attack (251.8 ypg).

Linebacker Mike Hull continues his All-American season, entering his final game just four tackles shy of cracking the top-5 in program history in single season tackles. Hull owns a Big Ten-best 134 stops - ranking No. 7 nationally - and was tabbed the Big Ten Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year and a first-team All-Big Ten pick.

Quarterback Christian Hackenberg has thrown for a sophomore record 2,606 yards with eight touchdown passes. He has spread the ball around to various targets, including redshirt-freshman DaeSean Hamilton, who has rewritten the rookie receiving records and is among the top pass catchers in school history with his 75 catches for 848 yards.

Sophomore running back Akeel Lynch has rushed for 318 yards over his last three games, including a pair of 100-yard efforts and three scores.

The duo of quarterback Tyler Murphy and running back Jon Hilliman pace the BC offense, with Murphy throwing for 1,526 yards and 11 scores, and rushing for 1,079 yards and 12 touchdowns. Hilliman has churned out 12 touchdowns and gained 712 yards on the ground.

Two Point Conversion
15 - Different bowl games played in by Penn State when they appear in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl vs. Boston College.

1 - Number of FBS players ranked in sacks and interceptions per game. That player is Penn State's Anthony Zettel.

Boston College head coach Steve Addazio
In his second season as the leader for the Boston College program, Steve Addazio owns a 14-11 record with the Eagles. He has led Boston College to back-to-back bowl appearances, appearing in the Advocare V100 Bowl last season.

Addazio is in his fourth season as a collegiate head coach, spending two seasons at Temple before joining the BC program, and is 27-22 in his head coaching career. He spent time as an assistant at Florida, Indiana, Notre Dame and Syracuse.

Scouting the Eagles
Boston College enters the Pinstripe Bowl with a 7-5 overall record, finishing fourth in the ACC Atlantic Division with a 4-4 record.

The Eagles have a win over then-No. 9 USC and three of their five losses have come by four or fewer points. The only common opponent on the schedule is UMass, which Boston College defeated, 30-7, in their season opener.

The Eagles lean on the running game, ranking 14th nationally with 251.8 rushing yards per game. Of their 40 offensive scores, 29 of them have come on the ground.

Quarterback Tyler Murphy leads the Eagles in both rushing and passing, accounting for 21 total touchdowns this season. Murphy has rushed for 1,079 yards and 10 touchdowns, and thrown for 1,526 yards and 11 scores.

Running back Jon Hilliman has amassed 712 rushing yards and crossed the goal line 12 times this season, while Tyler Rouse has three scores on the ground. Myles Willis and Sherman Alston each have two rushing scores.

The Eagles have five players with a season-long rush of 40-plus yards, including Murphy's team-best 71 yard rush vs. Maine.

Josh Bordner leads the receiving corps with 26 catches for 342 yards and three scores. Dan Crimmins is the only other Eagle to grab at least 20 passes this season, entering the postseason with 23 grabs for 297 yards.

Three different kickers have seen time this season, with Joey Launceford leading the group with 26 points. He is 4-of-4 on field goal attempts and 14-of-18 on point after tries.

Boston College features a balanced defense, with 12 players chipping in at least 25 tackles and 21 players have made at least one tackle for loss on the season.

Defensive back Justin Daniels leads the unit with 70 stops and two interceptions. Linebacker Josh Keyes has made a number of plays for the Eagles this season, ranking third on the team with 63 stops, including a team-best 11.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.

Last Meeting: Boston College 21, Penn State 7
Sept. 11, 2004 - Alumni Stadium
Penn State couldn't overcome five turnovers on the road and Boston College used three touchdown passes to claim a 21-7 victory and extended their series winning streak to three games.

The two teams were nearly even in total offense, with BC holding a 328-327 edge, but the Eagles grabbed four interceptions, including three in the fourth quarter, to hold on for the win.

Boston College built a 14-0 lead at the half, with Paul Peterson connecting with David Kashetta on a six yard score in the first quarter and Grant Adams on a 26-yard strike in the second quarter.

Zack Mills put Penn State on the scoreboard early in the third quarter when he found Ryan Scott for a 13-yard score, trimming BC's lead to 14-7.

The Eagles would force a punt on the ensuing PSU possession and then grab three straight interceptions to help seal the win.

Peterson connected with Mark Palmer on a two yard score with 2:35 to play in the third quarter to cap the scoring.

Mills threw for 254 yards on 23-of-41 passing, while Tony Hunt grabbed seven passes for 55 yards.

Nittany Lions vs. ACC Foes
Penn State is 149-86-10 all-time against the schools who are current members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, having played every ACC school except Duke and Virginia Tech.

The most recent meeting with an ACC team was the Nittany Lions' win over Syracuse in the 2013 season opener at MetLife Stadium.

The Nittany Lions are 3-2-1 vs. ACC teams in bowl games, with the most recent meeting resulting in a 26-23 Penn State triple overtime win over Florida State in the 2006 FedEx Orange Bowl.

Penn State has faced Clemson (0-1), Florida State (1-1-1), Georgia Tech (1-0) and Miami, Fla. (1-0) in post-season contests.

The Nittany Lions vs. ACC teams: Boston College (19-4), Clemson (0-1) Florida State (1-1-1), Georgia Tech (4-3), Louisville (2-0), Miami (7-6), North Carolina (0-1), North Carolina State (17-2), Pittsburgh (50-42-4), Syracuse (43-23-5), Virginia (5-3) and Wake Forest (1-0).

Lynch Powering Running Game; Closing in on 1,000-career yards
On a cool, cloudy and windy afternoon in Champaign, sophomore running back Akeel Lynch made a case for more carries as the season nears an end.

  • He ran for a career-high 137 yards. He carried the ball a career-high 28 times. He broke a career-long 47-yard scamper, which ended in the end zone for a 14-10 fourth quarter lead.
  • Lynch did all of that just one week after setting a then-career-high with 130 yards in the win over Temple. He had set his previous career-high for carries vs. Maryland on Nov. 1, 2014 when he toted the pigskin 21 times and his 46-yard run vs. UMass on Sept. 20, 2014 was his previous long carry.
  • The Toronto, Ontario, Canada native has four career 100-yard rushing efforts, including back-to-back games over the century mark. He is among the 31 Nittany Lions with four or more career games of 100-plus rushing yards, joining teammates Bill Belton (4) and Zach Zwinak (11).
  • Through the first seven games of the season, Lynch had accumulated 187 yards on 36 carries and had one touchdown. Over his last five games, he has 422 yards on 94 carries and three rushing scores.
  • Lynch is the team's leading rusher with 603 yards on 130 carries and four rushing touchdowns, followed closely by senior Bill Belton, who has 518 yards and six scores.
  • Lynch is closing in on the 1,000-yard mark in his career. He enters today's game with 961 rushing yards on 190 carries (5.1 ypc) and five touchdowns.


Nine Game Big Ten Slate In 2016
Big Ten teams will play eight conference games from 2013-15, with a nine-game conference schedule starting in 2016.
The Nittany Lions will play their six East Division rivals and three West Division teams that rotate starting in 2016.
Penn State and all East Division teams will have five Big Ten home games in 2016 and in even-numbered years thereafter.

Millen on ESPN Broadcast Team
Former Penn State and NFL standout Matt Millen will join Bob Wischusen and Quint Kessenich in calling Saturday's meeting between the Nittany Lions and Boston College.

Millen earned first-team All-America honors as a junior in 1978, helping the unbeaten and No. 1 ranked Nittany Lions earn a berth vs. Alabama in the dramatic 1979 Sugar Bowl for the national title. Millen was a team co-captain in 1979, but missed most of his senior year with an injury. He also helped Penn State earn the first of two consecutive 11-1 records in 1977, capped by a win in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Oakland Raiders selected Millen the second round of the 1980 NFL Draft to begin a 12-year career that would see him earn four Super Bowl rings. Millen played for the Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders (1980-88), San Francisco 49ers (1989-90) and Washington Redskins (1991). He was a Pro Bowl selection in 1988.

Millen began his broadcasting career in 1992, working NFL games for CBS and then FOX. The Lehigh Valley native left broadcasting in 2001 and was team president of the Detroit Lions for the next eight years. Millen returned to broadcast booth as a college football and NFL analyst with ESPN and the NFL Network in 2009.

Shoop Nominated for Broyles Award
Defensive coordinator and safeties coach Bob Shoop was nominated for the Broyles Award, presented by the Rotary Club of Little Rock and Delta Dental to the nation's most outstanding assistant college football coach.
Staff Tidbits on Page 17.

  • In his first year at Penn State, Shoop has been instrumental in developing a Top 5 nationally ranked defense. The Nittany Lions are the only Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) team that is ranked in the Top 5 in in rushing defense (1st, 81.7 ypg), total defense (3rd, 267.2 ypg), scoring defense (4th, 16.2 ppg) and pass efficiency defense (3rd, 98.74). Penn State also is No. 2 in third down conversion pct. defense at 27.6 percent.
  • Shoop and co-defensive coordinator Brent Pry have directed a unit that leads the Big Ten in rushing, pass efficiency, total, scoring and first down defense and is No. 2 in third down conversion defense and team tackles for loss.
  • A native of Oakmont, Pa., Shoop has led a unit that has limited 9 of 12 opponents to 20 points or less in regulation, with only UCF, Northwestern and Michigan State scoring more than 20 points in regulation. Ohio State scored 17 points in regulation against the Nittany Lions, winning 31-24 in double overtime.
  • The Nittany Lions have held 11 of their 12 opponents under their scoring and yards per game averages entering the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
  • The Nittany Lions have not allowed any points on 128 of 167 (76.6 percent) opponent possessions, with 63 three-and-outs (37.7 percent). Penn State has permitted an FBS low eight plays of 30-or-more yards this season. Stanford is second with nine.

Nittany Lions Earn 45th Bowl Berth
Penn State made its first postseason appearance in 1923 when they traveled across the country to face USC in the first ever Rose Bowl Game to cap off the 1922 season. Since then, the Blue and White have made the ninth most postseason appearances in FBS history.

  • Penn State will be making its 45th bowl appearance all-time, tied for No. 9 nationally. The Nittany Lions' 27 on-field post-season victories are tied for No. 4 nationally with Georgia and Texas, and lead all Big Ten Conference institutions.
  • Penn State's 63.6 on-field winning percentage in bowl games (27-15-2 record) is No. 3 nationally among teams with at least 20 post-season appearances. USC (66.7) and Ole Miss (65.7) are the only schools with a better bowl winning percentage than Penn State.
  • Penn State has won four of its last seven bowl appearances, with victories in the 2006 FedEx Orange Bowl (Florida State), 2007 Outback Bowl (Tennessee), 2007 Alamo Bowl (Texas A&M) and 2010 Capital One Bowl (LSU). The losses came in the 2009 Rose Bowl (USC), 2011 Outback Bowl (Florida) and 2012 TicketCity Bowl (Houston).

December 27th Bowl History: 1976 Gator Bowl
Meeting Notre Dame for the first time since 1928, a 3-0 turnover deficit proved to be Penn State's undoing as the Irish posted a 20-9 victory in the 1976 Gator Bowl.

It was apparent in the early going that the teams were evenly matched and breaks would be the determining factor. After Penn State took an early 3-0 lead that Notre Dame erased with a first-quarter touchdown, the Irish used a turnover and solid offense to outscore the Lions, 13-0, in the second period, cruise to a 20-3 halftime lead and never relinquish their hold.

Penn State out-gained the Irish, 274-273, led by the rushing tandem of Bob Torrey and Matt Suhey. Quarterback Chuck Fusina hit 14 of 33 passes for 118 yards, including Penn State's only touchdown, an eight yard strike to Suhey in the fourth quarter. Jimmy Cefalo made five catches for 60 yards and had three carries for 18 yards to earn Penn State Outstanding Player-of-the Game honors. All-America linebacker Kurt Allerman made a game-high 16 tackles.

Penn State in December Bowl Games
Penn State will be playing the programs 16th December bowl game and owns an 11-5 record in those contests.

The Nittany Lions have won their last two December bowl appearances, dropping Texas A&M for a pair of Alamo Bowl victories. Penn State won 24-17 in the 2007 Alamo Bowl, after shutting out the Aggies, 24-0, in the 1999 game.

Penn State's first December bowl appearance came in 1959, a 7-0 triumph over Alabama in the inaugural Liberty Bowl.

Dec. 19, 1959 - Liberty Bowl - Penn State 7, Alabama 0
Dec. 17, 1960 - Liberty Bowl - Penn State 41, Oregon 12
Dec. 30, 1961 - Gator Bowl - Penn State 30, Georgia Tech 15
Dec. 29, 1962 - Gator Bowl - Florida 17, Penn State 7
Dec. 30, 1967 - Penn State 17, Florida State 17
Dec. 31, 1972 - Sugar Bowl - Oklahoma 14, Penn State 0
Dec. 31, 1975 - Sugar Bowl - Alabama 13, Penn State 6
Dec. 27, 1976 - Gator Bowl - Notre Dame 20, Penn State 9
Dec. 25, 1977 - Fiesta Bowl - Penn State 42, Arizona State 30
Dec. 22, 1979 - Liberty Bowl - Penn State 9, Tulane 6
Dec. 26, 1980 - Fiesta Bowl - Penn State 31, Ohio State 19
Dec. 26, 1983 - Aloha Bowl - Penn State 13, Washington 10
Dec. 29, 1989 - Holiday Bowl - Penn State 50, BYU 39
Dec. 28, 1990 - Blockbuster Bowl - Florida St. 24, Penn St. 17
Dec. 28, 1999 - Alamo Bowl - Penn State 24, Texas A&M 0
Dec. 29, 2007 - Alamo Bowl - Penn State 24, Texas A&M 17

A Variety of Bowls
Penn State will be playing in 45th bowl game in program history when it takes to the field vs. Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

  • The New Era Pinstripe Bowl will mark the 15th different bowl game that the Nittany Lions have played in since appearing in their first postseason contest; the 1923 Rose Bowl.
  • Penn State has appeared in the Alamo (2), Aloha (1), Blockbuster (2), Citrus (5), Cotton (3), Fiesta (6), Gator (4), Holiday (1), Liberty (3), Orange (5), Outback (4), Rose (3), Sugar (4) and TicketCity (1) Bowls.

Twenty-Ninth Bowl Opponent
In 45 all-time bowl appearances, Penn State will be meeting its 29th different bowl opponent when they take on Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl

  • Penn State will be meeting the 29th different opponent and second straight newcomer, after playing Houston in the 2012 TicketCity Bowl.
  • The Nittany Lions had played repeat opponents in seven straight bowl games prior to the TicketCity Bowl.
  • Penn State has matched up with the following teams on multiple occasions: Alabama (3), Auburn (2), Florida (3), Florida State (3), LSU (2), Oklahoma (2), Oregon (2), Tennessee (3), Texas (2), Texas A&M (2) and USC (3).
  • The Nittany Lions have met the following teams once in their postseason history: Arizona State, Baylor, Boston College, BYU, Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Houston, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami (Fla.), Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, SMU, Stanford, Tulane, Washington.

Six Opponents Earn Bowl Berths in 2014; Seven Eligible for Postseason
The Nittany Lions faced seven teams that earned bowl eligibility this season, with six of them earning an invitation into postseason play.

  • Ohio State earned the No. 4 seed in the College Football Playoff and will face Alabama in the Allstate Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1.
  • Illinois (Heart of Dallas), Maryland (Foster Farms), Michigan State (Cotton), Rutgers (Quick Lane) and UCF (Bitcoin) were all selected for bowl games.
  • Temple defeated Tulane in its final game of the regular season to finish at 6-6, but was not selected for a postseason game.


Nationally Elite Defensive Unit
Whether it was the Wild Dogs, LinebackerU. or the #NoFlyZone, the Penn State defense has been up to the task throughout the 2014 season.

Penn State the only FBS defense to rank among either first or second in total , rushing and pass efficiency defense entering the postseason.
National Rankings on Page 10.

  • Penn State owns the nation's toughest rushing defense, surrendering an NCAA-low 84.8 yards per game on the ground. The Nittany Lions are one of two units limiting their opponents to less than 90 yards rushing per game (Alabama, 88.7).
  • The defense ranks second nationally in pass efficiency defense (99.71 rating), total defense (269.8 ypg) and first down defense (174), tied with Michigan State. They are No. 6 in 3rd down conversion defense (.301), No. 8 in scoring defense (17.7 ppg) and No. 10 in passing yards allowed (185.0 ypg).
  • Penn State is the only FBS team ranked among the top-five in total, rushing, and passing efficiency defense.
  • Through 12 games, the defense is limiting the opposition 17.7 points per game and 269.7 yards per game. Those totals are 14.5 points and 141.1 yards fewer than the opponent's averages entering the game. Only one opponent, Northwestern, has eclipsed the 300-yard mark in total offense.
  • The Nittany Lions have held 11 of their 12 opponents under their scoring and yards per game averages this season. The Wildcats are the only team to eclipse their season average for points and yardage against Penn State, finishing eight points and 17.3 yards above their averages entering the game.
  • Penn State has held eight of its 12 opponents to 20 points or fewer this season, with just three opponents having eclipsed the 20-point barrier in regulation. UCF tallied 24 points in the season opener and Northwestern scored 29 points. Ohio State tallied 31 points in the double-overtime contest, but had just 17 points in regulation.
  • Over the past five games, Penn State opponents are just 18 of 79 (.227) on third down conversions. For the season, foes are 56 of 186 (.301) on third down, with the average opponent converting just 4.6 third downs per game.
  • The Nittany Lions have held their opponents out of the end zone on 76 percent of their drives, including forcing a three and out on 37 percent of their drives.

Defense Limiting Explosive Plays
One way to be a successful defense is to limit teams to small chucks of yardage and the Nittany Lions have been among the best in the nation at this in 2014.

  • Of the 128 FBS football programs, only Penn State has not allowed a rushing play of 30 or more yards this season.
  • The Nittany Lions have allowed a FBS low eight plays of 30-or-more yards this season. Stanford is second with nine.
  • Penn State has allowed just 33 plays of 20-or-more yards this season, including just eight of 30-plus yards.

Defense Stacking Up as One of the Best in Program & NCAA History
It's old school. It's bring your lunch pail with you. Its Penn State football and it has been built on the shoulders of some great defenses.
The 2014 defensive unit will look to close out the 2014 season with one last dominant performance in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

  • Penn State is looking to lead the NCAA in rushing defense for the third time in program history. They are one of only 20 programs to lead the NCAA in rushing defense multiple times.
  • Only eight FBS programs have ever led the NCAA in rushing defense three or more times ; (5) Oklahoma; (4) Alabama; (3) Auburn, Michigan State, Ohio State, Virginia Tech, USC and Wyoming.
  • The Nittany Lions also have the opportunity to become just the third team to lead the nation in rushing and passing defense in the same season.
  • Only Alabama in 2011 and Oklahoma in 1986 have led the nation in both categories. Passing defense based on yards allowed from 1937-1989 and passing efficiency from 1990-present.
  • It has been 36 years since a Penn State defense held their opponents under 270 yards of total offense per game. The 1978 limited the opposition to just 203.9 yards per game.


Position Change Fine with Zettel
Junior Anthony Zettel moved from defensive end to defensive tackle this spring, but the change hasn't affected his production as one of the most disruptive pass rushers in the Big Ten.

  • Zettel has set career-highs in tackles (36), tackles for loss (15.0), sacks (8.0), interceptions (3), forced fumbles (1) and fumble recoveries (1).
  • Entering the season, Zettel had 31 career tackles, 8.0 career sacks and 10.0 tackles for loss. He has surpassed those totals in 2014 alone.
  • He is the only player in the NCAA ranked in both interceptions and sacks per game.
  • Zettel is the only defensive lineman to rank among the top-100 in interceptions per game in the NCAA this season.
  • His three interceptions are the most by a Penn State defensive lineman since at least 1959.
  • His eight sacks this season are the most by a PSU player since Aaron Maybin logged 12.0 sacks in 2008.
  • His 16.0 career sacks rank 15th on the career charts, tied with National Football Foundation Hall of Famer Shane Conlan.


The Incredible Hull
The LinebackerU. mantra wasn't something that was just haphazardly given to Penn State, it was earned by the many successful linebackers that earned All-America distinction or those who went on to NFL success.

From Arrington, Connor and Posluszny to Conlan, Ham and Onkotz, that distinction has been earned and senior Mike Hull is carrying the torch forward with an All-American caliber 2014 season.

Entering the 2014 season, Hull had 154 career tackles and was getting ready to take the reins of the Nittany Lions defense from his good friend, Glenn Carson.

The Canonsburg, Pa. native logged 10 stops vs. UCF to open his senior campaign and that was a sign of things to come.
Records Watch on Page 33.
Awards & Honors on Page 22-23.

  • In 12 games this season, Hull has a Big Ten-best 134 tackles and ranks seventh nationally with 11.2 stops per game. His 6.1 solo tackles per game rank 16th nationally and second in the Big Ten.
  • Hull has led the team in tackles in 11 of 12 games this season and is the 23rd player in school history to top 100 tackles in a season.
  • He is the only Big Ten tackler averaging 10-plus stops per game and looks to become the first Penn State tackler to lead the Big Ten in stops since Dan Connor averaged 11.2 stops per game in 2007.
  • He has eight double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 19 tackles in a double-overtime thriller vs. Ohio State. His 19 tackles are tied for the most in the Big Ten and ninth most in the NCAA in a single game this season.
  • His 2014 campaign has solidified his spot among the best in the LinebackerU. lineage and has featured at least nine tackles in 11 of his 12 games. Hull has added nine tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception, one forced and one recovered fumble.
  • His only game this season with less than nine stops came against UMass. Hull made six stops, playing only 31 snaps, his lowest total of the season, in the 48-7 victory.
  • Hull has quickly moved up the single season and career tackles charts. Passing Carson for the No. 10 spot on the career charts on Nov. 15 vs. Temple, Hull ranks No. 6 in school history with 288 career stops.
  • His 134 tackles this season are No. 6 on the single season charts and are just five shy of passing Sean Lee's 138 stops from 2007.
  • He is the first PSU defender with 100-plus stops since Gerald Hodges collected 109 tackles in 2012.
  • Hull is in elite company with his 11.0 tackles per game average. Only four Penn State players have averaged 10.7 or more tackles for a complete season since 1970 (Greg Buttle: 1975 & `76; Andre Collins:1989; Shawn Mayer: 2002; Dan Connor: 2007).
  • He has 12 double-digit tackle performances in his career, with eight coming in 2014.
  • In his last 20 games, Hull has made at least nine tackles on 17 occasions, including a career-high 19 vs. Ohio State, 16 vs. Northwestern (2014), and 13 vs. Illinois (2013).
  • Hull also made 10-plus stops three times in 2013 and once in 2012. He had 13 stops vs. Illinois and 10 at Indiana and vs. Michigan last season, while making 11 stops vs. Indiana in 2012.
  • Hull accepted an invitation to participate in the 66th Reese's Senior Bowl
  • Hull was elected as a team captain prior to the start of the 2014 season. He was joined by C.J. Olaniyan as defenders elected team captains.


Quartet Selected All-B1G; Hull Tabbed Linebacker of the Year
Four Penn Staters were selected All-Big Ten and seven Nittany Lions earned honorable mention accolades from the media and coaches, with one Nittany Lion standout earning a prestigious individual honor.

  • LB Mike Hull lead the Nittany Lions' contingent, as he was selected the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year. The conference's leading tackler and All-America candidate also was named first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media.
  • Hull joins All-American Michael Mauti as recipients of the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year Award, giving LinebackerU two of the award's initial four recipients.
  • DT Anthony Zettel also earned first-team All-Big Ten from the coaches and media.
  • Hull and Zettel were named to the BTN.com All-Big Ten first-team on Sunday.
  • PK Sam Ficken earned the second-team All-Big Ten nod from the coaches and media after breaking the Penn State season field goal record with 23 successful attempts.
  • WR DaeSean Hamilton was named second-team all-conference by the media. The Big Ten's leading receiver all season, Hamilton was selected Big Ten Freshman of the Week twice this season, the second-highest total in the conference.
  • Seven Lions earned honorable-mention recognition, six of whom return for 2015: S Adrian Amos, DE Deion Barnes, TE Jesse James, DT Austin Johnson, CB Jordan Lucas, C Angelo Mangiro and CB Trevor Williams.
  • Senior Ryan Keiser was named Penn State's Sportsmanship recipient.
  • Penn State has 43 first-team All-Big Ten selections since 2005 and 28 second-team honorees, for a total of 71 over the past 10 seasons. During the past three seasons, the Nittany Lions have had six individual Big Ten award winners, including Freshman of the Year Deion Barnes (2012) and Christian Hackenberg (2013).


Five Nittany Lions Earn BTN.com Freshman All-Big Ten Honors
Five Penn State freshmen were named to the BTN.com Freshman All-Big Ten team, tied for the conference's highest total.


Youthful Lions

  • Penn State has the nation's second-youngest team, with 76 of the 105 (76.4 percent) allowable players in training camp being either freshmen or sophomores. Only Pitt has a younger squad, with 78.6 percent of its players in pre-season camp being underclassmen.
  • The Nittany Lions have 12 seniors, with only five seniors starting in the senior day set back to Michigan State: RB Bill Belton, OG Miles Dieffenbach, S Adrian Amos, LB Mike Hull and DE C.J. Olaniyan.
  • Penn State enters the New Ear Pinstripe Bowl with 47 recruited scholarship players available, including just seven seniors.
  • Nine of the 24 scholarship true freshmen have played this year, with the coaching staff looking to redshirt the other 15 freshmen.


Hull Earns All-America Distinction from Eight National Publications
After logging a Big Ten-best 134 tackles during the regular season, senior linebacker Mike Hull has earned All-American honors from eight different national publications.

They are the first All-America laurels of Hull's career.

  • The Canonsburg, Pa., native earned second team All-America distinction from the FWAA, FoxSports.com, Sporting News, USA Today, Phil Steele¹s College Football and Scout.com.
  • He was a third team selection pick by the Associated Press and Athlon Sports.
  • The Big Ten Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, Hull led the conference with 134 tackles. Hull joins All-American Michael Mauti as recipients of the Big Ten Linebacker of the Year Award, giving LinebackerU two of the award's initial four recipients.
  • He was named first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and media. Hull also was named to the BTN.com All-Big Ten first-team.
  • Sixteen Nittany Lions have earned a total of 19 first or second-team All-America honors since 2005. With Hull's USA Today selection, five Penn State linebackers have earned a total of seven first or second-team All-America accolades since 2005: Paul Posluszny (2005-06), Dan Connor (2006-07), Navorro Bowman (2009), Michael Mauti (2012) and Hull (2014).
  • Hull is averaging at least 1.9 tpg more than every other Big Ten tackler. He ranks seventh nationally in stops (11.2) and also leads the Big Ten in tackles in conference games only (96, 12.0 tpg).

Six Nittany Lions Earn ESPN.com All-Big Ten Honors
Six Penn State football student-athletes have been named to ESPN.com's All-Big Ten teams, including four on the conference's All-Freshman Team.

  • LB Mike Hull and DT Anthony Zettel were selected to the ESPN.com All-Big Ten team to lead Penn State's contingent.
  • The Nittany Lions placed four players on ESPN.com's Freshmen All-Big Ten team, the conference's second-highest total.
  • S Marcus Allen, WR DaeSean Hamilton, T Andrew Nelson and P Daniel Pasquariello made the squad
  • All four Nittany Lions also were selected to the 247Sports Big Ten All-Freshman team, as well as the BTN.com All-Freshman team, where they were joined by tight end Mike Gesicki.