| PENN STATE vs. SAN DIEGO ST. | |
| Saturday, Sept. 26 - 3:30 p.m. ET | |
| Beaver Stadium | University Park, Pa. | |
| Game Day Information: | |
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| Game Notes: Penn State | San Diego State |
| Statistics: Penn State | San Diego State |
| INSIDE THE NUMBERS | ||
| PSU | SDSU | |
| 21.7 | Scoring* | 23.7 |
| 13.7 | 1st Downs* | 15.0 |
| 202.3 | Rushing* | 152.7 |
| 124.0 | Passing* | 159.0 |
| 326.3 | Total Offense* | 311.7 |
| 1/0 | Fumbles/Lost | 4/1 |
| 21/184 | Penalties/Yards | 24/229 |
| 17/36.5 | Punts/Avg. | 20/40.7 |
| 30% | 3rd Down % | 40% |
| 17% | 4th Down % | 0% |
| 13 | Sacks | 3 |
| 2 | Interceptions | 3 |
| 8/10 | Red Zone | 6/6 |
| 26:53 | Time of Possession | 28:52 |
* - Per Game Statistics
Sept. 21, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The third game of a five-game homestand will bring a first-time opponent to Beaver Stadium, as the San Diego State Aztecs of the Mountain West Conference will take on Penn State in a 3:30 p.m. contest that will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Penn State is returning to non-conference play after a thrilling win in its Big Ten opener against Rutgers in primetime. The Nittany Lion faithful again proved that they were the best in the nation as a near-capacity crowd of over 103,000 perfectly executed a "Stripe Out" of Beaver Stadium; alternating sections of fans donned either blue or white. Penn State pride runs deeper than good looks though, as the student section's passion and energy made a direct impact on Rutgers' very first offensive play. Pinned on their own 2-yard line right in front of the screaming students, a Scarlet Knight twitched early for a false start. The Penn State defense only allowed Rutgers to reach the red zone once. The Scarlet Knights were able to get a field goal out of that drive, but the Lions held them out of the end zone, doing so for the first time against a Big Ten opponent since 2011.
Freshman Saquon Barkley added to the fireworks with a 195 of Penn State's 330 rushing yards on the night and two touchdowns. Akeel Lynch broke through for a 75-yard touchdown run, while DeAndre Thompkins continued a trend of wide receivers contributing to the ground game with night's first score.
Penn State will face an unfamiliar opponent in San Diego State. Not only has Penn State never played the Aztecs, but Penn State has played just four games against the current alignment of the Mountain West in its history. Three of those games were against Air Force and the most recent meeting with a MWC foe was against Utah State in 1977. The Nittany Lions prevailed in all four games, while San Diego State is 2-14 all-time against Big Ten opponents.
The Aztecs will become the 155th different opponent that the Lions have faced in their history. Penn State is 14-2 against opponents it had never played prior to 2000.
The non-conference slate will conclude the following Saturday in front of a sold out crowd for Army West Point. It will then be Big Ten play the rest of the way, starting with Indiana for Homecoming Oct. 10.
SDSU HEAD COACH ROCKY LONG
• In 2011, Rocky Long became the first San Diego State head coach to lead the team to a bowl game in his debut campaign.
• Long has also amassed the most victories of any Mountain West head coach since the league's inception in 1999.
• In 2011, Long replaced Brady Hoke, who left SDSU to become the head coach at Michigan. Long led the Aztecs to their first 3-0 start in 30 years, highlighted by a 42-24 victory over Washington State, which snapped a 19-game losing streak vs. Pac-10/12 foes and a 23-game skid against schools from automatic BCS qualifying conferences.
• He was named Mountain West Coach of the Year for the second time in his career in 2012 after guiding the Aztecs to a 9-4 record and their first conference championship since 1998. SDSU also set a school record with its third consecutive bowl appearance.
• In 2013, Long directed SDSU to an unprecedented fourth straight postseason appearance, capped by an impressive 49-24 victory over Buffalo in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl.
• Last season, San Diego State advanced to its fifth straight bowl game and finished in a tie for first in the Western Division of the Mountain West.
• The Aztecs finished in the top 20 nationally in early every defensive category, including scoring defense (13th) and total defense (16th).
• He came to San Diego State to be the team's defensive coordinator in December 2008.
• Arrived at SDSU after serving as head coach at New Mexico from 1998-2008. He was tabbed the league's Coach of the Year in 2002.
• Compiled a New Mexico-record 65 victories and led the Lobos to five bowl game appearances in his final seven seasons. His teams were bowl eligible in seven of his last eight campaigns.
• As a player, originally a defensive back, Long became a three-year starter at quarterback for the Lobos from 1969-71. He earned the team's most-valuable-player honors three times and was the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year as a senior.
SCOUTING THE AZTECS
• SDSU won its season opener over FCS-level San Diego, but suffered a loss at California the following week and fell in overtime to South Alabama this past week.
• Maxwell Smith has completed 31-of-66 passing attempts with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Donnel Pumphrey leads the team in rushing with 249 yards on 68 attempts two touchdowns, and also has a team-high nine receptions. Eric Judge leads the team in receiving yards with 101, followed by Pumphrey's 92.
• On the other side of the ball, linebacker Calvin Munson has been a standout, leading the team with two interceptions returned for touchdowns, 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Athlon Sports named Munson the preseason Mountain West Conference Player of the Year.
• The Aztecs finished 2014 at 7-6, losing the Poinsettia Bowl vs. Navy, 17-16.
NITTANY LION FROM CALIFORNIA
LB Koa Farmer is the only Nittany Lion from California, hailing from Lake View Terrace, which is north of Los Angeles. He attended Notre Dame High School.
PENN STATE VS. THE MOUNTAIN WEST
Not only has Penn State never played the Aztecs, but Penn State has played just four games against the current alignment of the Mountain West in its history. Three of those games were against Air Force and the most recent meeting with a MWC foe was against Utah State in 1977. The Nittany Lions prevailed in all four games, while San Diego State is 2-14 all-time against Big Ten opponents.
LONG FLIGHT
San Diego State will making one of the longest trips within the continental United States of any team this season. The Aztecs will be traveling roughly 2,230 miles to reach Happy Valley, which is second only to UCF's 2,427 mile trip to Stanford for a Sept. 12 game.
FIVE IN A ROW AT HOME
The Nittany Lions are playing the third of five consecutive home games, as they are in the midst of their first five-game homestand since 1922 and the third in program history. Wins over Buffalo (27-14, Sept. 12) and Rutgers (28-3, Sept. 19) have opened the slate. San Diego State (Sept. 26), Army West Point (Oct. 3) and Indiana (Oct. 10) are next.
Penn State last played five consecutive home games in 1922, going 5-0 with wins over St. Bonaventure (54-0), William & Mary (27-7), Gettysburg (20-0), Lebanon Valley (32-6) and Middlebury (33-0).
The Nittany Lions also hosted five-straight home contests in 1920. Penn State also was perfect in those games with wins over Muhlenberg (27-7), Gettysburg (13-0), Dartmouth (14-7), NC State (41-0) and Lebanon Valley (109-7). The 109 points scored against Lebanon Valley still stand as the program's game scoring record.
While Beaver Stadium has never seen five consecutive home games, it has hosted four in a row five times, doing so in 1977, 1982, 1986, 2002 and 2009.
COACH TO CURE MD
The American Football Coaches Association will hold its eighth annual Coach to Cure MD effort with the games of September 26. More than 100 FBS schools, including Penn State and San Diego State, will be wearing a Coach to Cure MD arm bands or patches to raise awareness and funding for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research.
Fans are encouraged to donate online at www.CoachtoCureMD.org or donate $5 by texting CURE to 90999.
BARKLEY NAMED BIG TEN CO-FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK AGAIN
Freshman running back Saquon Barkley was named the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week for the second consecutive week, as he managed to surpass his breakout game against Buffalo with a 195-yard, two-touchdown performance against Rutgers in his Big Ten debut.
• It was the most yards for a PSU true freshman rusher since Eric McCoo (206 yds. vs Michigan State) in 1998 and the most for any PSU rusher since Bill Belton (201 yds. at Illinois) in 2013. Barkley was particularly strong in the second half, totaling 140 yards and a touchdown on 11 rushes.
• Barkley ran for 119 yards on seven carries in the fourth quarter, marking second-straight game that he had a quarter with 100 or more yards.
• His first touchdown run in the game came in Penn State's 21-point second quarter from 15 yards out. The Scarlet Knights tried to claw back into the game in the fourth quarter with a field goal to make the game 21-3, but Barkley answered with a 54-yard run on the first play of the ensuing drive and a 16-yard touchdown run on the very next play. Barkley also had a 40-yard run in the game.
• Barkley turned in a 115-yard performance against Buffalo. He became the first PSU true freshman to rush for more than 100 yards in a game since Silas Redd had 131 yards on 11 carries and scored one touchdown against Northwestern in 2010.
• Barkley helped swing the momentum in Penn State's favor on their first possession of the fourth quarter, as he broke off back-to-back runs totaling 50 yards.
• Barkley provided a spark off of the bench in the second half for the Nittany Lions, averaging 9.6 yards per carry in the win over the Bulls. He reeled off 101 of his 115 yards on eight fourth-quarter carries. He later found the end zone for the Lions final score and his first collegiate touchdown.
GROUND FORCE
• The Nittany Lions have had great success moving the ball on the ground the past two games against Buffalo and Rutgers, totaling 530 yards. That two-game effort equates to the most rushing yards in consecutive games since 2009 when Penn State racked up 623 yards at Illinois (338) and vs. Eastern Illinois (285).
• Both Saquon Barkley (195 yards) and Akeel Lynch (120) rushed for more than 100 yards against Rutgers, marking the first time Penn State had at least two 100-yard rushers since Lynch (108) and Bill Belton (108) passed the century mark against Eastern Michigan in 2013.
• It was also the first Big Ten Conference game that Penn State had two 100-yard rushers since Evan Royster (134) and Silas Redd (131) topped the mark vs. Northwestern in 2010.
• The wide receivers are helping the run game, as well. WR DeAndre Thompkins rushed for a touchdown against Rutgers and WR Brandon Polk did the same against Buffalo. Penn State now has two wide receivers with rushing touchdowns in the same season for the first time since 2008 when Derrick Williams and Chaz Powell both had rushing touchdowns.
• Polk ranks third on the team with 101 rushing yards on just six carries.
BARKLEY BREAKS OUT
• Saquon Barkley ranks second in the nation in yards per carry, averaging 9.15 yards per carry to rank second in the country.
• Barkley's yards per game average of 103.7 is skewed since he only received one carry for one yard in the season opener against Temple. However, he still ranks 35th in the nation in the category.
• Ten of Barkley's 34 rushes have gone for double-digit gains, with his longest runs of 54 and 40 yards coming against Rutgers. Three of his 12 rushes against Buffalo went for double-digits, while seven of 21 rushes went for double-digits against Rutgers. Twenty-four of his 34 rushes have been for at least three yards, and just four have been for no gain or less.
• His 310 rushing yards in the last two games is the highest two-game total by a Penn State back since Zach Zwinak had 314 in a two-game span vs. Indiana (135) and Wisconsin (179).
• It is also the highest total by a true freshman RB in a two-game span since D.J. Dozier had 359 in 1983 (vs. Rutgers and Alabama). Barkley and Dozier are the only the true freshman to have back-to-back 100-yard games (Dozier had four in a row in 1983).
• Additionally, Barkley's 195 rushing yards against Rutgers were the most by a Penn State true freshman since Eric McCoo had 206 against Michigan State in 1998. Barkley is the third true freshman at Penn State to have two or more 100-yard rushing performances (5, D.J. Dozier -- 1983; 3, Eric McCoo -- 1998).
• Against Buffalo Barkley became just the seventh PSU true freshman to rush for over 100 yards in a game, joining, Matt Suhey (1976), Curt Warner (1979), D.J. Dozier (1983), Eric McCoo (1998), Austin Scott (2003) and Silas Redd (2010).
• He is also the first PSU player to rush for 100 yards in a quarter since Tony Hunt vs. Akron in 2004. Larry Johnson rushed for more than 100 in a quarter four times in 2002.
• Barkley is only the third player since 2000 to rush for 100 in a quarter, and it has now only happened seven times since 2000.
LYNCH AIDS GROUND GAME
Junior running back Akeel Lynch has started the first three games of the 2015 season in the back field. • Lynch led Penn State on the ground in the 2015 season opener at Temple with 78 yards on 10 carries, including a 42-yard touchdown run.
• The Toronto, Ontario, Canada native now has five career 100-yard rushing efforts after crossing the century mark against Rutgers. His performance included a career-long 75-yard touchdown run.
• It was his first 100-yard effort since back-to-back games over the century mark versus Temple (11/15) and at Illinois (11/22) in 2014. He is among the 21 Nittany Lions with five or more career games of 100-plus rushing yards.
• His 1,280 career yards rank 32nd at Penn State. He trails Gary Brown (1,321 yards) for 31st place.
• Lynch ultimately led the Nittany Lions' ground attack in 2014 with 678 rushing yards on 147 carries (4.6 ypc). He finished the 2014 season in impressive fashion with 393 yards and three touchdowns during the final four contests.
• He surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for his career against Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl, rushing for 77 yards. He is 32nd on PSU's career rushing yard list with 1,280 yards.
STOPS BEHIND THE LINE
• Through the first three games of the season, Penn State ranks fourth in the nation and second in the Big Ten with 10.3 tackles for loss per game, and third in the nation and second in the conference with 4.33 sacks per game after totaling five more against Rutgers.
• Penn State leads the nation in both tackle for loss yardage (159) and sack yardage (115). Last year's Pinstripe Bowl foe Boston College is second in TFL yardage at 134, while Penn State is the only team with over 100 sack yards; Pittsburgh is second with 90 yards.
• Penn State's 15 tackles for loss against Temple were the second-most in the country during the opening week, trailing only Colorado State, which racked up 16 against FCS-level Savannah State. Eleven different Nittany Lions were credited with at least an assist, led by Carl Nassib, Brandon Bell and Anthony Zettel with 2.5 TFL each, while Trevor Williams had 2.0.
• Nassib was again a force in the backfield against Buffalo, racking up three of Penn State's six sacks on the day. Austin Johnson added 1.5 sacks and totaled 2.5 TFL against the Bulls.
NASSIB BREAKING THROUGH
Senior defensive end Carl Nassib has rewarded the Nittany Lions for putting him in the starting lineup, as the former walk-on is enjoying a breakout season by breaking through opposing offensive lines.
• Through the first three games, Nassib ranks in a tie for third nationally in sacks per game, averaging 1.67 after picking up his team- and Big Ten-leading fifth quarterback takedown against Rutgers. He also ranks in ties for fifth nationally and second in the conference with 2.3 tackles for loss per game.
• Nassib made a career-high 10 tackles in the season opener at Temple. His previous high was four stops on October 5, 2013 at Indiana. Nassib also recorded his second career solo sack, good for a 12-yard loss in the second quarter, and his 2.5 tackles for loss were a career-best.
• Nassib made even bigger plays the following week against Buffalo, recording three sacks, including back-to-back sack-fumbles to stifle a UB comeback. He also hauled in an interception deep in UB territory after senior defensive tackle Anthony Zettel tipped a pass from the quarterback.
PUTTING THE "D" IN DEFENSE
Penn State's defense continues to shine under Defensive Coordinator Bob Shoop. The Nittany Lions have forced 16 three-and-outs this season on 39 drives, equating to 41 percent of the time that Penn State has not allowed their opponents to gain a first down on a drive.
at Temple -- 6 three-and-outs in 14 drives.
vs. Buffalo -- 5 three-and-outs in 12 drives.
vs. Rutgers -- 5 three-and-outs in 13 drives.
• PSU has forced three-and-outs on the opponent's first offensive possession in each game this season.
• Penn State's average of 5.33 three-and-outs ranks in a tie for ninth in the country.
• In 2014, Penn State ranked in the Top 10 in the FBS in fewest first downs allowed (2nd, 190), pass efficiency (2nd, 101.14), total (2nd, 278.7 ypg), rushing (3rd, 100.5 ypg), third down (6th, 30.2) and scoring defense (7th, 18.6 ppg).
OUR ZONE
• Penn State held Rutgers to just three points, the fewest allowed by the Nittany Lions in a Big Ten game since defeating Iowa, 13-3, in 2011. That game was also the last time PSU did not allow a touchdown to a Big Ten foe.
• The three points by Rutgers were tied for the fewest allowed by Penn State in a Big Ten opener. The Nittany Lions beat Minnesota, 56-3, in the 1994 Big Ten opener.
• Penn State held Rutgers to 43 yards of rushing, the fewest since giving up just 33 yards to Maryland last season.
AVOIDING TURNOVERS AND SACKS
• Minimizing turnovers and sacks are extremely important to the success of an offense, and the Nittany Lions were able to avoid both against Buffalo. Penn State had zero turnovers for the first time since having none against Massachusetts last season, and did not allow a sack for the first time since the win at Wisconsin in 2013. The 2013 Wisconsin game was also the last time Penn State posted zeroes in both categories.
• Penn State surrendered an interception against Rutgers, but avoided giving up a sack for a second consecutive game - a feat not accomplished since 2011 against Ohio State and Wisconsin.
SPECIAL TEAMS ARE SPECIAL
• Chris Gulla took over the starting punting job for the Nittany Lions against Rutgers and helped Penn State to control field position as he averaged 41.0 yards per punt. He also dropped all five of his punts inside the 20-yard line.
• The punting average was the highest for the Nittany Lions since averaging 48.8 yards per punt against Akron last season.
• His five punts downed inside the 20-yard line equal the total number by the Nittany Lions last season and are the most in a single game since having six punts inside the 20 against Nebraska in 2013.
• Penn State saw success in all three phases of the game in its win over Buffalo, including a pair of big returns on special teams. The game had an electrifying start as redshirt freshman Nick Scott returned the opening kickoff 58 yards to the Buffalo 42. It was the longest kickoff return for Penn State since Chaz Powell had a 92-yard return against Purdue in 2011.
• Classmate DeAndre Thompkins returned a punt 58 yards, on which he was barely tripped up by UB punter Tyler Grassman on a diving play, preventing him from reaching the end zone. It was the longest punt return by a Nittany Lion since Derrick Williams' 63-yard punt return for a TD at Wisconsin in 2008.
• Thompkins' return was also the longest non-scoring punt return since Mike Archie had a 62-yard return at Michigan State in 1993.
• The last time that Penn State had both a punt return and kick return of at least 58 yards in the same game was against Notre Dame in 2007. In that game, Derrick Williams had a 78-yard punt return for a touchdown and A.J. Wallace had a 68-yard kickoff return.
HOLDING ON TO THE ROCK
Penn State is one of 22 FBS teams yet to have lost a fumble so far this season.
LUCAS HONORS WARTMAN-WHITE WITH NUMBER SWITCH
One point of confusion for the Nittany Lion faithful against Rutgers may have been seeing a No. 5 lineup in the defensive secondary. No. 5 on defense belongs to Nyeem Wartman-White, but the junior suffered a season-ending injury early in the opener against Temple. Teammate and roommate Jordan Lucas wanted to honor his close friend, so he asked to wear Wartman-White's No. 5 for the remainder of the season. The pair lived in the same dorm building as freshmen, with one right under the other, and have lived together since their sophomore year.
WINS LEADER
In its 129th season of varsity football, Penn State has amassed 850, becoming just the eighth program nationally to reach the milestone. The Nittany Lions are one of just 10 programs with 800 wins and currently hold an official all-time mark of 851-377-42.
GODWIN LEADS RECEIVING CORPS
Sophomore wide receiver Chris Godwin has caught at least four passes in the first three games for a team-best total of 14 for 205 yards. He now has at least one catch in 15 of 16 career games and three career games with five-or-more grabs, joining his seven-catch night vs. Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Averaging 4.7 catches and 6.3 yards per game, Godwin ranks in the Top 10 in the Big Ten.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
• True freshmen have accounted for half of Penn State's eight touchdowns this season, as Saquon Barkley has rushed for three and wide receiver Brandon Polk has one. Redshirt freshman DeAndre Thompkins also has a rushing touchdown. Junior running back Akeel Lynch (two rushing touchdowns) and sophomore DaeSean Hamilton (one receiving) are the only upperclassmen to find the end zone.
• Two of Penn State's three touchdowns against Buffalo were scored by true freshmen playing in just their second games. It was the first time since 2005 that a pair of true freshmen were able to find the end zone in the same game. Barkley had the Nittany Lions' final touchdown against UB, while Polk had the first.
• Polk had demonstrated on the very first play of the season at Temple that he was a threat in the running game, and continued to be so against Buffalo, running for a 22-yard score for the Nittany Lions' first touchdown of the game. Polk has gained 101 yards on six carries (16.8 avg.) in the first three games.
• On the other side of the ball, against UB, true freshman linebacker Jake Cooper, who was supposed to redshirt this season until injuries in the season opener pressed him into action, made a season-high three stops, including a sack.
• True freshman John Reid and sophomore Grant Haley both hauled in interceptions against Rutgers.
MILLEN ON BTN BROADCAST TEAM
• Former Penn State and NFL standout Matt Millen will be calling Saturday's meeting between the Nittany Lions and Aztecs.
• 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. He joined Fox Sports and BTN in 2015.
SOLD OUT ARMY WEST POINT GAME TO KICK AT NOON ON ESPNU
The Penn State-Army West Point game on Saturday, October 3 will kickoff at noon on ESPNU.
It's the first sellout of a non-conference game since Alabama visited Happy Valley in 2011. The Nittany Lions host the Black Knights for the first time since 1979 as part of Military Appreciation Day.
The sellout includes tickets requested through the Seats for Servicemembers program. Servicemembers from as far away as California, Texas and Washington have signed up to receive donated tickets purchased by Penn State alumni, fans and businesses. In its fourth year, the Seats for Servicemembers program honors the commitment and sacrifices of veterans, families and loved ones by providing tickets at no cost to active and retired Servicemembers, as well as a complimentary pregame tailgate at Bryce Jordan Center.
More than 6,500 Seats for Servicemembers have been donated by Penn State supporters, members of the community and businesses to date, surpassing last year's total of 5,500.
HOME SWEET HOME
With a 267-71 all-time record in Beaver Stadium (1960), Penn State boasts the seventh-best winning percentage (.790) in its current home venue amongst current FBS schools, and leads the Big Ten. Ohio State ranks eighth overall with a 419-110-20 (.781) mark in Ohio Stadium, which was built in 1922. Only Alabama (.816) and Auburn (.797) boast higher winning percentages than Penn State in facilities older than Beaver Stadium. Baylor leads the country with a perfect 7-0 mark in the brand new McLane Stadium (2014).