| PENN STATE vs. MICHIGAN | |
| Saturday, Nov. 21 - 12 p.m. ET | |
| Beaver Stadium | University Park, Pa. | |
| Game Day Information: | |
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| TV: ABC |
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| Game Notes: Penn State | Michigan |
| Statistics: Penn State | Michigan |
| INSIDE THE NUMBERS | ||
| PSU | UM | |
| 25.2 | Scoring* | 32.6 |
| 16.4 | 1st Downs* | 19.8 |
| 142.9 | Rushing* | 168.8 |
| 207.4 | Passing* | 224.9 |
| 350.3 | Total Offense* | 393.7 |
| 13/9 | Fumbles/Lost | 10/5 |
| 52/412 | Penalties/Yards | 63/559 |
| 66/39.4 | Punts/Avg. | 44/36.6 |
| 28% | 3rd Down % | 43% |
| 30% | 4th Down % | 38% |
| 42 | Sacks | 25 |
| 9 | Interceptions | 8 |
| 33/36 | Red Zone | 40/42 |
| 29:32 | Time of Possession | 33:19 |
* - Per Game Statistics
Nov. 16, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Following its bye week, Penn State closes another home season at Beaver Stadium, hosting No. 14/13 Michigan for the annual White Out game, Saturday at noon on ABC.
Penn State will look to complete its first undefeated home season since 2008, and extend a three-game home winning streak over Michigan that dates back to the same year. The last meeting in Beaver Stadium between the two teams was a historic one, as Penn State prevailed 43-40 in four overtimes for the longest game in the history of the Big Ten.
Penn State looks to return to the win column after a narrow loss at Northwestern in its most recent outing. The Nittany Lions rallied from a 13-point deficit to take a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but Northwestern was able to convert a field goal try with nine seconds remaining to steal the win.
The Lions' bye week included time for community service, practice, rest and award nominations. Senior defensive end Carl Nassib, who broke Penn State's single-season sack record (15.5) at Northwestern was named a semifinalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy and as a candidate for the Burlsworth Trophy. He was previously named a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award and the Rotary Lombardi Award.
The Penn State-Michigan matchup will feature two of the strongest defenses in the nation. Michigan ranks second in FBS in total defense, allowing just 268.7 yards per game, while Penn State ranks 13th, averaging 311.2 yards allowed per game. Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg will be looking to thread passes past defensive back Jourdan Lewis, who leads the country in passes defended. Lewis leads a secondary unit that will try to contain wide receiver Chris Godwin, who is coming off a career-best eight-catch outing at Northwestern. Godwin ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 4.9 catches per game and third with 80.8 receiving yards per game. Penn State running back Saquon Barkley will face a rushing defense that ranks eighth nationally, allowing 103.2 yards on the ground per game. Barkley ranks 27th in FBS with 104.5 yards rushing per game.
Penn State will conclude the regular season with another tough test Saturday at No. 9/9 Michigan State.
HEAD COACH JIM HARBAUGH
• Jim Harbaugh is in his first season as head coach at Michigan.
• For the four previous seasons, Harbaugh was head coach of the NFL's San Francisco 49ers. He led the franchise to the NFC Championship Game in each of his first three seasons and the 2012 Super Bowl.
• From 2007-10, Harbaugh was the head coach at Stanford, leading the Cardinal to an Orange Bowl victory in 2010.
• Harbaugh is the only coach to win both the AP NFL Coach of the Year (2011) and Woody Hayes Coach of the Year Award (2010).
• Harbaugh played for five different organizations during his 15-year NFL career (1987-2001).
• As a quarterback at Michigan, Harbaugh earned first team All-America honors and finished third in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy following the 1986 season.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
• Michigan carries an 8-2 overall record and 5-1 Big Ten record. The Wolverines' losses were at Utah (17-24) in their season opener and to Michigan State (23-27) on a turnover on the final play of the game.
• Michigan is coming off a double overtime victory at Indiana. QB Jake Rudock completed 33-of-46 passes for 440 yards and six touchdowns. Jehu Chesson had four touchdown receptions on 10 catches for 207 yards.
• Rudock leads the Big Ten in completion percentage and ranks in the top five in passing yards and touchdowns.
• Michigan's defense ranks second in the nation allowing just 268.7 yards per game. It shutout BYU, Maryland and Northwestern in consecutive games.
• Jourdan Lewis leads the nation with 2.0 passes defended per game.
• The 41 points scored by Indiana were the most allowed this season. The 27 points allowed against Michigan State was the previous high.
• The Wolverines excel in kick returns, ranking second in FBS averaging 32.63 yards per return.
• Michigan is balanced on offense, ranking in the middle of the Big Ten averaging 393.7 yards per game (224.9 passing, 168.8 rushing).
SPECIAL SENIOR CLASS TO BE HONORED
• There are 19 Nittany Lion seniors that will take the field in Beaver Stadium for the final time Saturday.
• The 2015 seniors have been instrumental in the Nittany Lions earning a 29-18 record the past four years under unprecedented circumstances, with four winning seasons during their careers.
• The 19 players will be introduced in a pre-game ceremony and include: Matt Baney, Tarow Barney, Kyle Carter, Jordan Dudas, Jack Haffner, Albert Hall, Colin Harrop, Charles Idemudia, Brandon Johnson, Ben Kline, team co-captain Jordan Lucas, team co-captain Angelo Mangiro, Carl Nassib, Kevin Reihner, Dom Salomone, Anthony Smith, Trevor Williams, team co-captain Anthony Zettel and Matt Zanellato. Lucas suffered season-ending injuries against Northwestern.
• Among the group are: five graduates from prior to the season, an offensive lineman that has paved the way for Penn State's all-time passing yards leader, the Penn State single-season sacks leader, a pair of lockdown DBs, a tight end that has made big catches in big games, two disruptive defensive linemen, two service-minded Lions and valued members of the scout and special teams.
SENIOR DAY SUCCESS
The Nittany Lions have earned victories in 20 of their 25 Senior Day games since 1990. The losses have come to No. 16 Michigan (1999), No. 11 Michigan State (2010), Nebraska (2011 and 2013) and No. 10 Michigan State (2014).
STORIED PROGRAMS MEET ON GRIDIRON
Penn State and Michigan are among the nation's premier football programs:
• Penn State and Michigan both rank among the top-12 programs in winning percentage and total victories in NCAA history.
• Four of the top-12 winningest programs in NCAA history are from the Big Ten.
• Penn State sits No. 8 in all-time victories (856) and No. 10 in winning percentage (.687).
• Michigan owns an NCAA-best 923 victories and ranks No. 2 in all-time winning percentage at .730.
• The Nittany Lions and Wolverines are also among the most ranked teams in NCAA history according to the AP poll.
• Michigan has spent 32 weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll (11th all-time) and Penn State has earned the No. 1 ranking by the AP on 19 occasions (t-16th all-time). (Not including preseason rankings).
• Penn State's 589 weeks ranked among the AP Top-25 rank ninth all-time, while Michigan's 803 weeks rank second.
AP Poll statistics are since 1936
COMING OFF A BYE
• Penn State has a 15-13 record after a bye week since starting Big Ten competition in 1993.
• Penn State fell at Michigan (18-13) following its first bye week of 2014, and fell, at home to No. 13 Ohio State, 31-24 following its second.
• The Nittany Lions fell at Indiana on Oct. 5 and at No. 4 Ohio State on Oct. 26 during the 2013 season.
• The Nittany Lions had two bye weeks in 2013 & 2014.
• The Nittany Lions won at Iowa in 2012 following their only bye week during that season.
• The Nov. 14 bye was the latest first-bye date for the Nittany Lions since 1958 when Penn State's only bye came on Nov. 22.
• Penn State also had its first bye on Nov. 22 in 1923 and on Nov. 21 in 1922.
• In the Big Ten, Penn State and Wisconsin have their off date on Nov. 14, while Nebraska's single bye comes on Nov. 21.
NITTANY LIONS FROM MICHIGAN
Penn State has two players from Michigan on its roster.
• TE Charles Idemudia - Detroit/Grosse Pointe North
• DL Anthony Zettel - West Branch/Ogemaw Heights
PENN STATE-MICHIGAN CONNECTIONS
• PSU junior OL Brian Gaia and Michigan junior TE Henry Poggi played together at The Gilman School (Md.).
• PSU junior WR Gregg Garrity and Michigan junior OL Patrick Kugler played together at North Allegheny (Pa.)
• PSU freshman CB John Reid and Michigan freshman OL John Runyan played together at St. Joseph's Prep.
• PSU alum Navorro Bowman played for Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh with the San Francisco 49ers.
LUCAS, NASSIB INVITED TO SENIOR BOWL
• Two standouts on Penn State's nationally-ranked defense, Jordan Lucas and Carl Nassib are among the first players to accept invitations to play in the 67th Reese's Senior Bowl.
• The duo has been invited to participate in the nation's premier all-star contest on Saturday, January 30, 2015. Kickoff is at 2:30 p.m. ET at Ladd-Peebles Stadium in Mobile, Ala. The NFL Network will televise the contest.
• Lucas and Nassib are the 40th and 41st Nittany Lions received invitations play in the Senior Bowl in the last 20 years. A quartet of Nittany Lions -- safety Adrian Amos, defensive end Deion Barnes, offensive tackle Donovan Smith and linebacker Mike Hull -- participated in last year's Senior Bowl activities. Defensive tackle DaQuan Jones and defensive tackle Jordan Hill played in the 2014 and 2013 Senior Bowls, respectively. Defensive end Jack Crawford, cornerback D'Anton Lynn and guard Johnnie Troutman played in the 2012 Senior Bowl.
• With the selection of Lucas and Nassib, a total of 114 Lions have been invited to play in the Senior Bowl.
SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE
• Penn State and Wisconsin are the only Big Ten teams that have posted a winning season the last 11 consecutive years.
• Penn State is one of six teams (USC, LSU, Florida State, Wisconsin, Oklahoma) in the Autonomy Five that has had a winning record each of the last 11 years. Virginia Tech and Oregon can also accomplish the feat this season.
• Overall in the FBS, Penn State is the sixth team with a winning record in the last 11 years (Boise State).
HOME SWEET HOME, PART 1
With six victories in six home games, the Nittany Lions are enjoying their best home season since 2008 when they went 7-0. The Lions are 6-0 at home for the fourth time since 2000 (2005, 2007, 2008, 2015).
TWO NITTANY LIONS EARN ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT HONORS
• Two Penn State student-athletes have been named to the Academic All-District® Football Team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.
• Earning the distinction were junior kick snapper Tyler Yazujian and redshirt freshman linebacker Troy Reeder.
• Yazujian earns his second consecutive Academic All-District® selection. Both players are eligible for consideration for the Academic All-America® Team.
• The two selections for the Nittany Lions are tied for the second-most among the FBS and FCS institutions in the six states that comprise District II.
• Penn State football student-athletes have earned 63 CoSIDA Academic All-America® selections all-time, the second-highest total among all Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institutions. In 2013, All-America guard John Urschel earned his second consecutive first-team Academic All-America® honor.
• The Nittany Lions' 18 Academic All-Americans® over the past nine seasons (16 first-team) lead the nation. The Penn State football team has had a least one first-team Academic All-American® in 10 of the past 13 seasons (19 overall first-team selections since 2002).
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.
• Nassib leads the FBS in sacks (15.5), tackles for loss (19.5) and forced fumbles (6). He has recorded a sack in each game this season and five multi-sack games.
• Nassib broke the Penn State single-season sacks record by upping his total to 15.5 at Northwestern. • Nassib now ranks 14th all-time at Penn State in career sacks with 17.5.
• Nassib is tied for 16th on the NCAA single season sacks list with Clemson's Da'Quan Bowers (2010).
• Nassib's six forced fumbles this season are the most by a Penn State player since Michael Haynes had a school-record seven in the 2002.
• With at least one sack in 10 consecutive games, which is the longest streak by a Penn State player since sacks became an official NCAA statistic in 2000.
• Nassib has 19.5 tackles for loss this season, the most by a Nittany Lion since Aaron Maybin had 20 in 2008. Nassib's 19.5 TFL are the fourth-most by a Penn State player since 2000.
• Nassib is the first Penn State player to force two fumbles in two games in a season (Buffalo, Indiana) since Maurice Evans did it in 2007. Evans had two forced fumbles against Indiana and two forced fumbles against Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl.
• While making his first career start (high school or college), 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 what was then his third 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.
• Nassib tallied two sacks against San Diego State, forcing a fumble on one that led to defensive tackle Austin Johnson's 71-yard touchdown run after scooping up the ball.
• Nassib had a triple-double of sorts against Indiana with 2.0 sacks, 2.0 TFL and two forced fumbles.
• At No. 1 Ohio State, he led the Penn State defense with 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss, also tying for second on the team with eight tackles. The Lions totaled 10.0 tackles for loss in the game to mark its fourth game with at least 9.0 TFLs. It was also the most surrendered by Ohio State this season.
NASSIB GAINING NATIONAL RECOGNITION
• Senior defensive end Carl Nassib added a nomination for the Burlsworth Trophy and semifinalist nod for the Lott IMPACT Trophy during the bye week.
• The Burlsworth Trophy is given to the most outstanding football player in America who began his career as a walk-on. Former Penn State quarterback Matt McGloin won the same honor as a senior in 2012.
• The Lott IMPACT Trophy is given to a player who best represents the qualities embodied by Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott -- Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity.
• Additionally, Nassib was recently named a semifinalist for the Bednarik Award for the nation's Defensive Player of the Year and the Rotary Lombardi Award for the Nation's Top College Lineman (offensive or defensive). He was also a midseason All-America pick.
STINGY DEFENSE
• The Nittany Lions have allowed only 21 points in the first quarter in 10 games in 2015.
• The Penn State defense has been particularly stingy at home, having held its last 10 opponents and 12 of its last 13 to less than 300 yards of total offense, dating back to last season. Northwestern is the lone team to gain more than 300 yards against the Lions at home.
• Penn State's defense allowed just 167 yards to Illinois. Prior to playing No. 1 Ohio State (429 yards) and Maryland (363 yards) the two weeks before, Penn State had held regular season opponents below 325 yards in 13 consecutive games.
• The 167 yards (37 rushing, 130 passing) allowed to Illinois were the fewest allowed by the Nittany Lions since holding Minnesota to 138 yards (37 rushing, 101 passing) in 2009.
• The Nittany Lion defense held Illinois to 12 first downs, the fewest since giving up just eight to Temple last season, and the fewest in a Big Ten game since allowing 12 to Michigan last season.
• Ohio State snapped another streak as well this season, as the Penn State defense had not allowed more than seven points in the first half of 12 consecutive games, including eight consecutive against Big Ten opponents.
• 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).
LUCAS TO MISS REMAINDER OF SEASON
• Senior safety and team captain Jordan Lucas will miss the remainder of the season due to an injury.
• Lucas was fourth on the team in tackles with 56, including 2.5 tackles for loss. He also registered three pass breakups, three passes defended and a forced fumble this year.
• Lucas had appeared in 40 consecutive contests until missing the San Diego State game. He had also started 27-straight regular season games before sitting out against the Aztecs.
• He finishes his Penn State career with 180 total tackles, including 117 solo stops, as well as 25 pass breakups, 4.0 sacks and 11.0 tackles for loss.
AJ STUFFS THE MIDDLE
• Defensive tackle Austin Johnson has been a force up front for the Nittany Lions with 64 tackles, which leads all FBS defensive linemen and is second on the team.
• Amongst DLs in FBS the next highest totals nationally are 61 and 59.
• Johnson posted a career-high 10 tackles at Northwestern. His previous best was nine stops, which he accomplished three times, most recently against Maryland on Oct. 24, 2015.
• He has 5.5 sacks and 12.0 tackles for loss this season.
• Johnson registered his first career touchdown with a 71-yard fumble return against San Diego State. Most recently against Maryland, he tied his career high with nine tackles, marking the third time this season he has recorded nine stops.
DEFENSIVE LINE LEADER DT
• Anthony Zettel had 1.0 sack against Illinois, which gives him 19.0 for his career, and moves him into a tie for eighth place at Penn State with Bruce Clark, LaVar Arrington and Jay Alford.
• Zettel has 37.0 TFLs in his Penn State career, which is good for 10th place in the Nittany Lion annals. He trails LaVar Arrington and Jimmy Kennedy, who are tied for eighth place with 39.0 TFL.
• Zettel set a career high with seven tackles vs. Maryland. His previous high was seven vs. San Diego State on Sept. 26, 2015.
PLENTY OF CHUNK PLAYS
• The Nittany Lions are 13th in the country and tied for first in the Big Ten with Nebraska in plays of 30 or more yards (31). The Penn State passing game had 10 plays of 30 or more yards in the win over Maryland.
• Junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg is tied for 12th in FBS with 20 pass plays of 30 or more yards, while sophomore wide receiver Chris Godwin is tied for eighth with 10 catches for 30 or more yards.
• Additionally, freshman running back Saquon Barkley is tied for 18th in FBS with five rushes for 30 or more yards.