94614129461412

Penn State-Temple Postgame Notes

Sept. 17, 2016

Recap | Final Stats | Quotes | Photo Gallery | USATSI Photo Gallery

TEAM
- Penn State is now 40-1-4 all-time vs. Temple. The Nittany Lions own a 24-0-1 mark in home games, including a 20-0 mark at Beaver Stadium.
- The Nittany Lions are 77-24-4 against teams in the American Athletic Conference.
- Sophomore DE Torrence Brown made his first career start, giving Penn State nine first-time starters in 2016.
- The 106 points scored by Penn State through three games is the most by a Nittany Lion team since the 2008 squad put up 166 points in that span (Coastal Carolina -- 66; Oregon State -- 45; at Syracuse -- 55).
- For the first time since 2008, the Nittany Lions scored 30 or more points in the first three games of the season.
- The Nittany Lions scored 30 or more points in three consecutive games for the first time since 2012 (Eastern Michigan -- 45; UCF -- 31; Kent State -- 34).
- Penn State's 38 rushing yards allowed are the fewest since limiting Illinois to 37 yards in 2015.
- The 13 first downs by Temple are the fewest since allowing 13 to San Diego State in 2015.

OFFENSE
- Sophomore QB Trace McSorley posted his third career 200-yard passing game, accounting for 287 yards through the air on 18-of-24 passing.
-The 52-yard TD pass from McSorley to Chris Godwin in the first quarter was the longest completion of McSorley's career. He tied his career long completion with a 52-yard strike to Mike Gesicki in the third quarter.
- On the ground, McSorley accounted for eight yards and netted his first career rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
- With seven catches on the day, junior WR Godwin moved into 10th all-time on Penn State career receptions list with 112 receptions, passing Tony Johnson (107, 2000-03), current Penn State assistant coach Terry Smith (108, 1988-91), Kenny Jackson (109, 1980-83) and Bryant Johnson (110, 1999-2002).
- Godwin recorded his seventh career 100-yard receiving game and first of the season with 117 yards. He logged five 100-yard efforts in 2015 and had more than 100 yards in the 2014 Pinstripe Bowl.
- With 117 receiving yards, Godwin moved his career total to 1,642 yards, which ranks No. 14 on Penn State's all-time list.
- Godwin caught his first TD pass of the season in the first quarter, giving him eight career touchdown grabs.
- Godwin now has at least one catch in 28-of-29 career games and has at least four catches in 15 of his last 17 games.
- Junior TE Mike Gesicki caught two passes for a career-high 62 yards, including a career-long 52-yard grab in the third quarter.
- Junior WR DaeSean Hamilton moved his career total to 1,620. That total ranks No. 15 on the all-time receiving yards list at Penn State.
- Sophomore RB Saquon Barkley ran for 68 yards on the afternoon, moving him into the No. 31 spot on Penn State career rushing chart with 1,334 yards. He passed Akeel Lynch (1,318, 2013-15) and Gary Brown (1,321, 1987-90) in the game.
- Barkley broke off the longest touchdown run of his career with his 55-yard scoring run. His previous long was a 16-yard TD rush against Rutgers in 2015.
- Barkley's six rushing touchdowns in the first three games of the season are the most by a Penn State player since Evan Royster had six scores in the first three games of the 2008 season.
- Barkley's seven combined offensive touchdowns (6 rushing, 1 receiving) are the most by a Penn State since at least 1989.
- Redshirt freshman RB Andre Robinson scored his first career touchdown on a 3-yard plunge in the first quarter.
- Robinson posted career highs for rushing attempts (6), yards (24) and touchdowns (1).
- True freshman RB Miles Sanders made his first career carry early in the second quarter, gaining six yards.
- Sanders carried three times for 27 yards, including a long of 19 in the second quarter.

DEFENSE
- Junior DT Parker Cothren posted a career high in tackles (7) and tackles-for-loss (2.5).
- Cothren also tied his career high with 0.5 sack, the fourth such game of his career.
- Junior LB Brandon Smith made a career-high eight tackles, after having just one career stop entering the game.
- Smith also added his first career tackle-for-loss, a combined stop with Brown in the fourth quarter.
- Entering today, Smith had played three defensive snaps (all in 2016) and 44 total snaps in his career.
- Senior Malik Golden tied his career high with nine tackles. He also had nine tackles at Michigan State in 2015.
- Redshirt freshman DT Kevin Givens recorded his first career tackle-for-loss in the third quarter.
- Redshirt freshman LB Manny Bowen collected his first career sack in the second quarter.
- Redshirt freshman DT Robert Windsor collected his first career sack, a combined effort with Brown in the fourth quarter.
- Sophomore CB John Reid nabbed his third career interception in the fourth quarter.

Special Teams
- Freshman P Blake Gillikin continued the solid start to his career averaging 35.0 yards per punt on three kicks vs. Temple.
- Gillikin pinned two punts inside the Temple 20-yard line, giving him seven punts inside the 20 this season.
- Gillikin's first punt was downed at the 1-yard line, his third punt inside an opponent's 10-yard line this season.
- Junior PK Tyler Davis converted both of his field goal tries in the game, connecting from 40 and 30 yards, respectively, and is now 13-of-13 for his career.
- Davis was also a perfect 4-for-4 in extra point attempts, making him 22-of-22 to start his career.
- Joey Julius' six touchbacks on the afternoon are the most for Penn State since having eight vs. UMass in 2013.

UP NEXT
- Penn State travels to Ann Arbor, Mich. to take on Michigan at Michigan Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 24. Time and television designations will be announced Sunday.