Nov. 6, 2016
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Penn State Football
Post-Game Notes -- Iowa
November 5, 2016
TEAM
- With tonight's win, Penn State is guaranteed its 12th consecutive winning season. Only four additional teams (Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Boise State) have posted winning records each of the last 12 years. USC, LSU, Florida State and Oregon can also clinch 12 consecutive winning seasons this year.
- The Nittany Lions have scored 103 points in their last two games, marking the first time since 2008 that Penn State has had a combined 100 points in a two-game span (45 vs. Temple, 55 at Syracuse).
- The Nittany Lions have scored 103 points in their last two Big Ten games, marking the first time since 2002 that Penn State has had combined 100 points in a two-game span against Big Ten opponents (61 vs. Michigan State, 58 at Indiana).
- Penn State posted back-to-back outings with 40 or more points for the first time since 2008 (Michigan, Wisconsin).
- The 41 points against Iowa are the most for Penn State against the Hawkeyes since a 41-27 win in 1995. It is tied for the third-highest total against the Hawkeyes.
- Penn State has started the season 6-0 at home for the second-straight season.
- Penn State has won five straight Big Ten games for the first time since starting 2011 when the Nittany Lions started 5-0 in conference play.
- Penn State has scored on its first drive in three of the past four games and three times this season.
- The Nittany Lions have now forced 14 turnovers on the season, leading to 55 points.
OFFENSE
- Penn State had 599 yards of total offense tonight, the most since recording 661 yards at Rutgers in 1995. The 599 is also the highest total offense output by Penn State vs. a Big Ten team since 653 yards against Michigan State in 1994.
- The Nittany Lions' 599 yards of total offense are the third-most by a Penn State team in a Big Ten game.
- The Nittany Lions had more than 500 yards of total offense in back-to-back games for the first time since surpassing 500 yards against Illinois and Eastern Illinois in 2009.
- Penn State has three games this season with more than 500 yards of total offense, the most since 2012.
- Penn State's 359 yards rushing is the most since rushing for 372 earlier this season against Maryland.
- The last time that Penn State had offensive plays of at least 57 yards in consecutive games was the 2014 season opener vs. UCF (79-yard pass from Christian Hackenberg to Geno Lewis) and 2013 season finale vs. Wisconsin (68-yard pass from Christian Hackenberg to Adam Breneman and a Zach Zwinak 61-yard rush)
- The last time that Penn State had rushes of at least 57 yards in consecutive games was in 2002, when Larry Johnson had rushes of 78 yards against Michigan State and 69 yards at Indiana. Both of those rushes were for touchdowns.
- The last time that Penn State scored on its opening drive in back-to-back games was in 2012 at Virginia and vs. Navy.
- The last time that Penn State has scored on its opening drive in at least three games in a season was in 2013, when it scored on four drives (vs. UCF, vs. Illinois, vs. Purdue, at Wisconsin)
- The Nittany Lions did not have a single three-and-out in the game. Penn State was also 7-of-14 on third down conversions.
- RB Saquon Barkley's 167 rushing yards today give him 1,055 for the season. He is the eighth Penn State player to have multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons (John Cappelletti, Ki-Jana Carter, Curtis Enis, Tony Hunt, Evan Royster, Blair Thomas, Curt Warner).
- Barkley now has 2,131 rushing yards in his career, moving him into 15th place at Penn State. He passed Franco Harris (1969-71; 2,002), Jon Williams (1980-83; 2,042), Booker Moore (1977-80; 2,072) and Zach Zwinak (2011-14; 2,108). He trails Charlie Pittman (2,236 yards, 1967-69) for 14th place.
- Barkley's 11 rushing touchdowns this season is tied for 15th in the Penn State record book. He is tied with Lenny Moore (1954), Blair Thomas (1987) and Tony Hunt (2006). It is the most rushing touchdowns for a player since Evan Royster had 12 in 2008.
- Barkley's 13 touchdowns overall (11 rushing, 2 reception) this season are tied for the eight-most at Penn State.
- Barkley's 57-yard rush is the longest home touchdown rush in his career.
- Barkley had his ninth 100-yard rushing game of his career, and his fourth this season. He is tied for 13th with Eric McCoo in career 100-yard rushing games.
- Barkley's 44-yard reception in the fourth quarter was the longest of his career. His previous long was a 40-yard grab at Pitt earlier this season.
- Barkley's 44-yard reception was the longest by a Penn State running back since Evan Royster had a 49-yard catch in 2009 vs. Syracuse.
- Barkley had 211 all-purpose yards tonight, his second-straight game with more than 200 all-purpose yards. The last Penn State player to have more than 200 all-purpose yards in back-to-back games was Larry Johnson in 2002 (289 yards vs. Michigan State and 327 yards at Indiana).
- QB Trace McSorley's first quarter touchdown pass gives him a touchdown pass in 10 consecutive games.
- Following his second quarter 1-yard touchdown rush, McSorley now has both a rushing and passing touchdown in four of the past five games.
- McSorley jumped into 12th place on Penn State's single season total offense charts with 2,349 yards. He moved up seven spots on the day.
- McSorley was 11-for-18 and finished with 240 passing yards for his third-straight 200-yard game. He has six 200-yard performances on the season, which is tied for seventh in program history.
- McSorley's six career 200-yard passing efforts are tied for 12th in Penn State history.
-WR Chris Godwin has made four or more catches in 18 of his last 23 games dating back to 2014. He has at least one catch in 33 of 35 career games.
- Godwin ranks ninth on career receiving yardage list with 1,931 yards, passing Joe Jurevicius (1994-97; 1,894).
- Godwin moved past O.J. McDuffie (1988-92; 125) for eighth place on the career receptions list with 128 catches.
- QB Tommy Stevens had his first career rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter.
- The last time that Penn State had two quarterbacks with rushing touchdowns in the same game was in 2009 against Eastern Illinois, when Daryll Clark and Kevin Newsome each had one rushing touchdown.
- Stevens had a career-best 45-yard rush late in the fourth quarter.
DEFENSE
- S Troy Apke grabbed his first career interception early in the fourth quarter.
- DT Kevin Givens had a career-high four tackles.
- DT Tyrell Chavis posted his first career sack when he combined with Ryan Buchholz in the fourth quarter.
- LB Koa Farmer tied his career high with one sack, equaling the mark he set against Maryland.
- Penn State's defense held Iowa to 30 yards rushing, which is 137.9 yards below the Hawkeyes' season average (167.9 ypg). The last time Penn State held a Big Ten team to 30 yards rushing or fewer was Indiana in 2012 (24 yards). It was the fewest rushing yards allowed by Penn State since holding Massachusetts to 3 yards in 2014.
- The last time that Penn State held two consecutive opponents to 46 yards rushing or fewer was in 2007, when the Nittany Lions held Notre Dame to zero yards rushing and Florida International to (minus-3) yards rushing.
- Before this game, Penn State had never held consecutive Big Ten opponents to 50 yards or less of rushing since joining the Big Ten.
SPECIAL TEAMS
- PK Tyler Davis has yet to miss a kick that has not been blocked in his career. He is 23-for-25 for his career, with both kicks blocked. He has also made all 46 of his PAT attempts.
- RB Miles Sanders had a career-long 48-yard kick return on the opening kickoff of the game.
OTHER
- Penn State travels to Bloomington next week for a matchup with Indiana for a noon kick on ABC with an ESPN2 mirror.