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Penn State-Kent State Game Notes

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No. 11/10 Penn State welcomes Kent State for its non-conference finale Saturday afternoon in Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon on FS1.
 
It's been two years since the Nittany Lions and Golden Flashes last tangled on the gridiron. The 2016 meeting was the season opener, marking quarterback Trace McSorley's first career start and the debut of a new offensive system. McSorley threw two touchdown passes in the game, marking his second-straight game with a touchdown pass after throwing his first in relief in the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl. He also threw for a then-career high 209 passing yards. McSorley now enters this season's contest with a 30-game streak for passing touchdowns and 23 200-yard passing games to his credit. Offensive lineman Ryan Bates, defensive tackle Kevin Givens and punter Blake Gillikin also made their first career starts against the Flashes in 2016.
 
The opening games of 2018 have proven no different in terms of young players stepping into bigger roles. Wide receiver KJ Hamler has three touchdowns in his first two career games, forcing overtime with a touchdown reception in the season opener against Appalachian State and scoring both of Penn State's touchdowns in a back-and-forth first half at Pittsburgh. First-year starting running back Miles Sanders posted his first career 100-yard rushing game at Pitt, while Penn State's top seven tacklers this season do not include any returning starters from last season.
 
Kent State is 1-1 to open 2018, only losing by a touchdown in its season opener at another Big Ten school, Illinois, and topping Howard in its home opener last week. The Golden Flashes are under the guidance of first-year head coach Sean Lewis.
 
This is the third and final non-conference game for Penn State this season. The Nittany Lions next face a short week in preparation for their Big Ten opener Friday night at Illinois.
 
HEAD COACH SEAN LEWIS

  • Sean Lewis became Kent State University's 22nd head football coach on Dec. 21, 2017.
  • Lewis came to the Golden Flashes after serving as the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach under Dino Babers at Syracuse. Lewis' background stretches from his four-year playing career at Wisconsin under Barry Alvarez, to winning the 2015 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship as the co-offensive coordinator at Bowling Green.
  • Lewis became the youngest FBS head coach in the nation at the age of 31. That distinction was previously held by Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley at age 34.
  • Lewis spent his previous six seasons alongside head coach Babers at Syracuse (2016-17), Bowling Green (2014-15) and Eastern Illinois (2012-13).
  • A tight end and quarterback at Wisconsin, Lewis was a two-time Academic All-Big Ten selection. Current Wisconsin Badger head coach Paul Chryst served as his offensive coordinator and position coach.

 
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN FLASHES

  • Kent State, a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), is 1-1 entering Week 3, only losing to Big Ten-foe Illinois in the season opener by one touchdown and defeating FCS-level Howard, 54-14.
  • Kent State led Illinois 17-3 at halftime before the Fighting Illini rallied for a 31-24 victory.
  • The Golden Flashes are opening the season with a challenging non-conference slate, playing three of four games against "Autonomy Five" schools. They play at Ole Miss next week.
  • Under the guidance of first-year head coach Sean Lewis, Kent State has dubbed its style of play as "FlashFAST" football. Lewis, who coached under Dino Babers at Bowling Green and Syracuse, uses an up-tempo offensive scheme. Syracuse led FBS with 86 plays per game in 2017 with Lewis on staff, and Kent State is averaging 83 plays per game (12th in FBS) this season. Lewis has also converted the Kent State defense from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4.
  • Kent State returns 49 letterwinners from last year, including 14 starters (6 offense, 6 defense, 2 special teams).
  • Linebacker Jim Jones was named as one Athlon Sports Top 50 underrated players entering 2018.

 
NON-CONFERENCE FINALE

  • Penn State is playing its third-and-final non-conference game of the season.
  • Penn State is seeking its seventh consecutive win over non-conference opponents during the regular season, dating back to a win 34-27 win over Temple in 2016.
  • Under James Franklin (2014-pres.), Penn State is 14-2 against non-conference opposition during the regular season.

 
PENN STATE VS. MAC

  • Penn State owns a 25-3 mark against the 2018 football alignment of the Mid-American Conference.
  • The Nittany Lions have played 10 of the 13 members of the MAC, playing their first MAC opponent, Buffalo, on Nov. 29, 1900. The Lions lost, 10-0, that day on the road.
  • Penn State has won six consecutive games against MAC opponents.
  • PSU has played a MAC school every year since 2009.
  • Upcoming games against MAC opponents include: Buffalo (Sept. 7, 2019), Ball State (Sept. 11, 2021), Central Michigan (Sept. 24, 2022) and Bowling Green (Sept. 7, 2024).
  • Kent State is the lone MAC opponent Penn State faces this season.

 
PENN STATE-KENT STATE CONNECTIONS

  • Penn State redshirt senior RB, Mark Allen and sophomore DE Shane Simmons played with Kent State senior CB Darryl Marshall at DeMatha Catholic in Hyattsville, Maryland.
  • Penn State redshirt freshman DT Evan Presta and freshmen WR Henry Fessler and OL Juice Scruggs played with Kent State freshman DL Will Burns at Cathedral Prep in Erie, Pennsylvania.
  • Penn State redshirt freshman WR KJ Hamler played with Kent State sophomore S Elvis Hines at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

 
COACHING CONNECTIONS

  • Kent State inside linebackers coach, Will Windham spent a season as a defensive graduate assistant at Penn State in 2014, working with defensive line coach Sean Spencer.
  • Penn State offensive line coach Matt Limegrover coached Kent State offensive graduate assistant Matt Battaglia at Northern Illinois in 2010.
  • Kent State head coach Sean Lewis played for Big Ten foe Wisconsin from 2004-07. He played in games against Penn State in 2006 (Wisconsin, W, 13-3) and 2007 (Penn State, W, 38-7).

 
NITTANY LIONS FROM OHIO

  • QB Sean Clifford – Cincinnati/St. Xavier
  • OL Alex Gellerstedt – Dublin/Dublin Coffman
  • OL Mike Miranda – Stow/Stow-Munroe Falls
  • OL Juice Scruggs – Ashtabula/Cathedral Prep
  • DT Antonio Shelton – Westerville/Westerville-North
  • SN Chris Stoll – Westerville/St. Francis DeSales

 
HAMLER NAMED TO HORNUNG HONOR ROLL

  • Versatility is at the heart of the Paul Hornung Award, so WR KJ Hamler's rushing and receiving touchdowns at Pitt in Week 2 earned him a place on the award's weekly honor roll.
  • Hamler took his first career rush 34 yards for a touchdown on Penn State's first possession. He is the first Penn State wideout with a rushing touchdown since DeAndre Thompkins against Rutgers in 2015.
  • Hamler had his second receiving touchdown of the season with a 14-yard catch in the second quarter.
  • Hamler is the first Penn State wide receiver to have a rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown in the same game since Derrick Williams accomplished the feat against Indiana in 2008.
  • Hamler also returned three kickoffs for 73 yards, totaling 145 all-purpose yards in the game.
  • The Paul Hornung Award is given annually to the most versatile player in major college football by the Louisville Sports Commission and football legend and Louisville native Paul Hornung.

 
PENN STATE IN THE POLLS

  • Penn State enters Week 3 ranked No. 10 in the Amway Coaches poll and No. 12 in the Associated Press poll.
  • Penn State's 26-straight weeks in the AP Top 25 is the eighth-longest active streak in FBS.
  • Penn State has been ranked in the last 11 CFP rankings, dating back to its first-ever appearance in the first poll of the 2016 season.

 
MILESTONE WATCH

  • Trace McSorley is 12 yards shy of 1,000 career rushing yards.
  • ... 257 yards shy of 8,000 career passing yards.
  • ... 38 completions shy of 600 career completions.
  • ... 81 attempts shy of 1,000 career pass attempts.
  • ... 269 yards shy of 9,000 career yards of total offense.
  • ... 17 TDs shy of 100 career touchdowns responsible for.
  • Tommy Stevens is 112 yards shy of 500 career rushing yards.
  • Miles Sanders is 416 yards shy of 1,000 career rushing yards.
  • DeAndre Thompkins is 84 yards shy of 1,000 career receiving yards.
  • Juwan Johnson is 139 yards shy of 1,000 career receiving yards.

 
MILESTONES ACHIEVED

  • Miles Sanders surpassed 500 career rushing yards with an 118-yard effort against Pitt.
  • DeAndre Thompkins surpassed 500 career punt return yards with a 29-yard return against App State.

 
STREAKING

  • With a win over Appalachian State in the 2018 season opener, Penn State extended its home winning streak to 15 games, tied for sixth-longest in the school annals. It is the longest home winning streak since a 21-game streak from 1970-74.
  • The Nittany Lions have scored 20 or more points in 25 consecutive games, which is the longest streak in program history, breaking the record of 20-straight games from 1993-95. It is also tied for the second-longest streak in Big Ten history with the 25-game streak by Michigan State (2013-15) and trails only the 46-game streak by Ohio State (2006-14).
  • QB Trace McSorley has thrown a touchdown pass in 30 consecutive games, dating to the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl, extending his school record. It is the longest active streak in FBS.
  • Penn State has rushed for 200 yards in five consecutive games, dating back to last season's Nebraska game on November 18, 2018.
  • Penn State has made its last 156 extra points.
  • Penn State has scored in nine-straight quarters (including overtime against App State).

 
WINNING WAYS

  • Penn State is 22-3 in its last 25 games, the best span since going 37-3 from 1993-96.
  • Over the last 25 games, only Alabama and Oklahoma (23-2) are better. Clemson and Wisconsin are also 22-3 in their last 25.
  • Penn State is 24-5 over the past three seasons (2016-18), tying for the eighth-best record in FBS.
  • Penn State's 38 wins over the last five years (2014-18) rank tied for 16th in FBS and third in the Big Ten (Ohio State, 51; Wisconsin, 49).
  • Penn State's 80 wins over the last 10 years (2009-18) rank tied for 18th in FBS and fourth in the Big Ten (Wisconsin, 96; Ohio State, 92; Michigan State, 85).
  • Penn State's 124 wins over the last 15 years rank tied for 16th in FBS and third in the Big Ten (Ohio State, 143, Wisconsin, 143).
  • Penn State finished 2017 with an 11-2 record for its seventh 11-win regular season since joining the Big Ten (12 wins in 1994; 11 wins in '96, 2005, '08, '09, '16, '17) and 16th overall.
  • Penn State posted back-to-back 11-win seasons for the first time since the 2008 and 2009 seasons.
  • Penn State completed its 2017 home schedule with a second consecutive perfect 7-0 record. It is the first time the Nittany Lions have back-to-back undefeated home seasons since 1985 (6-0) and 1986 (7-0).
  • Penn State and Wisconsin are the only Big Ten teams to have posted a winning season in the last 13 consecutive years.
  • Penn State is one of eight teams (USC, LSU, Florida State, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Oregon, Virginia Tech) in the Autonomy Five to have a winning record each of the last 13 years.
  • Overall in the FBS, Penn State is one of nine teams with a winning record in each of the last 13 years (Boise State).

 
DISCIPLINED

  • Penn State is among the most disciplined teams in the nation, committing just six penalties for 55 yards.
  • Conversely, Penn State's opponents (App State, 10-105; Pitt, 14-116) have been flagged 24 times for 221 yards.
  • Navy (1.5 ppg) and Georgia Southern (2.5 ppg) lead FBS in penalties per game, while Penn State, Notre Dame and Wake Forest are tied for third with 3.0 penalties per game.
  • Penn State's 27.5 penalty yards per game rank third in FBS behind Navy (14.0) and Georgia Southern (22.5).
  • Penn State leads the Big Ten in both categories.

 
HOME IN HAPPY VALLEY

  • Penn State's 15-game home win streak is the third-longest active streak in FBS.
  • Penn State completed its 2017 home schedule with a second consecutive perfect 7-0 record. It is the first time the Lions have posted back-to-back undefeated home seasons since 1985 (6-0) and 1986 (7-0).
  • The Nittany Lions have gone 7-0 at home six times in the Big Ten era (1994, 1998, 2005, 2008, 2016, 2017).
  • Dating back to 2015, Penn State has won 21 of its last 22 home games.

 
HISTORIC WIN IN HISTORIC SERIES

  • Penn State earned a 51-6 victory over Pittsburgh to take a 2-1 lead in the four-game Keystone Classic series.
  • Penn State improved to 52-43-4 all-time against Pittsburgh.
  • The 45-point margin of victory was the largest in the Penn State-Pitt series since a 52-point win (65-9) over the Panthers in 1968.
  • The 51 points are the most for the Nittany Lions against Pittsburgh since scoring 65 points in 1968.
  • The six points allowed are the fewest for the Nittany Lions against Pitt since shutting the Panthers out in 1985.

 
OFFENSE CONTINUES PRODUCING

  • Penn State is averaging 48.0 points per game through two weeks to rank 16th in FBS and second in the Big Ten.
  • Penn State tallied 45 points and covered 434 yards in its season-opening win over Appalachian State, and scored 51 points with 390 yards of total offense in a win at Pitt.
  • Penn State has scored 20 or more points in a school-record 25 consecutive games, which is tied for the second-longest streak in Big Ten history with Michigan State (2013-15). It trails the 46-game streak by Ohio State (2006-14).
  • The Nittany Lions have scored 30 or more points 20 times in the last 22 games.
  • The Nittany Lions scored 40 points for the 13th time since 2016.
  • Penn State scored 50 points for the fifth time since 2016.
  • Penn State averaged 460.3 yards of total offense per game in 2017 to rank second in the Big Ten and 19th in FBS. It was also its highest average since 1994 (520.2 avg.).

 
GROUND GAME ROLLS

  • Penn State has rushed for more than 200 yards in each of its first two games, rushing for 205 yards in the opener against App State and 211 yards at Pitt.
  • The performances mark the fifth-straight game, dating back to November 18, 2017 vs. Nebraska, that Penn State has surpassed 200 yards rushing.
  • It's Penn State's longest 200-yard rushing game streak since a seven-game streak from 2007-08.
  • RB Miles Sanders registered his first career 100-yard rushing game with 118 yards on 16 carries at Pitt, marking his second consecutive game with a career-high rushing total.
  • Against App State, Sanders totaled 91 yards rushing, with 62 of those yards coming in the fourth quarter and overtime. He also set career highs with 19 rushes and three receptions, and rushed for two touchdowns, including a 4-yard score in overtime.
  • Freshman RB Ricky Slade and senior Mark Allen also contributed to the win over App State. Slade scored the first touchdown of his career in the third quarter on a 27-yard run. Allen added 24 yards on five carries and had a career-best three receptions. His previous high was two against Indiana in 2015.
  • At Pitt, Allen scored his third career rushing touchdown with a 4-yard score in the fourth quarter.

 
FIRSTS ON FIRSTS ON FIRSTS

  • Penn State had several firsts pile up at Pitt.
  • WR KJ Hamler tallied his first career rushing touchdown on his first career rush on Penn State's first offensive drive in the first quarter. He is the first Penn State wideout with a rushing touchdown since DeAndre Thompkins against Rutgers in 2015.
  • WR Mac Hippenhammer caught a touchdown on his first career reception. Hippenhammer is the first Nittany Lion wide receiver to have a touchdown on his first reception since Irvin Charles had an 80-yard catch in 2016 against Minnesota.
  • QB Sean Clifford threw his first career touchdown pass (Brandon Polk, 34 yards) on his first career pass attempt on his first collegiate snap.
  • Clifford is the first Penn State quarterback to throw for a touchdown on his first career completion since Matt McGloin connected with Derek Moye for a 42-yard score against Minnesota in 2010.

 
ORUWARIYE MAKING PICKS

  • CB Amani Oruwariye has an interception in each of Penn State's first two games.
  • Oruwariye is the first Nittany Lion with interceptions in back-to-back games since he accomplished the feat last year against Indiana and Northwestern.
  • Both interceptions this season have been in the red zone.
  • At Pitt, Oruwariye intercepted a pass at the 3-yard line nullifying a potential touchdown drive.
  • Against App State, Oruwariye sealed Penn State's season-opening win in overtime with an interception in the end zone.
  • Oruwariye has had an interception in three consecutive season openers (2016 vs. Kent State; 2017 vs. Akron).
  • Oruwariye also forced the first fumble of his career in the third quarter against App State.
  • Oruwariye tied a career high with seven tackles against App State (Michigan State, 2016).

 
SAFETY FIRST

  • The Nittany Lions recorded a safety on a holding call in the end zone in the third quarter at Pitt.
  • It is Penn State's third safety in the last 14 games, dating back to the Pitt game in 2016.

 
SACK MASTERS

  • Penn State is continuing to bring a balanced pass rush, as seven different Nittany Lions have contributed to the team's six sacks for the season.
  • Nick Scott and Cam Brown registered their first career full sacks in this season's opener against App State, accounting for Penn State's two sacks.
  • Jan Johnson tallied his first career assisted sack at Pitt.
  • The Nittany Lions totaled 42 sacks in 13 games. Following totals of 46 sacks in 2015 and 40 sacks in 2016, Penn State posted back-to-back-to-back 40-sack seasons for the first time since it posted three-consecutive 40-sack seasons in 2005 (41), 2006 (40) and 2007 (46).

 
GIVENS MAKES IMPACT

  • DT Kevin Givens made his season debut at Pitt and had a career-high seven tackles. His previous high was four stops, which he had done on three occasions, most recently against Washington in the Fiesta Bowl.
  • Givens also had a career-best 2.0 tackles for loss. He had 1.0 TFLs on eight occasions previously.

 
FUMBLE FIRSTS

  • At Pitt, CB Jabari Butler forced his first fumble of his Penn State career in the fourth quarter, which was recovered by S Ayron Monroe for the first recovery of his career.
  • Jarvis Miller made his first fumble recovery in the second quarter at Pitt, picking up a muffed punt.

 
GILLIKIN FLIPS THE FIELD

  • At Pitt, P Blake Gillikin dropped four punts inside the Pitt 20-yard line and three inside the 10. He now has dropped 54 punts inside the 20 and (28) inside the 10 for his career.
  • Gillikin had two punts for 50 or more yards versus the Panthers, bringing his career total to 31.
  • Gillikin's four punts inside the 20 at Pitt tie a career high, which he has down three times (most recently vs. Indiana in 2017)
  • He also tied his personal mark at Pitt with three punts inside the 10, which is the fifth time in his career he has done so.
  • Gillikin's 42.8-yard punting average ranks 30th in FBS and third in the Big Ten.

 
FRESHMAN KICKERS DEBUT

  • Penn State debuted a pair of kickers in its season opener against App State.
  • K Jake Pinegar booted his first career field goal (32 yards) late in the second quarter.
  • Pinegar was also a perfect 6-for-6 on extra points.
  • Pinegar remains perfect in extra point attempts, connecting on all seven of his kicks against Pitt. He is 13-for-13 on the year.
  • Penn State has made its last 156 extra points
  • K Rafael Checa made his first career appearance, averaging 60.2 yards per kickoff, including two touchbacks.

 
THOMPKINS BRINGS IT BACK

  • PR DeAndre Thompkins returned a third-quarter punt 39 yards for a touchdown at Pitt for his second career punt return touchdown. He also scored on a punt return against Akron last season.
  • With two career punt returns for a touchdown, Thompkins is tied for fourth on Penn State's all-time list with 10 other players (most recently: Larry Johnson, 1998-2002.