Citrus Bowl Game Notes

No. 12 Penn State concludes the 2018 season with a trip to the VRBO Citrus Bowl to face No. 14 Kentucky. The New Year's Day bowl is set for 1 p.m. on ABC in Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.
 
Penn State is making a bowl appearance for a fifth consecutive season and 49th time overall, ranking the Nittany Lions tied for ninth all-time in bowl appearances. It's the Lions' sixth appearance in the Citrus Bowl and first since the 2009 season.
 
A third-straight 10-win season is on the line for Penn State, equaling a feat that has not been accomplished since 1980-82.
 
Leading the Nittany Lions for the final time is senior quarterback Trace McSorley, Penn State's all-time passing and wins leader. Just one passing attempt will make him the first Penn State quarterback to throw in four bowl games. McSorley was named to the All-Big Ten second team along with running back Miles Sanders.
 
Penn State's defense is led by two All-Big Ten first team picks, defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos and cornerback Amani Oruwariye. Gross-Matos ranks second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss (1.7 per game) and is one of three Nittany Lion defensive linemen to rank in the top-10 in the Big Ten in sacks per game. Oruwariye ranks third in the Big Ten in passes defended with 1.3 per game.
 
The Lions face a Kentucky team on the rise. The Wildcats went 9-3 during the regular season, their best mark in 41 years, led by a stifling defense and strong running attack. Linebacker Josh Allen won the Bednarik and Nagurski awards as the nation's best defender and was also the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Running back Benny Snell Jr. and offensive guard Bunchy Stallings joined Allen on the All-SEC first team.
 
HEAD COACH MARK STOOPS

• Mark Stoops was named as UK's head coach in 2013.
• Stoops was named the 2018 SEC Coach of the Year by the Associated Press and fellow SEC coaches.
• UK has tied or improved its record every season since he became head coach in 2013, and is the only FBS team to do so.
• Stoops came to Kentucky from Florida State, where he was defensive coordinator from 2010-12. He was defensive coordinator and DBs coach at Arizona from 2004-09, working for his brother, Mike, who was head coach of the Wildcats.
• Mark and Mike are also brothers of former Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops. The eldest Stoops brother, Ron Jr., is special teams coordinator at Youngstown State.
• Prior to Arizona, Stoops coached the defensive backs three years at Miami (Fla.), winning the National Championship in 2001. He also had stints at Houston (2000), Wyoming (1997-99) and USF (1997).
• Stoops was raised in Youngstown, Ohio, and played at Iowa, graduating in 1990.

 
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS

• No. 14 Kentucky went 9-3 during the regular season, which is the team's best regular season in 41 years since the 1977 team went 10-1.
• Kentucky has four wins this season over teams that have won at least eight games – Florida, Mississippi State, Missouri and Middle Tennessee.
• Kentucky senior LB Josh Allen was selected as the nation's top defender with the Chuck Bednarik Award and Bronko Nagurski Trophy. He leads the nation with five forced fumbles, ranks third with 1.17 sacks per game and 11th with 1.5 tackles for loss per game.
• Allen, also the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, junior RB Benny Snell Jr. and senior OG Bunchy Stallings were named first-team All-Southeastern Conference by the league's coaches, while sophomore WR/RS Lynn Bowden Jr. earned second team honors as an all-purpose performer.
• Kentucky ranks eighth in FBS allowing just 16.3 points per game and 22nd in total defense 332.2 yards per game.
• Snell leads the offense, ranking 12th in FBS with 1,305 rushing yards and 14th with 14 rushing touchdowns.

 
NITTANY LIONS EARN 49TH BOWL BERTH

• Penn State is making its 49th bowl appearance all-time, tied for No. 9 nationally with Ohio State. Kentucky is making its 18th bowl appearance.
• Head coach James Franklin has guided his teams to a bowl appearance in each of his eight seasons as a head coach (3 at Vanderbilt; 5 at Penn State).
• The Nittany Lions' 29 bowl victories rank tied for fifth nationally and lead all Big Ten Conference institutions.
• Penn State's 62.5 winning percentage in bowl games (29-17-2 record) is No. 5 nationally among teams with at least 20 bowl appearances.
• Penn State has split its last 10 bowl games, with victories in the 2007 Outback Bowl (Tennessee), 2007 Alamo Bowl (Texas A&M),  2010 Capital One Bowl (LSU), 2014 Pinstripe Bowl (Boston College) and 2017 Fiesta Bowl (Washington). The losses came in the 2009 and 2016 Rose Bowls (USC), 2011 Outback Bowl (Florida), 2012 TicketCity Bowl (Houston) and 2016 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl (Georgia).
• Penn State made its first postseason appearance in 1923 when it traveled across the country to face USC in the Rose Bowl Game to cap off the 1922 season.

 
ABOUT THE VRBO CITRUS BOWL
Via CitrusBowlOrlando.org

• The seventh-oldest collegiate bowl game in the country, the VRBO Citrus Bowl began as the Tangerine Bowl in 1947. The initial game sponsors, members of Elks Lodge #1079 of Orlando, each put up $100 to fund initial expenses.
• Since 1993 the bowl has hosted top teams from the Big Ten and Southeastern conferences.
• In the new "College Football Playoff" era of college football's postseason, the VRBO Citrus Bowl hosts the top Big Ten and SEC teams from outside the CFP series of bowls (Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Orange, Cotton and Peach). In years where a Big Ten team is assigned to play in a non-semifinal Orange Bowl, the VRBO Citrus Bowl will host the top non-CFP selection from the Atlantic Coast Conference against the top non-CFP selection from the SEC.
• The game moved to a New Year's Day date in 1987 and has remained a New Year's Day tradition except in years when the holiday falls on a Sunday.
• Florida Citrus Sports is a not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to increasing community spirit and pride, promoting tourism, stimulating economic development and ultimately benefiting charities, educational institutions and the quality of life in Central Florida through its signature events.

 
PENN STATE IN THE CITRUS BOWL

• Penn State has a 2-3 record in five appearances in the Citrus Bowl.
• Penn State participated in the 42nd (1988; Clemson), 48th (1994; Tennessee), 52nd (1998; Florida), 57th (1987; Miami) and 64th (2010; LSU) editions of the game.

 
POPULAR DESTINATION

• Penn State's sixth appearance in the Citrus Bowl is tied for the most in the bowl's history with Georgia and Florida.
• The Citrus Bowl ranks second amongst Penn State's most frequent bowl destinations. Leading the three bowls is the Fiesta Bowl, which Penn State has appeared in seven times.

 
PENN STATE IN JANUARY BOWL GAMES

• Penn State will be playing in the program's 31st January bowl game and owns an 18-12 record in the month.
• This is Penn State's 25th time playing on New Year's Day.
• Penn State last played on New Year's Day for the 2011 Outback Bowl.
• Penn State is 15-9 when playing on New Year's Day.

 
PENN STATE IN TUESDAY BOWL GAMES

• Penn State will be playing in a Tuesday bowl game for the fourth time out of 49 bowl appearances.
• Penn State owns a 3-0 record in Tuesday bowl games.
  • Jan. 1, 1974: Orange - Penn State 16, LSU 9
  • Dec. 28, 1999: Alamo - Penn State 24, Texas A&M 0
  • Jan. 3, 2006: Orange- Penn State 26, Florida State 23 (3 OT)
  • Jan. 1, 2019: Citrus - vs. Kentucky

 
PENN STATE VS. THE SEC

• Penn State is 23-22-0 all-time against current SEC schools, having played every SEC team except Arkansas, Mississippi and Mississippi State. The most recent meeting with an SEC team was versus Georgia in the 2016 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.
• The Nittany Lions are 12-7 vs. SEC teams in bowl games, with the most recent meeting resulting in a 24-17 loss to Georgia in the 2016 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. Penn State has faced Alabama (1-2), Auburn (1-1), Florida (0-3), Georgia (1-1), Kentucky (1-0), LSU (2-0), Missouri (1-0), Tennessee (3-0) and Texas A&M (2-0) in post-season contests.

 
BOWL STANDOUT

• Penn State is led by quarterback Trace McSorley, who is poised to become the first Nittany Lion quarterback to attempt a pass in four bowl games.
• McSorley looks to add to his school career bowl records of 64 completions, 97 passing attempts, 738 passing yards and eight touchdown passes.
• McSorley made his bowl debut midway through the 2016 TaxSlayer Gator Bowl in relief of an injured Christian Hackenberg. In the first significant action of his career, he completed 14-of-27 passes for 142 yards and two touchdowns, nearly rallying the Lions from a 21-point, third-quarter deficit. He tried to tie the game with a Hail Mary pass from the Georgia 39-yard line in the final seconds, but it fell incomplete.
• McSorley was responsible for five touchdowns in the 2017 Rose Bowl against USC, rushing for one and throwing for four. His four touchdown passes tied a Penn State bowl record, as did his 72-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin.
• McSorley eclipsed 400 yards of total offense in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl, as he led the Nittany Lions to a 35-28 win. He was named the game's Offensive MVP after completing 32-of-42 passes for 342 yards and two touchdowns, while also running 12 times for 60 yards. His 78.0 percent completion percentage in the game is a Penn State bowl record.

 
COACHING STAFF CONNECTIONS

• Penn State head coach James Franklin and Kentucky assistant head coach and running backs coach Eddie Gran both worked at Idaho State coaching wide receivers in the 1990's. Gran served in the role in 1994 and Franklin did so in 1999.
• Franklin and Penn State offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Ricky Rahne and Kentucky wide receivers coach Michael Smith coached together at Kansas State. In 1998, Franklin was a graduate assistant working with the tight ends and Smith was the running backs coach. During the 2009-10 seasons, Rahne served as the tight ends coach, while Smith coached the wide receivers. Penn State Director of Football Administration Kevin Threlkel also worked at Kansas State with Rahne and Smith in 2009 as a development assistant with Kansas State's athletics development organization.
• Penn State defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Brent Pry and Kentucky co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Darin Hinshaw worked together for Memphis from 2007-09, where they won two bowl games. Pry was the defensive line coach and Hinshaw was the wide receivers coach. Penn State co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Tim Banks also worked for Memphis but in 2001-02. 
• Banks, Gran, Hinshaw and Kentucky defensive backs coach Steve Clinkscale have all coached at Cincinnati. Banks was the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach for Cincinnati from 2010-11, while the others were on staff from 2013-15. Like Banks, Clinkscale coached the defensive backs.
• Penn State run game coordinator and offensive line coach Matt Limegrover started working as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Minnesota in 2011, just after Kentucky director of performance and head strength coach Mark Hill left for the head strength and conditioning coach position at Indiana following the 2010 season.
• Penn State special teams coordinator and assistant defensive line coach Phil Galiano and Kentucky inside linebacker coach Matt House have both served as defensive coordinators at Florida International. Galiano held the role from 2007-09, while House did so in 2015.

 
NITTANY LIONS FROM FLORIDA

• DT Judge Culpepper – Tampa/H.B. Plant
• CB Jordan Miner - Wesley Chapel/Wiregrass Ranch
• CB Amani Oruwariye - Tampa/Gaither

 
PENN STATE-KENTUCKY CONNECTIONS

• Penn State sophomore cornerback Donovan Johnson played with Kentucky freshman linebacker DeAndre Square at Cass Tech in Detroit.
• Penn State freshman defensive tackle Aeneas Hawkins played with Kentucky freshman tight end Brenden Bates at Archbishop Moeller High School in Cincinnati.
• Penn State redshirt sophomore offensive linemen Alex Gellerstedt played with Kentucky quarterback Gunnar Hoak at Dublin Coffman High School in Ohio.
• Penn State freshman defensive tackle Judge Culpepper played with Kentucky cornerback Derrick Baity Jr. at H.B. Plant High School in Tampa.

 
FRANKLIN SET TO BOWL AGAIN

• Head coach James Franklin has guided his teams to bowl appearances in each of his eight seasons as a head coach (3 at Vanderbilt; 5 at Penn State).
• He is one of eight active head coaches who have earned bowl eligibility in their first eight or more consecutive seasons on the job.

 
SENIORS SET FOR FINALE

• A total of 21 Nittany Lion seniors will suit up in Blue and White for the final time.
• The 2018 seniors have been instrumental in the Nittany Lions earning a 38-14 record the past four years with four winning seasons, the 2016 Big Ten Championship, a Rose Bowl appearance, Penn State's highest ranking since 1999 (No. 2), a Fiesta Bowl Championship and now a fourth bowl appearance.
• The group ranks currently ranks as the winningest class since 2011 (38-14), and has an opportunity to be the winningest class since 2009 (40-12).
• The group includes some of head coach James Franklin's first recruits.
• The seniors include: Mark Allen, Joe Arcangelo, Torrence Brown, Ryan Buchholz, Jake Cooper, Frank Di Leo, Donnell Dix, Koa Farmer, Sterling Jenkins, Trace McSorley, Amani Oruwariye, Nick Scott, Tyler Shoop, Charlie Shuman, Zach Simpson, Johnathan Thomas, DeAndre Thompkins, Kyle Vasey, Jason Vranic, Christopher Welde and Chasz Wright.

 
BOWL BOUND

• Of Penn State's 12 regular season opponents, seven earned bowl invitations: Appalachian State, Pittsburgh, Ohio State, Michigan State, Iowa, Michigan and Wisconsin.
• Ohio State (Rose Bowl) led Penn State opponents with a No. 6 ranking in the final College Football Playoff rankings, while No. 7 Michigan (Peach Bowl) joins the Buckeyes in a "New Year's Six" bowl.
• Nine of 14 Big Ten teams will participate in a bowl game.
• Five of Penn State's opponents earned eight wins prior to bowl season: Ohio State (12), Michigan (10), Appalachian State (10), Kentucky (9) and Iowa (8).

 
PENN STATE IN THE RANKINGS

• In the last College Football Playoff rankings, Penn State maintained its season-high No. 12 ranking.
• Penn State has been ranked in the last 15 CFP rankings, dating back to its first-ever appearance in the first poll of the 2016 season.
• Penn State is one of six teams (Alabama, Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma and Washington) to rank in the  Top 15 of the CFP final rankings in each of the last three seasons (2016-18).
• Penn State is ranked No. 12 in the Amway Coaches Poll and No. 13 in the Associated Press poll.
• Penn State's 39-straight weeks in the AP Top 25 is the fifth-longest active streak in FBS and tied for the fifth-longest streak in Penn State history.

 
WINNING WAYS

• Penn State clinched its 14th consecutive winning season. Only four other FBS teams have had a winning season each of the last 14 years (Oklahoma, Boise State, LSU, Wisconsin). Virginia Tech can also achieve the feat with a bowl win.
• Over those 14 consecutive winning seasons, Penn State has totaled at least nine wins in nine seasons, including the last three seasons.
• Entering the Citrus Bowl at 9-3, Penn State looks to earn its third consecutive 10-win season after going 11-3 in 2016 and 11-2 in 2017. Penn State last posted three-straight double-digit win seasons in 1980 (10-2), 1981 (10-2) and 1982 (11-1), and did so in four-straight seasons in 1971 (11-1), 1972 (10-2), 1973 (12-0) and 1974 (10-2).
• Head coach James Franklin has guided his teams to a winning record each of the last seven seasons (2 at Vanderbilt, 5 at Penn State).
• Penn State is 29-6 in its last 35 games, the best span since going 29-6 from the last two games of the 1996 season to the first nine games of 1999.
• Penn State is 31-8 over the past three seasons (2016-18), for the seventh-best record in FBS.
• Penn State's 45 wins over the last five years (2014-18) rank tied for 14th in FBS with Florida State, Houston and Memphis, and third in the Big Ten (Ohio State, 61; Wisconsin, 52).
• Penn State's 87 wins over the last 10 years (2009-18) rank tied for 17th in FBS with Notre Dame and USC, and fourth in the Big Ten (Ohio State, 102; Wisconsin, 101; Michigan State, 91).
• Penn State's 131 wins over the last 15 years rank tied for 16th in FBS with Texas and Utah and third in the Big Ten (Ohio State, 153; Wisconsin, 148).

 
STREAKING

• Penn State has appeared in bowls in five consecutive years.
• Penn State has won seven consecutive games against non-conference opponents.
• Redshirt freshman WR KJ Hamler has a reception in all 12 games of his career.
• True freshman TE Pat Freiermuth has a reception in his last 11 games.
• Sophomore DE Yetur Gross-Matos has a tackle for loss in his last eight games.

 
MILESTONE WATCH

• Trace McSorley is 15 yards shy of the PSU career QB rushing record of 1,637 yards held by Michael Robinson (2002-05).
  • ... 83 yards shy of the PSU career QB season record of 806 held by Michael Robinson (2005).
  • ... 347 passing yards shy of 10,000 career passing yards.

 
MILESTONES ACHIEVED

• Trace McSorley surpassed 700 career completions with 12 at Maryland.
  • ... surpassed 100 touchdowns responsible for at Rutgers, becoming just the third Big Ten quarterback to do so.
  • ... 9,000 career passing yards with 83 at Michigan.
  • ... 10,000 career yards of total offense with 327 at Indiana.
  • ... 1,000 career passing attempts with 32 against Michigan State.
  • ... 1,000 career rushing yards with 54 yards against Kent State.
• Tommy Stevens surpassed 500 career rushing yards with 25 at Maryland.
• Miles Sanders surpassed 1,000 rushing yards this season with 159 against Wisconsin.
  • ... 1,000 career rushing yards with 162 against Michigan State.
• Head coach James Franklin coached his 100th career game against Iowa.
• Juwan Johnson surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards with 72 at Indiana.
• DeAndre Thompkins surpassed 1,000 career receiving yards with 101 against Kent State.
  • ... surpassed 500 career punt return yards with a 29-yard return against App State.

 
SECOND-HALF TEAM

• Penn State is tied for ninth in FBS in scoring offense in the second half, averaging 19.0 points. Clemson leads averaging 22.69 points.
• Penn State is also fourth in FBS in fourth-quarter scoring, averaging 11.75 points. Ohio State leads averaging 13.23 points.
• For the season, Penn State is outscoring opponents 215-121 in the second half. The plus-8.33 points per game margin in the second half ranks eighth in FBS. (Per Coaches by the Numbers)

 
McSORLEY MAKES HIS MARK

• QB Trace McSorley owns Penn State career records for passing yards (9,653), completions (703), 300-yard passing games (10), 200-yard passing games (27), rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (29), passing touchdowns (75), total offense (11,275), touchdowns responsible for (104) and wins as a starting quarterback (31).
• He is also the school season record holder for passing yards (3,614; 2016), completions (284; 2017), passing touchdowns (29; 2016), rushing touchdowns by a quarterback (11; 2017, 2018), total offense (4,061; 2017), touchdowns responsible for (37; 2017), 300-yard passing games (5; 2016, 2017) and is tied for the top spot in 200-yard passing games (11; 2016, 2017).
• McSorley is the first Penn State quarterback to throw for 9,000 career yards and the 14th in Big Ten history.
• McSorley has 1,182 career passing attempts to rank second on Penn State's career list behind Christian Hackenberg's 1,235 attempts (2013-15).

 
TOP PENN STATE QUARTERBACKS HONORED IN NYC

• Penn State had a pair of standouts honored at the 61st National Football Foundation (NFF) Annual Awards Dinner in New York City. Former Nittany Lion quarterback Kerry Collins was inducted into the Hall of Fame, while current quarterback Trace McSorley was  honored as an NFF Scholar-Athlete and Campbell Trophy finalist.
• The William V. Campbell Trophy annually recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation.
• Penn State was the only school to have two honorees at the event.
• Collins is the 26th member (20 players, 6 coaches) of the Penn State football family to be elected to the College Hall of Fame. Linebacker Shane Conlan was the most recent player inductee in 2014, while former Nittany Lion player Bill Bowes was enshrined into the Hall of Fame as the University of New Hampshire head coach in 2016.
• Collins helped Penn State post a 40-9 record from 1991-94 and was instrumental in the Nittany Lions earning a 22-2 overall mark (14-2 conference) during their first two years in the Big Ten Conference, posting records of 10-2 in 1993 and 12-0 in 1994.
• The recipient of the 1994 Maxwell Award as the National Player of the Year, he helped the Nittany Lions win three New Year's Day bowl games: the 1992 Fiesta, 1994 Citrus and 1995 Rose Bowls.
• McSorley is the 18th Nittany Lion to be selected as an NFF Scholar-Athlete, joining Dave Joyner (1971), Bruce Bannon (1972), Mark Markovich (1973), Jack Baiorunos (1974), Chuck Correal (1978), John Walsh (1980), Carmen Masciantonio (1984), Lance Hamilton (1985), Brian Siverling (1986), Matt Johnson (1987), Tony Pittman (1994), Jeff Hartings (1995), Wally Richardson (1996), Aaron Collins (1997), Paul Posluszny (2006), Stefen Wisniewski (2010) and John Urschel (2013).
• The 18 selections for the Nittany Lions are tied for third all-time with Notre Dame.

 
GILLIKIN NAMED ACADEMIC ALL-AMERICAN

• Junior P Blake Gillikin was named to the Google Cloud Academic All-America Division I first team for accomplishments in the classroom and on the field.
• Gillikin is the 34th different Penn State football player to collect first team accolades for a total of 44 first-team selections.
• Gillikin's Academic All-America honor is the 66th for Nittany Lion football program, which ranks second in Division I football history (FBS and FCS).
• He is the first Nittany Lion to garner Academic All-America status since long snapper Tyler Yazujian earned honors in 2015 and 2016.
• Gillikin is the first Penn State punter to be named Academic All-American.
• Gillikin has a perfect 4.0 cumulative GPA as a kinesiology major. Gillikin is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten choice and a 2018 Big Ten Distinguished Scholar. He was presented with the President's Freshman Award, given annually to undergraduate degree candidates who have earned a 4.0 cumulative grade-point average based on at least 12 graded Penn State credits completed in their first semester of admission, in May 2017. Gillikin also claimed The Evan Pugh Scholar Award, given to those juniors and seniors who are in the upper 0.5 percent of their respective classes, in May 2018.

 
McSORLEY, SANDERS LEAD OFFENSIVE ALL-BIG TEN PICKS

• QB Trace McSorley and RB Miles Sanders were named to the All-Big Ten second team by both the league's coaches and media. The duo was also named to the Associated Press' All-Big Ten second team.
• McSorley is the first Penn State quarterback to earn three career All-Big Ten accolades.
• Joining McSorley and Sanders on the All-Big Ten offensive team were OL Connor McGovern (third team – coaches & media) and OL Ryan Bates (third team – coaches & media).
• McGovern is the first Penn State offensive lineman to earn back-to-back all-conference honors (first, second or third team) since John Urschel in 2012 (first team) and 2013 (first team).
• Additionally, WR KJ Hamler (honorable mention – coaches & media), tight end Pat Freiermuth (honorable mention – coaches & media) and OL Steven Gonzalez (honorable mention - coaches & media), earned recognition.
• Hamler earned recognition as both a return specialist and wide receiver.
• Freiermuth is the first Penn State freshman tight end to earn All-Big Ten honors since Kyle Carter (first team) in 2012.

 
PAIR SELECTED ALL-BIG TEN FIRST TEAM ON DEFENSE

• CB Amani Oruwariye and DE Yetur Gross-Matos led Penn State's All-Big Ten defensive picks with first team nods. Oruwariye was a first team choice by the league's coaches and media, as well as the Associated Press, while Gross-Matos was a first team selection by the media and third team honoree by the coaches.
• Oruwariye earned his second All-Big Ten honor of his career with an appearance on the coaches' and media's second team in 2017.
• Oruwariye is the first Nittany Lion cornerback to earn All-Big Ten first team accolades since Justin King claimed honors in 2007.
• Gross-Matos is the first Penn State defensive end to earn All-Big Ten first team honors since Carl Nassib in 2015.
• Joining Oruwariye and Gross-Matos on the All-Big Ten defensive team was DE Shareef Miller (third team – coaches & media).
• Miller earned his second career all-conference nod after an appearance on the media's third team and coaches' honorable mention squad last season.
• DT Robert Windsor was named to the Associated Press' All-Big Ten second team and as honorable mention amongst the Big Ten's coaches and media.
• Additionally, S Garrett Taylor (honorable mention – coaches & media), CB John Reid (honorable mention – coaches & media), S Nick Scott (honorable mention – media) and LB Micah Parsons (honorable mention – media) were recognized.
• Reid collects his second all-conference honor after being named honorable mention by the coaches and media in 2016.
• Scott was Penn State's sportsmanship selection.

 
TRIO NAMED TO THE ATHLETIC FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA TEAM

• TE Pat Freiermuth, WR/KR KJ Hamler and LB Micah Parsons were selected to The Athletic Freshman All-America Team.
• Hamler was recognized for his all-purpose and kick returning prowess.
• Penn State's three Freshman All-America selections are the most of any school.

 
DUO EARNS MORE FRESHMAN HONORS

• TE Pat Freiermuth and LB Micah Parsons were selected to the ESPN Freshman All-America and 247Sports True Freshman All-America teams.
• Penn State was tied wih Clemson, Alabama, Georgia and Arizona State as the only teams to have two picks on the ESPN team.
• On the 247Sports team, only Clemson (3) and Alabama (3) had more honorees, and Kansas (2) was the only other team with multiple selections.

 
BOWEN TABBED AFCA 2019 35 UNDER 35 COACHES LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE

• Penn State tight ends coach Tyler Bowen was named as one of the participants in the upcoming 2019 AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute.
• This year's class was chosen from a field of hundreds of applicants. In order to be eligible, applicants had to be born on or after January 1, 1984, and must be currently serving as a high school head coach, two-year college full-time assistant or head coach, or NAIA/NCAA (all divisions) full-time or head coach.
• The AFCA 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute is a prestigious program aimed at identifying and developing premier, future leaders in the football coaching profession.
• Selected participants are invited to attend the one-day institute that features a curriculum of interactive lectures focused on topics specifically tailored to emphasize leadership in the coaching profession, ethics, influential responsibilities, career progression, and family balance.
• The AFCA 2019 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute will take place on Sunday, January 6, at the AFCA Convention in San Antonio, Texas.

 
STATE COLLEGE QUARTERBACK CLUB AWARDS

• Trace McSorley, Miles Sanders, Amani Oruwariye and Shareef Miller were among the leading award winners at State College Quarterback Club's annual banquet honoring the Penn State football team. McSorley was selected the Nittany Lions' Most Valuable Player, while Oruwariye and Miller shared Most Valuable Defensive Player honors and Sanders was selected Penn State's Most Valuable Offensive Player.
• A crowd of nearly 700 filled the main ballroom at the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel to honor 21 seniors and the 2018 squad.
• In addition to the player awards (see below), former Nittany Lion linebacker Terry Killens was presented the Alumni Athlete Award. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 1995. During his sophomore season, he was a member of the 1994 squad that went 12-0 and finished second in the AP and Coaches polls. The 1994 team also won the program's first Big Ten Championship with a perfect 8-0 mark. He was the co-captain of the 1995 squad that defeated Auburn in the Outback Bowl. Killens was drafted in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the then-Houston Oilers. He went on the play seven seasons in the NFL.
• Lions Pride Outstanding Senior Player Award (Greatest Career Contribution to Penn State Football) - QB Trace McSorley
• Most Valuable Player - QB Trace McSorley
• Most Valuable Offensive Player - RB Miles Sanders
• Most Valuable Defensive Player - CB Amani Oruwariye, DE Shareef Miller
• Captain's Award - P Blake Gillikin, QB Trace McSorley, S Nick Scott
• Ridge Riley Memorial Award (senior for "sportsmanship, scholarship, leadership and friendship") - LB Koa Farmer
• Dick Maginnis Memorial Award (outstanding offensive lineman) – OL Connor McGovern
• Bob Mitinger Memorial Award (senior who exhibits courage, character and social responsibility)  – S Nick Scott and RB Johnathan Thomas.
• Reid-Robinson Award (outstanding defensive lineman) – DE Yetur Gross-Matos
• John Bruno Memorial Award (outstanding member of special teams) – LS Kyle Vasey
• Tim Shaw Thrive Award (student-athlete who has overcome adversities and been an inspiration to his fellow teammates) – DE Torrence Brown
• Iron Lion Award (strength and conditioning) – RB Johnathan Thomas
• Outstanding Run-On Award (honors a non-scholarship player) – OL Zach Simpson
• Quarterback Club Awards (Student-athletes who deserve special recognition) – RB Mark Allen, DE Ryan Buchholz, LB Jake Cooper, WR DeAndre Thompkins, LB Jason Vranic, OL Chasz Wright.
• Football Letterman's Club Joe and Sue Paterno Post-Graduate Scholarship ($5,000 Scholarship to a senior to provide recognition and financial assistance for graduate school) – LB Frank Di Leo
• The Nittany Lion Club Academic Achievement Award (senior with highest GPA) – CB Christopher Welde
• Highest Academic Average (Cumulative GPA) – P  Blake Gillikin
• Public Service Award – OL Charlie Shuman
• Scout Team Special Teams Player of the Year – Drew Hartlaub
• Scout Team Defensive Player of the Year – S Justin Neff, DT Judge Culpepper, LB Max Chizmar
• Scout Team Offensive Player of the Year – QB Will Levis, OL Charlie Shuman, OL Juice Scruggs

 
MOVING THE BALL

• Penn State ranks 10th in FBS with 12 scoring drives of less than one minute.
• Penn State has only yielded tackles for loss on 8.7 percent of plays, improving on last year's 11.2 percent.
• Of Penn State's rushes, 244 (48.3 percent) have gone for 4 or more yards, improving on 211 such rushes last season (44 percent).
• Penn State had 565 total yards in its regular season finale against Maryland, marking the third time this season the Nittany Lions surpassed the 500-yard mark of total offense.
• The Nittany Lions had 1,234 yards of total offense over the Kent State (643) and Illinois (591) games, which is the highest two-game total since posting 1,266 against Temple (605) an Rutgers (661) in 1995.
• Penn State's 591 yards of total offense at Illinois rank fifth in program history in Big Ten games and are the fourth-best outing of James Franklin's tenure.
• Penn State had 31 first downs against the Illini, the second-highest total under Franklin and the fourth-best total in the program's Big Ten history.
• Penn State's 643 total yards of offense against Kent State were the most by the Nittany Lions since having 661 yards of total offense at Rutgers in 1995.

 
GREEN LIGHT IN THE RED ZONE

• Penn State has scored on 74 of its last 79 red zone trips, including 60 touchdowns.
• This season, the Nittany Lions are 48-for-52 (41 TD, 8 FG, 1 missed FG, 2 turnovers, 1 kneel down) in the red zone.
• Penn State had scored on 26-straight trips to the red zone (including 24 touchdown drives) before missing a field goal in the third quarter against Michigan State.
• This season, Penn State ranks sixth in FBS and ranks second in the Big Ten with a 92.3 percent success rate in the red zone, its best since converting at a 93.3 percent clip in 2015 (42-for-45).
• Penn State's 90.99 percent scoring rate score over the last two seasons is fourth in FBS.
• Penn State ranks third in FBS in red zone touchdown rate over the last two years, reaching the end zone on 76.58 percent of red zone trips.

 
PILING UP THE POINTS

• Penn State is averaging 34.6 points per game to rank third in the Big Ten and 30th in FBS in scoring.
• Penn State has scored 30 or more points 25 times in the last 32 games.
• Penn State has scored 20 or more points in 33 of its last 35 games. The Nittany Lions had their streak of 20-point games snapped at 28 against Michigan State when they were held to 17 points. The streak is the second-longest in Big Ten history.
• Penn State owns the third lowest plays per point ratio in the Big Ten at 1.99, which ranks 21st in FBS. (Per Coaches by the Numbers).
• Penn State scored 63 points in consecutive games (Kent State; Illinois) for the third time in program history (1917 & 1894).
• At Illinois, the Nittany Lions scored 60 or more points for the third time in six games.
• The Nittany Lions are the fourth Big Ten team to score 60 or more points in consecutive games in the last 100 years, joining 2016 Ohio State, 1996 Ohio State and 1971 Michigan. (Per @BTNStatsGuys)
• At Illinois, the Nittany Lions scored at least 50 points for the seventh time since 2016 and 40 points for the 15th time since 2016. By comparison, from 2008 through 2015, the Nittany Lions had 18 40-point outings.
• Penn State's 222 points in the first four games were the most in a four-game stretch in program history.
• The 35 points scored in the fourth quarter at Illinois are the most in a quarter since Penn State had 36 tallies in the second quarter against Louisville in 1997.
• The 63 points scored at Illinois are tied for the second-most by the Nittany Lions in a Big Ten game with the 1994 Ohio State and 2005 Illinois games. The program record for points in a Big Ten contest is 66 at Maryland last season.

 
LIMITED ACCESS

• Penn State ranks 23rd in FBS and second in the Big Ten behind Iowa (4.67) averaging 4.08 three-and-outs per game.
• Penn State leads the Big Ten and ranks fifth in FBS in red zone defense, only yielding scores on 71.9 percent of opponents' trips inside the 20.
• Penn State ranks fourth in FBS in scoring percentage (20.83).
• Penn State's 1.13 points per possession ranks eighth in FBS and second in the Big Ten behind Michigan State. (Per Coaches by the Numbers)
• Penn State's 1.12 points per possession over the last two years is third in FBS. (Per Coaches by the Numbers)
• PSU has limited opponents big plays, ranking 12th in big play percentage (9.58) and fourth in big play pass percentage (10.72). (Per Coaches by the Numbers)
• Opponents have averaged 3.78 plays per point, ranking Penn State 10th in FBS. (Per Coaches by the Numbers)
• Penn State has held it last three opponents (Wisconsin, 269; Rutgers, 234; Maryland, 259) to less than 300 yards of total offense. The last time the Nittany Lions held three consecutive opponents to less than 300 yards was in 2015 (Buffalo, 274; Rutgers, 294; San Diego State, 242; Army, 294; Indiana, 234).
• The Penn State defense owns four second half shutouts this season: at Pitt, Kent State, Iowa and Maryland.
• Penn State has yielded just 25 combined first downs in its last two games. It held Wisconsin to just 12 first downs, the fewest allowed by the Nittany Lions since giving up 11 last year at Maryland, and then limited the Terps to 13 this season in the regular season finale.
• Penn State held Wisconsin to just 10 points, its fewest points scored since a 14-7 Michigan loss in 2016.
• Indiana ran 100 offensive plays against the Nittany Lions, the most by a Penn State opponent in program history, but was held to 1.75 points per possession.
• Penn State was the first team to hold Ohio State under 100 yards of offense in a half since Oklahoma did it last year in the first half of their 2017 meeting.
• Penn State allowed just 221 total yards to Kent State, the fewest since allowing 200 vs. Rutgers in 2017.
• Penn State held Pitt to just six points, marking the fewest points allowed by Penn State since holding Maryland to three in the 2017 regular season finale.

 
NO FLY ZONE

• Penn State has 13 interceptions on the season, the most since collecting 16 picks in the 2014 season. The total ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 29th in FBS.
• At Rutgers, Penn State yielded 60 or less passing yards for the third time (Pittsburgh, 55; Wisconsin, 60; Rutgers, 46) this season and second time in as many games. Penn State last held three teams in a single season to 60 or less passing yards in 1976 (Ohio State, Iowa, Kentucky), and it was the last time it did it in back-to-back games.
• Penn State is one of 15 teams (16 occasions) since 2000 to have three games in which it held its opponent to 60 passing yards or less (Alabama, 2017; Air Force, 2018; Army, 2006 & 2007; Boise State, 2006; Clemson, 2018; Kansas State, 2000; New Mexico State, 2008; Notre Dame, 2016; Ohio State, 2017; San Jose State, 2014; Texas, 2009; TCU, 2010; Tulsa, 2003; UCLA, 2008).
• PSU held Rutgers to its fewest passing yards allowed (46) since giving up 46 against Nebraska in 2014.
• At Rutgers, Penn State held its opponent to less than 10 completions for the third time (Pittsburgh, 9; Wisconsin, 9; Rutgers, 5) this season. The last time Penn State accomplished that feat was in 2003 when it held Nebraska (4), Kent State (9), Minnesota (7) and Wisconsin (9) to less than 10 completions in consecutive weeks.
• Penn State's five completions allowed at Rutgers were its fewest since allowing one against Army in 2015.
• The Nittany Lions held Iowa to just 19 completions on 50 passing attempts, marking the sixth time since 2000 an FBS school has held an opponent to less than 20 completions on 50 attempts.
• Penn State broke up 15 passes against Michigan State,  its most since totaling 16 PBUs against Purdue in 2000.

 
SACK MASTERS

• Penn State recorded five sacks against Maryland to up its season total to 43 sacks. This marks the fourth-straight season Penn State has registered at least 40 sacks, the first such streak for the Nittany Lions since team sacks were recorded in 1988.
• Led by DE Yetur Gross Matos ranking sixth with 0.67 sacks per game, Penn State has four defensive linemen ranking in the top 16 in the Big Ten in sacks.
• DT Robert Windsor is ninth in the Big Ten with 0.63 sacks per game.
• Windsor has 5.0 sacks in his last five games and had a career-high two sacks against Wisconsin.
• DE Shareef Miller ranks 11th in the Big Ten with 0.58 sacks per game.
• The five sacks by the Nittany Lions against Wisconsin were the most since they recorded six at Indiana earlier this season. Entering the game, Wisconsin had only allowed 13 sacks all year.
• DE Shaka Toney ranks 16th in the Big Ten with 0.42 sacks per game.
• Toney recorded 4.0 sacks at Indiana, all coming in the fourth quarter, doubling his previous career high of 2.0 against Northwestern in 2017.
• Toney's 4.0 sacks tied the Penn State single-game record, equaling the mark held by three others – Terry Killens vs. Indiana, 1995; Jimmy Kennedy at Wisconsin, 2002; Tamba Hali vs. Wisconsin, 2005.
• See National Nits on Page 19
• Causing Chaos behind the line
• Penn State leads the Big Ten in both sacks (3.58) and tackles for loss (8.3) per game. Nationally, Penn State ranks second and fourth, respectively.
• Penn State's tackles for loss percentage of 12.3 percent ranks tied for 21st in FBS, while its sack percentage of 9.7 percent ranks fifth. (Coaches by the Numbers)
• The Nittany Lions recorded 15 tackles for loss against Maryland in the regular season finale, the fourth game this season that Penn State has had at least 10 TFL.
• It is the second-highest TFL total for Penn State this year, trailing only the 16 the Nittany Lions had against Kent State.
• Penn State's 15 tackles for loss are the most in a Big Ten game since registering 15 stops behind the line against Michigan in 2007.
• The 15 tackles for loss mark the fifth game with 15 or more TFLs since 2000. It was also the first time since 2000 Penn State has had two games with 15 or more TFL in the same season.
• Penn State registered 11 TFLs at Rutgers, the most since having 11 against Georgia State last season.
• Penn State is continuing to bring a balanced pass rush, as 14 different Nittany Lions have contributed to the team's 43 sacks for the season.
• With 43 sacks this season, it marks the fourth-straight season Penn State has registered at least 40 sacks, the first such streak for the Nittany Lions since team sacks were recorded in 1988.
• The Lions totaled 42 sacks in 2017. 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).

 
GROSS-MATOS BREAKS OUT

• DE Yetur Gross-Matos recorded his eighth-straight game with at least 1.0 tackle for loss against Maryland.
• Gross-Matos ranks second in the Big Ten and ninth in FBS with 1.7 TFLs per game (20 total). He also ranks sixth in the Big Ten and 37th in FBS with 0.67 sacks per game (8.0 total).
• Gross-Matos has a total of 20 tackles for loss this season, marking the 12th time a Nittany Lion has had at least 20 TFLs in a season (11 different players).
• His 20 tackles for loss are the most by a Nittany Lion since Aaron Maybin had 20 in 2008 and tie him for the eighth-most in a season with Bruce Clark (1978), Todd Atkins (1994), LaVar Arrington (1999) and Aaron Maybin (2008).
• His 8.0 sacks are the most by a Nittany Lion in a season since Carl Nassib made a school-record 15.5 sacks in 2015.
• Gross-Matos had a streak of at least a half-sack end at five games when he was held without a sack at Rutgers. He tallied 6.5 sacks during the span.
• Gross-Matos posted his fifth game of the season with 2.0 tackles for loss or more against Wisconsin.
• Gross-Matos tallied a career-high 4.0 tackles for loss against Iowa and tied his career high with 2.0 sacks, marking the second-straight week he posted 2.0 sacks. He was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week following the Iowa game.
• Gross-Matos had a career-high 10 tackles, including six solo stops at Indiana, the most by a Penn State defensive lineman since Austin Johnson had 10 stops at Northwestern in 2015. Gross-Matos' 10 stops are the most by a Penn State defensive end since Carl Nassib had 10 tackles at Temple in 2015.

 
WILD DOGS TURNING UP THE PRESSURE

• DE Shareef Miller had his eighth game this season with 1.0 or more tackles for loss against Maryland.
• He set a career high with seven tackles at Rutgers. He recorded five tackles in four previous games with the last coming against Ohio State.
• Miller had 2.5 tackles for loss at Rutgers, marking his fourth game this season with 2.0 or more TFLs.
• DT Robert Windsor has seven games this year with at least a full tackle for loss.
• At Rutgers, Windsor forced his third career fumble and second of the season.
• Windsor has totaled a career-high six tackles in games against Wisconsin and Rutgers in consecutive weeks.
• With 2.0 tackles for loss at Rutgers, Windsor collected his third game this season with 2.0 or more TFLs.
• DT Kevin Givens set a career high with 2.0 sacks against Maryland. He also tied a career best with 2.0 tackles for loss, matching his performance at Pittsburgh earlier this year.