UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State (9-3, 6-3) is in Orlando, Florida to take on the Kentucky Wildcats (9-3, 5-3 SEC) in the 2019 VRBO Citrus Bowl. The Nittany Lions will look for their third consecutive 10-win season and are making their 49th bowl appearance in program history.
Penn State is riding a three-game winning streak, which includes a 38-3 victory over Maryland in the final week of the regular season. On the other hand, Kentucky comes in with their best win-loss ratio in more than 40 years. The Wildcats opened the season 5-0 before suffering a 20-14 loss at Texas A&M.
Penn State is led by quarterback Trace McSorley, while Kentucky garners National Defensive Player of the Year in linebacker Josh Allen. The 2019 VRBO Citrus Bowl is Scheduled for 1 p.m. on ABC, ESPN Radio or the Penn State Sports Network.
Penn State Spotlight
Must we look any further than quarterback Trace McSorley? In his final game wearing a Penn State uniform, McSorley needs just one pass attempt to become the first Penn State quarterback the throw in four bowl games. The veteran quarterback is Penn State's all-time wins leader and was named to the All-Big Ten second team following the regular season.
"It was always my goal to come in and be one of the best quarterbacks in Penn State history. That's something that I had set a goal personally when I got to school," Trace McSorley stated. "I'm extremely grateful and extremely thankful for the opportunity the coaches gave me to even come to a school like Penn State and an opportunity to play on the field and for putting me in good situations to be able to be successful."
Quote of the Week
"You see a great football player, but you see the characteristics. You see the toughness, the leadership. Everything runs through him," Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops said about Trace McSorley. "He wants the team on his back. And you know got to have great respect for a player like that. You could just see it with the way he plays with the attitude, the toughness, and makes plays across the board, so just an awful lot of respect for him."
Kentucky Standouts
Benny Snell: Leads the team with 1,305 rushing yards and was named an All-American and All-SEC first team this season. Snell is a dynamic rusher who collected 14 touchdowns and averaged 108.8 yards per game this season. The Ohio native had a season-high 175 rushing yards against Florida.
Josh Allen: It isn't a secret how lethal Josh Allen has been for the Wildcats this season. Allen, a resident of New Jersey, collected 84 tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss and 14.0 sacks. The junior standout won the Bednarik and Nagurski awards as the nation's best defender and was also the SEC Defensive Player of the Year.
The Difference Maker
With several different factors surrounding this game, one could argue the battle for the 2019 VRBO Citrus Bowl will be won in the trenches. Kentucky's front seven, on both sides of the football, are one of the best Penn State will have faced this season. Stopping the run will be important but Penn State is no stranger to the threat of a highly touted back. In week 10, the Nittany Lions squared off with Jonathan Taylor of Wisconsin. At the time, Taylor was leading the country with 1,363 rushing yards but Brent Pry and his defensive unit held the Badger offense to 10 points and 269 yards of total offense. Regardless, the Nittany Lions defense will have to limit Snell's big play potential to pick up their 10th win of the season.
Kentucky Quick Facts
Head Coach: Mark Stoop
Record at Kentucky (6th season): 35-39 (.473)
vs. Penn State: First Meeting