No. 7 Penn State Opens 2020 Campaign at IndianaNo. 7 Penn State Opens 2020 Campaign at Indiana
Mark Selders/Penn State Athletics

No. 7 Penn State Opens 2020 Campaign at Indiana

Opens in a new window Penn State Game Notes (PDF) Opens in a new window Indiana Game Notes (PDF) Opens in a new window Big Ten Weekly Notes (PDF)

OPENING KICK: No. 8/7 Penn State opens its 134th season of football by visiting Indiana Saturday in Memorial Stadium. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. on FS1.

LATEST OPENER SINCE WWI: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State is playing its latest season opener since World War I restrictions and an influenza pandemic prevented the 1918 season from kicking off until Nov. 2. Penn State's last October season opener was in 1948.

LOOK WHO'S BACK: Penn State returns 39 lettermen from last year's Top 10 squad – 16 on offense, 20 on defense and three on special teams. The Nittany Lions also return 17 starters – 10 on offense, four on defense and three on special teams. Among the returning starters are 2019 All-Big Ten second-team honorees Pat Freiermuth and Shaka Toney, third-team honoree Tariq Castro-Fields, as well as honorable-mention selections Journey Brown, Sean Clifford, Will Fries, Michal Menet, Jake Pinegar and Lamont Wade. Freiermuth was also named a second-team All-America honoree by the AFCA and The Athletic.

STARTING OFF RIGHT: Penn State has won 16 of its last 18 season-opening contests and four consecutive. All-time, the Nittany Lions are 110-21-2. Penn State won its only two previous season openers against Big Ten opponents, defeating Minnesota in 1993 and 1994 in the Nittany Lions' first two seasons as members of the conference.

THE OPPOSITION: In 2019, Indiana went 8-5 overall and 5-4 in the Big Ten, earning a berth in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl. It was both the Hoosiers' first eight-win season and first winning mark in Big Ten play since 1993. They were among the Big Ten offensive leaders last season, ranking third with 432.8 yards per game and fifth with 31.8 points per game. The unit returns All-Big Ten honorees WR Whop Philyor and RB Stevie Scott III.


PENN STATE - INDIANA CONNECTIONS

  • Penn State redshirt sophomore DT Aeneas Hawkins and Indiana redshirt sophomore Shamar Jones are cousins.
  • Penn State sophomore RB Noah Cain and redshirt freshman CB Makai Self and Indiana redshirt freshman DL Antoine Whitner Jr. all played together at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, under head coach Kevin Wright, who is now Indiana's tight ends coach.
  • Penn State redshirt junior QB Sean Clifford and Indiana redshirt junior OL Dominic Altimari played together at St. Xavier in Cincinnati. 
  • Penn State redshirt sophomore S Trent Gordon and Indiana redshirt senior OL Mackenzie Nworah and redshirt junior DL Alfred Bryant played together at Manvel High School in Texas.
  • Penn State redshirt junior DT Fred Hansard and redshirt freshman OL Caedan Wallace and Indiana redshirt senior DB Gabe Cohen all attended The Hun School in New Jersey.
  • Penn State redshirt sophomore DT Judge Culpepper and Indiana redshirt junior DB Juwan Burgess, redshirt junior LB Thomas Allen, senior WR Whop Philyor and junior LB Micah McFadden played together at H.B. Plant High School in Florida.
  • Penn State freshman Cole Brevard and Indiana redshirt junior OL Britt Beery, redshirt freshman DL Beau Robbins and freshman linebacker Ty Wise all attended Carmel High School in Indiana.
  • Penn State freshman OL Olu Fashanu and Indiana redshirt sophomore Aidan Rafferty played together at Gonzaga College High School in Maryland.
  • Penn State sophomore RB Devyn Ford and Indiana freshman WR Javon Swinton both attended North Stafford High School in Virginia.
  • Penn State offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca and Indiana running backs coach Mike Hart coached together at Western Michigan from 2014-15. Both served in the same roles.

FIVE BOWL TEAMS HIGHLIGHT SCHEDULE

  • The Big Ten announced a revised nine-game conference only football schedule on Sept. 19. It has eight scheduled games with the ninth game to be played Dec. 19, featuring an East vs. West match-up as part of Big Ten Champions week.
  • The Nittany Lions will face five teams that participated in a bowl game during the 2019 campaign.
  • Indiana went 8-4 during the regular season and fell to Tennessee in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl, 23-22.
  • Ohio State won the Big Ten East Division and went on to defeat Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game (34-21). The Buckeyes fell to Clemson in the College Football Playoff Semifinal (29-23).
  • Iowa finished the season 10-3 overall after defeating the USC Spartans in the Holiday Bowl, 49-24.
  • Michigan earned a spot in the VRBO Citrus Bowl, losing to No. 9 Alabama, 35-16, to finish 9-4 on the year. 
  • Michigan State finished 7-6 overall after picking up a 27-21 victory over Wake Forest in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.

THIRTY-NINE LETTERWINNERS RETURN FROM 2019

  • Penn State returns 39 lettermen from last year's Top 10 squad – 16 on offense, 20 on defense and three on special teams. 
  • A total of 42 lettermen are returning for the Nittany Lions. In addition to the 39 lettermen returning from 2019, Rafael Checa (2018), Donovan Johnson (2018) and Cam Sullivan Brown (2018) each are previous letterwinners.
  • The Nittany Lions lost the services of 20 lettermen – 11 on offense, eight on defense and one specialist.

SEVENTEEN STARTERS RETURNING

  • The Nittany Lions return 17 starters – 10 on offense, four on defense and three on special teams. 
  • Nine additional Penn Staters have starting experience – three on offense, five on defense and one specialist.
  • Among the returning starters are 2019 All-Big Ten second team honorees Pat Freiermuth and Shaka Toney, third team honoree Tariq Castro-Fields, as well as honorable mention selections Journey Brown, Sean Clifford, Will Fries, Michal Menet, Jake Pinegar and Lamont Wade. 
  • Freiermuth was also a second team All-America honoree by the AFCA and The Athletic. 

SUTHERLAND HIGHLIGHTS PENN STATE NUMBER CHANGES

  • A new tradition begins at Penn State as the No. 0 will be worn by the team's special teams leader. This season, it will be Jonathan Sutherland.
  • The No. 0 announcement was made following practice on Oct. 17. Sutherland was presented with his new jersey in Beaver Stadium.
  • Sutherland was twice named as the Coaching Staff's Special Teams Player of the Week last season, blocking a pair of punts in the season opener against Idaho and making a pair of tackles in punt coverage against Pitt, respectively.
  • Additionally, five Nittany Lions are wearing new numbers in 2020: Jaquan Brisker (1), Cam Sullivan-Brown (6), Sebastian Costantini  (29),  Grayson Kline (89) and Bradley King (93).