POSTGAME NOTES: Penn State vs. Ohio StatePOSTGAME NOTES: Penn State vs. Ohio State
Mark Selders

POSTGAME NOTES: Penn State vs. Ohio State

TEAM

  • Penn State is now 14-22 all-time against Ohio State.
  • The Nittany Lions moved to 119-14-1 all-time in home openers and 51-10 in Beaver Stadium.
  • Penn State is now 26-4-1 in October home openers.
  • Penn State snapped a streak of seven consecutive wins in season openers. The Nittany Lions have won 17 of their last 19 home openers.
  • The Nittany Lions are now 1-1 in home openers against Big Ten opponents.
  • Penn State is now 4-5 in home openers against AP Top 25 teams, including 2-4 against AP Top 10 opponents.
  • The Nittany Lions moved to 55-32 all-time in night games.
  • Penn State is now 8-13 when College Gameday is at the site of a Penn State game.
  • RB Joseph Bruno  and K/P Levi Forest made their Penn State debuts. They are two of eight players to make their Nittany Lion debut this season and two of seven true freshmen.
  • LB Lance Dixon and RB Devyn Ford made their first career starts. Eight Nittany Lions have made their first career start this season.
  • The Nittany Lions host Maryland next Saturday, November 7. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

 
OFFENSE

TEAM

  • Penn State was held to 44 rushing yards. It was the fifth-lowest rushing total in the James Franklin era. The Nittany Lions' 27 rushing attempts are tied for the seventh-lowest since 2014.

Jahan Dotson 

  • WR Jahan Dotson caught three touchdown receptions. He is the first Penn State player with three touchdown receptions in a game since Pat Freiermuth (vs. Michigan State, 2019) and the first Nittany Lion receiver since DaeSean Hamilton (vs. Indiana, 2017).
  • Dotson recorded a career-high 144 receiving yards on a career-best eight catches.
  • It marked the most receiving yards for a Penn State Player since Chris Godwin recorded 187 yards vs. USC in the 2016 Rose Bowl.
  • It was Dotson's second career 100-yard receiving game. He had 109 yards against Buffalo in 2019.
  • His second touchdown reception was a one-handed grab along the sideline.
  • Dotson hauled in four receptions of 20 or more yards with catches of 20, 37, 21 and 20 yards. He has 17 career catches of 20 or more yards.
  • He has caught at least one pass in 22-straight games, dating back to Indiana game (10/20/18).
  • Through two games, Dotson has 12 receptions for 238 yards (119.0 per game).
  • Dotson's 238 receiving yards are the most by a Penn State player in the team's first two games of a season since 2014, when Geno Lewis recorded 271 yards in his first two games of Penn State's season (173 vs. UCF, 98 vs. Akron).
  • The 238 receiving yards are the most by a Penn State player in the team's first two Big Ten games of a season since Allen Robinson in 2013 (257 yards total; 173 at Indiana, 84 vs. Michigan).

Sean Clifford

  • QB Sean Clifford threw for 281 yards and three touchdowns.
  • Clifford has seven career games with three or more touchdown passes and has reached that mark in both games this year.
  • Clifford now has four career games with at least 250 passing yards and three passing touchdowns.
  • Clifford recorded his eighth career game with at least 200 passing yards. He is tied for the 12th-most 200 passing yard games at Penn State with Michael Robinson (2002-05).
  • With three touchdown passes, Clifford raised his career total to 31, tying him for 10th all-time at Penn State. He is even with Anthony Morelli (2004-07).
  • Clifford now has 236 career completions, good for 16th all-time at Penn State, and 391 career passing attempts, placing him 18th all-time at Penn State.
  • Clifford now has 3,891 career total yards. He sits 15th all-time at Penn State.
  • Clifford now has 37 career touchdowns responsible for. He ranks 15th all-time at Penn State.

 
Parker Washington

  • WR Parker Washington had four catches for 73 yards including a career-long 31-yard reception in the fourth quarter. He also had a 20-yard reception in the third quarter.

Pat Freiermuth

  • TE Pat Freiermuth has caught a pass in 27-straight games dating back to the Pitt game (9/8/18).


DEFENSE

Team

  • The Nittany Lions allowed 526 total yards, the program's fifth-most allowed in the James Franklin era.
  • The Buckeyes' 38 points are tied for the ninth-most allowed by the Nittany Lions under Franklin.
  • Ohio State completed 28 passes, tied for the ninth-most allowed by the Nittany Lions since 2014.

Ellis Brooks

  • LB Ellis Brooks set a career high with 11 tackles. He had two previous games with six tackles with the last coming against Maryland in 2019.

Brandon Smith

  • LB Brandon Smith registered a career-high five tackles. He had four against Purdue in 2019.
  • Smith made a career-high 1.5 tackles for loss. He previously had a full tackle for loss in two games with the last coming at Ohio State in 2019.
  • Smith recorded his first career sack in the fourth quarter.

Jaquan Brisker

  • S Jaquan Brisker tallied a career-high eight tackles. His previous best was seven tackles against Buffalo in 2019.

Jesse Luketa

  • LB Jesse Luketa made a career-high eight stops, all coming in the second half. His previous high was five tackles at Maryland in 2019.

Jayson Oweh

  • DE Jayson Oweh notched a career best with six tackles. It doubled his previous career high of three in five different games with the last coming time against Rutgers in 2019.

Lance Dixon

  • LB Lance Dixon recorded a career-best five tackles. His previous high was two against Idaho in 2019.
  • Dixon forced his first career fumble in the first quarter.

Joey Porter Jr.

  • CB Joey Porter Jr. matched a career high with five tackles. He registered five tackles against Indiana last week.

Antonio Shelton

  • DT Antonio Shelton recorded a solo sack in the second quarter. It tied his career high of a full sack at Rutgers in 2018.
  • Shelton registered his first career pass breakup in the third quarter.

Ji'Ayir Brown

  • S Ji'Ayir Brown collected his first career tackle for loss in the second quarter.

Tariq Castro-Fields

  • CB Tariq Castro-Fields registered his 100th career tackle in the second quarter.

PJ Mustipher

  • DT PJ Mustipher recorded a career-best eight tackles. His previous high was seven in 2019.

Charlie Katshir

  • LB Charlie Katshir tied a career high with three tackles. He previously had three against Rutgers in 2019.

SPECIAL TEAMS
 
Jake Pinegar

  • K Jake Pinegar hit a 31-yard field goal in the first quarter.
  • Pinegar has hit 28 career field goals, sitting 14th all-time at Penn State.
  • With one extra point on the night, Pinegar raised his career total to 115, moving into a tie for sixth all-time at Penn State with Robbie Gould (2002-04).
  • Pinegar now has 199 career points, ranking 14th all-time at Penn State.

 
Jordan Stout

  • K/P Jordan Stout hit a 50-yard field goal as time expired in the second quarter. It was Stout's third career field goal of 50 yards or longer (53-yard field goal vs. Idaho, 2019; 57-yard field goal vs. Pitt, 2019).
  • With three career field goals of 50 or more yards, Stout ranks second all-time at Penn State. He is tied with Kevin Kelly (2005-08) and Massimo Manca (1982, 84-86). Chris Bahr (1973-75) holds the program record with six career field goals.
  • Stout booted a 56-yard punt in the third quarter, his first career punt of more than 50 yards.