UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State travels to Lincoln for the first time since 2012 to face Nebraska Saturday afternoon in Memorial Stadium. The storied programs are meeting for the fifth time as Big Ten foes. Coverage is set to start at noon ET on FS1.
WINNING TRADITIONS: This is the 18th all-time meeting between Nebraska (902 wins) and Penn State (898 wins), the seventh- and eighth-winningest programs in the FBS. The teams last met in 2017 and are next scheduled to face each other in 2024.
DOTSON BREAKS OUT: WR Jahan Dotson leads the Big Ten and ranks 23rd in the FBS with five receiving touchdowns this season, and also leads the Big Ten with 361 receiving yards. Dotson is one of three in the FBS this season to total at least 350 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns in the first three games and the first Big Ten player to do so since at least 2000.
SACKS LEADERS: Penn State ranks third in the Big Ten averaging 2.7 sacks per game. Its eight sacks have been made by six different Nittany Lions. Penn State (228 sacks) only trails Alabama (233 sacks) and Clemson (273 sacks) in sacks since 2015.
YOUTH MOVEMENT: Penn State is one of the youngest teams in the country with 81 underclassmen (31 true freshmen, 24 redshirt freshmen, 26 sophomores) to just 10 players in their final year of eligibility. Freshman receivers KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Parker Washington both started for the Nittany Lions against Maryland last week, marking the first time two true freshman receivers started for Penn State since Saeed Blacknall and Chris Godwin at Michigan in 2014.
THE OPPOSITION: Nebraska is playing its home opener after its Oct. 31 game against Wisconsin was canceled. The Huskers have started the year 0-2 on the road with a loss at Ohio State to open the season and a loss at Northwestern last week. Nebraska's rushing attack ranks second in the Big Ten with 217 yards per game.
SCOUTING THE HUSKERS
- Nebraska is 0-2 in 2020, falling to Ohio State during the Big Ten's opening week and then falling at Northwestern last week.
- The game will be Nebraska's home opener after the Wisconsin game scheduled for Oct. 31 was canceled due to COVID-19 concerns for Wisconsin.
- Nebraska returned more than 80 percent of its yards from last year in rushing (86 percent), passing (82 percent) and total offense (82 percent), as well as its entire starting offensive line.
- The Huskers have been strong on the ground, led by dual-threat QB Adrian Martinez, averaging 217 rushing yards per game through two games. Martinez leads the Big Ten with 7.19 yards per carry.
- Redshirt freshman safety Myles Farmer made two interceptions in the Northwestern game.
DOTSON PRODUCES EARLY
- WR Jahan Dotson leads the Big Ten with five receiving touchdowns and 361 receiving yards. The totals rank 23rd and 69th, respectively, nationally, while his 120.3 yards receiving per game rank 11th nationally.
- Dotson's five touchdowns in the first three games of the season tie the Penn State record set by Joe Jurevicius in 1997.
- Dotson's 361 yards receiving in the first three games rank eighth nationally and his five touchdowns in the first three games rank tied for fourth.
- Dotson's 7.0 receptions per game rank fourth in the Big Ten and 19th nationally.
- Dotson is one of two Power Five receivers to total at least 20 receptions, 350 yards receiving and five receiving touchdowns in the first three games this season, joining LSU's Terrace Marshall Jr. (21 rec, 424 yds, 7 TD), and one of three in FBS, joining Nevada's Romeo Doubs (25 rec, 465 yds, 5 TD) and.
- Dotson is one of 22 players in the FBS and one of 14 in the Power Five to total at least 20 receptions, 350 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns in the first three games since 2000, and the first in the Big Ten to complete the feat.
WASHINGTON A TRUE FRESHMAN STANDOUT
- Nationally among freshmen this season, WR Parker Washington ranks in the top 10 in receiving touchdowns, receptions per game and receiving yards per game.
- Washington is one of five Nittany Lions since 2000 to total at least 10 catches, 150 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in the first three games of a season and the only freshman to do so.
- Washington is one of three Big Ten freshmen since 2000 to total at least 10 catches, 150 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in the first three games of a season
- Washington ranks third on the team this season with 14 catches for 155 yards and second with three touchdown catches. His three touchdowns rank fourth in the Big Ten.
- Washington is the first Penn State true freshman to have two touchdown receptions in a game since Pat Freiermuth did so against Rutgers in 2018.
- Washington's 155 yards receiving are the most by a Penn State true freshman through the first three games of the season since Deon Butler caught seven passes for 181 yards in 2005 and the most by Penn State freshman since DaeSean Hamilton caught 26 passes for 337 yards in 2014.
- Against Maryland, Washington caught eight passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns.
- Against Ohio State, 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.
- Washington caught a 9-yard touchdown pass in overtime at Indiana, marking the second-straight season opener with a freshman catching a touchdown pass. Brenton Strange caught a 4-yard touchdown reception against Idaho in 2019.
- Washington is the first true freshman wide receiver to start a season opener since Brandon Polk against Temple in 2015.
BROOKS TEAM'S TOP TACKLER
- LB Ellis Brooks leads the team with 23 tackles and set a career high with 11 tackles against Ohio State.
- Brooks also leads the team with 3.5 tackes for loss.
- Brooks' 7.7 tackles per game this season rank 14th in the Big Ten.
- Brooks is 15 tackles shy of 100 for his career.
OWEH LEADS D-LINE
- DE Jayson Oweh collected a career-best 10 tackles against Maryland. His previous best was six tackles against Ohio State the previous week.
- Oweh is the first Penn State defensive lineman with 10 or more tackles in a game since Yetur Gross-Matos against Indiana in 2018 (10 tackles).
- Oweh's 18 tackles are second on the team and tops among defensive linemen.
- Oweh's 2.5 tackles for loss are tied with LB Brandon Smith for second on the team and are tops among D-linemen.
The 2020 Penn State Football season is presented by PSECU.