UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State is back on the road at Rutgers for a Big Ten East matchup on Saturday. Coverage is set for noon on FS1.
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State holds a 28-2 advantage in the all-time series against Rutgers, including 13 straight wins. In six meetings as Big Ten foes, Penn State has averaged 27 points, while Rutgers has averaged 5.3 points. The Nittany Lions earned a 27-6 win on Senior Day last season. QB Will Levis made his first career start, rushing for 108 yards on 17 carries while throwing for 81 yards and a 44-yard touchdown to WR Jahan Dotson. RB Journey Brown gained 103 rushing yards and scored three times on the ground. LB Micah Parsons led the PSU defense with 10 tackles and a sack.
WASHINGTON'S HISTORIC FRESHMAN SEASON: WR Parker Washington is one of two FBS freshmen this season with at least 30 receptions, 340 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in their first six games. Washington is the only Penn State freshman with those totals through six games since 2000. Against Michigan, Washington made a career-high nine catches, the most by a PSU true freshman in program history.
FULL TEAM EFFORT ON DEFENSE: Five Penn State players have at least 30 tackles this season, led by LB Ellis Brooks' 39. Eight players own at least 24 tackles. Nineteen players have contributed to Penn State's 36 tackles for loss.
THE OPPOSITION: Rutgers has a 2-4 record after a 37-30 win over Purdue last Saturday. Artur Sitkowski threw for two touchdowns, while Johnny Langan completed all four pass attempts for 95 yards and a touchdown. Langan added 95 yards on the ground. Shameen Jones hauled in two touchdown receptions and Kay'Ron Adams caught one. Aron Cruickshank had a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown. On defense, the Scarlet Knights allowed 412 yards. Linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi led the squad with eight tackles, while Mohamed Toure recorded an interception.
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
- Rutgers is 2-4 overall this season, earning wins over Michigan State, 38-27, and Purdue, 37-30.
- In the win over Purdue, quarterback Artur Sitkowski threw for two touchdowns, while Johnny Langan threw for one. Langan also rushed for 95 yards. Shameen Jones hauled in two touchdowns to go with eight catches for 88 yards. Aron Cruickshank added a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown.
- Cruickshank is a dynamic kick returner, ranking 24th in the country with a 24.4 return average. He's also fourth in the Big Ten averaging 117.7 all-purpose yards per game.
- QB Noah Vedral ranks fourth in the Big Ten averaging 220.8 passing yards per game. He also sits fourth with eight passing touchdowns.
- WR Bo Melton holds sixth in the Big Ten with 474 receiving yards and sits fourth with five receiving touchdowns.
- LB Olakunle Fatukasi averages 12.5 tackles per game, leading the Big Ten and ranking fifth in the nation.
- Fatukasi ranks 24th in the country and third in the conference averaging 1.5 tackles for loss per contest.
LEE EARNS B1G HONOR
- RB Keyvone Lee was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Monday.
- Lee made his first career start against Michigan and took full advantage of the opportunity, rushing for a career-high 134 yards and a touchdown on a career-best 22 carries.
- Lee's 134 yards were the most by a Penn State freshman since Saquon Barkley's 194 yards at Ohio State in 2015.
- Lee had runs of 24 and 23 yards and scored on a 6-yard rush. He gained 39 yards on PSU's opening drive.
- Lee is Penn State's first Big Ten Freshman of the Week since DE Jayson Oweh picked up the honor on October 28, 2019.
YOUNG WEAPONS STEPPING UP
- True freshmen accounted for 267 of Penn State's 417 total yards (64%) against Michigan.
- On the season, true freshmen have accounted for 870 total yards, over a third of Penn State's 2,507 yards.
- Against Michigan, TE Theo Johnson, RB Keyvone Lee and WR Parker Washington all started. It marked the first time in program history that Penn State started a freshman at all three of those positions.
- Lee rushed for a career-high 134 yards and a touchdown on a career-best 22 carries in his first career start.
- Washington hauled in nine catches for 93 yards, both career highs, at Michigan.
- Washington's nine receptions were the most by a PSU true freshman in program history.
- TE Brenton Strange, a redshirt freshman, made his presence felt against Iowa with a 28-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter.
- Washington ranks second on the team with 30 receptions, 349 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
- WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith has seven catches for 78 yards, while Johnson made his first two career catches against the Hawkeyes.
- RB Caziah Holmes has rushed for 137 yards and caught four passes.
- Lee leads PSU running backs with 227 rushing yards and eight catches. He has a team-high three rushing touchdowns and averages a team-best 5.5 yards per carry.
TRUE FRESHMAN STANDOUT
- Nationally among freshmen this season, WR Parker Washington ranks in the top 10 in receiving touchdowns (T-6th), receptions per game (3rd) and receiving yards per game (7th).
- Washington is one of just two FBS freshmen with at least 30 catches, 340 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns through the first six games of the season, joining Pitt's Jordan Addison (38 rec, 444 yards, 3 TD).
- Washington is one of four Nittany Lions (five occasions) since 2000 to total at least 30 catches, 340 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in the first six games of a season and the only freshman.
- Washington is one of three Big Ten freshmen since 2000 to total at least 30 catches, 340 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns in the first six games of a season
- Washington has totaled at least 70 yards receiving in four of his last five games. He earned career highs with nine catches for 93 yards at Michigan. He caught five passes for 70 yards at Nebraska, eight passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns against Maryland and four catches for 73 yards against Ohio State.
- Washington is the only true freshman to have four 70 or more-yard receiving games in his team's first six games this season.
- Since 2000 at Penn State, only Washington, Jahan Dotson (4, 2020), Bryant Johnson (5, 2002), Allen Robinson (4, 2012 & 2013) and Geno Lewis (4, 2014) have had at least four 70-plus yard receiving games in the first six games.
- Washington's nine catches at Michigan are the most in a game by a PSU true freshman.
- Washington's nine receptions were the most by a PSU freshman since DaeSean Hamilton's 14 receptions against Ohio State in 2014.
- Washington ranks ninth in the Big Ten with three TD catches.
- Washington's 349 yards receiving are the most by a Penn State true freshman through the first six games of the season since Deon Butler caught 20 passes for 355 yards in 2005 and the most by Penn State freshman since DaeSean Hamilton caught 43 passes for 560 yards in 2014.
BALANCED DEFENSIVE EFFORT
- One of the strengths of the Penn State defense this season is a balanced effort in getting to the ball carrier.
- Five players have at least 30 tackles on the season, led by LB Ellis Brooks' 39 stops. Eight players own at least 24 tackles.
- Penn State is one of 17 FBS schools to have five or more players collect at least 30 tackles through their first six games this year.
- S Jaquan Brisker has tallied 37 tackles, while DE Jayson Oweh has collected 36. LB Jesse Luketa has 35 stops and S Lamont Wade owns 30.
- It has also been a balanced effort to stop plays behind the line of scrimmage. Nineteen players have contributed to Penn State's 36 tackles for loss this season.
- Oweh and DE Shaka Toney are tied for the team lead with 5.5 tackles for loss. Brooks has 4.5 and LB Brandon Smith has four.
TOTAL DEFENSE
- Penn State ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 29th nationally allowing 347.8 yards per game.
- The 286 yards allowed at Michigan marked the third time this season Penn State had held an opponent under 300 yards of offense (211 at Indiana, 298 at Nebraska).
- The Nittany Lions' passing defense ranks second in the Big Ten and 31st in the country allowing 203.3 yards per game.