UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State welcomes Illinois to Beaver Stadium on Saturday for a matchup during Big Ten Champions Week. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. on FS1.
DECEMBER FOOTBALL: On Saturday, Penn State will compete in the latest game ever played at Beaver Stadium in a calendar year. Prior to last Saturday's 39-24 win over Michigan State, the previous latest game played at Beaver Stadium was on December 7, 1968 against Syracuse.
SERIES HISTORY: The Nittany Lions are 19-5 all-time against Illinois, including a 9-1 mark at home. In 2018, the Nittany Lions trailed 24-21 in the third quarter but finished the game with 42 unanswered points for a 63-24 win. Miles Sanders rushed for 200 yards and three touchdowns, while Ricky Slade added 94 yards and two touchdowns. Trace McSorley threw three touchdown passes. S Jonathan Sutherland led the Penn State defense with eight tackles. LB Ellis Brooks recorded six tackles, a half-sack and an interception.
ALL-PURPOSE: With 695 receiving yards and a 21.0 punt return average, WR Jahan Dotson is one of six FBS players (seven occasions) since 2000 with those totals. Dotson and Alabama's Devonta Smith are the only FBS players with those totals this season. Dotson's 695 receiving yards lead the Big Ten, while his 21.0 punt return average paces the conference and ranks third in the FBS.
SCOUTING THE FIGHTING ILLINI
- Rod Smith was named Illinois' interim head coach on Dcember 13, 2020.
- Illinois is 2-5 entering the final week of the season after falling 28-10 at Northwestern last Saturday.
- Isaiah Williams threw for 86 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown pass to Brian Hightower. Chase Brown rushed for 70 yards on 14 carries.
- Jartavius Martin led the Illini with 12 tackles and a forced fumble. Jake Hansen added eight tackles, a tackle for loss and a pass breakup. Seth Coleman recorded two tackles for loss.
- Illinois ranks second in the Big Ten averaging 202.3 rushing yards per game, led by a strong duo at running back. Brown leads the team with 510 yards and two touchdowns, while Mike Epstein has 360 yards and four touchdowns.
- The Fighting Illini have played multiple quarterbacks throughout the season. Brandon Peters has thrown for 429 yards and three touchdowns. Williams has passed for 273 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 287 yards and a score. Coran Taylor has thrown for 379 yards and three touchdowns.
- Jake Hansen leads the Illinois defense with 59 tackles, including 7.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Hansen also has two interceptions, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
- Owen Carney Jr. has tallied 25 tackles with seven for loss and five sacks.
- Illinois ranks 13th in the Big Ten in scoring offense (20.0 ppg) and 10th in scoring defense (31.9 ppg).
- The Illini sits second in the Big Ten averaging 13.3 yards per completion.
BIG TEN CHAMPIONS WEEK
- Penn State meets Illinois on Saturday during the first ever Big Ten Champions Week.
- The Nittany Lions rank fourth in the Big Ten East with a 3-5 record after winning their last three games.
- The Fighting Illini sit sixth in the Big Ten West with a 2-4 mark after falling at Northwestern last Saturday.
LATEST GAME IN BEAVER STADIUM
- Penn State's matchup with Illinois, on December 19, is the latest the Nittany Lions have played a game at Beaver Stadium.
- Penn State has played three previous December home games: December 7, 1968 vs. Syracuse, December 1, 1979 vs. Pitt and December 12, 2020 vs. Michigan State.
- In 1968, the Nittany Lions completed an undefeated regular season with a 30-12 win over Syracuse. Penn State ended the season with an 11-0 record and No. 2 national ranking after defeating Kansas, 15-14, in the Orange Bowl.
- Penn State has a 7-4 record in December regular season games.
DOTSON'S IMPRESSIVE PRODUCTION
- WR Jahan Dotson's 695 yards rank 27th nationally and his six touchdowns rank tied for 25th among teams who have played at least eight games. His 46 receptions rank 38th.
- Dotson is averaging 15.4 yards per reception (minimum 45 catches) through his first eight games of 2020, which ranks ninth nationally and fourth in the Power Five for a player's first eight games of the 2020 season.
- Dotson is one of five Power Five receivers to total at least 46 receptions, 695 yards receiving and six receiving touchdowns in their first eight games this season, joining Ole Miss' Elijah Moore (86 rec, 1,193 yards, 8 TD), Alabama's Devonta Smith (72 rec, 1074 yards, 12 TD), LSU's Terrace Marshall Jr. (48 rec, 731 yards, 10 TD) and Clemson's Amari Rodgers (48 rec, 720 yards, 6 TD) and one of 10 in FBS.
- Since 2000, Dotson is the only Penn State receiver to total at least 46 receptions, 695 yards receiving and six receiving touchdowns in the first eight games of a season.
- Dotson's 695 receiving yards in the first eight games of the season are the third-most by a Nittany Lion since 2000, trailing Allen Robinson (1,043 yards, 2013) and DaeSean Hamilton (728 yards, 2014).
- Dotson (46 receptions) and Parker Washington (35 receptions) are the first Penn State duo with 30 or more catches in a season since 2017.
- He is one of four Big Ten receivers with at least four 100-yard receiving games this season.
- Dotson is one of seven Penn State receivers with at least four 100-yard receiving games in a single season since 2000.
TRUE FRESHMAN STANDOUT
- Nationally among freshmen this season, WR Parker Washington ranks in the top 10 in receiving touchdowns 6; 2nd), receptions per game (4.4; 5th) and receiving yards per game (59.1; 8th).
- Washington is the only FBS freshman with at least 35 catches, 470 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns through the first eight games of the season.
- Washington is the first FBS freshman with those numbers through the first eight games of a season since Purdue's Rondale Moore and Western Michigan's Jayden Reed in 2018.
- Washington is one of two FBS freshmen with at least 35 catches, 473 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns for the entire season, joining Memphis' Tahj Washington (35 rec, 638 yards, 6 TD in 10 games).
- Washington is one of four Nittany Lions (five occasions) since 2000 to total at least 35 catches, 470 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns in the first eight games of a season and the only freshman.
- Washington is one of two Big Ten freshmen since 2000 to total at least 35 catches, 470 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns in the first eight games of a season, joining Purdue's Rondale Moore (2018)
- Washington has totaled at least 70 yards receiving in five of his last six games. Washington hauled in four catches for 95 yards and two touchdowns against Michigan State. He earned a career high 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 five 70 or more-yard receiving games in his team's first eight games this season.
- Since 2000 at Penn State, only Washington, Allen Robinson (7, 2013; 5, 2012), Chris Godwin (5, 2015), Bryant Johnson (5, 2002) and Jahan Dotson (5, 2020) have at least five games with 70-plus receiving yards in the first eight gaes of a season.
- Dotson and Washington are one of three FBS teammates with five or more games of 70-plus receiving games in their first eight games of the season.
- Washington ranks third in the Big Ten with six TD catches.
- Washington's 473 yards receiving are the most by a Penn State true freshman through the first eight games of the season. The 473 yards are the third-most by Penn State freshman, behind DaeSean Hamilton (728 yards, 2014) and KJ Hamler (497 yards, 2018).
STOPPING THE RUN
- Penn State ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 25th nationally allowing 127.4 yards per game on the ground.
- The Nittany Lions limited Michigan State to 69 yards, the 34th time holding an opponent under 100 yards rushing since 2014. Penn State is 28-6 in those games.
- Indiana attempted only 26 rushes against Penn State, tied for the sixth-lowest by any opponent in the James Franklin era.
- Penn State limited Indiana to 41 yards rushing, the fewest allowed in the conference during the opening week.
DOTSON B1G SPECIAL TEAMS HONOREE
- PR Jahan Dotson was named Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week following the Michigan State game.
- Dotson is PSU's first Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week since Blake Gillikin on October 28, 2019.
- Dotson returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown against Michigan State.
- Dotson's return marked the first Nittany Lion punt return for a touchdown since DeAndre Thompkins scored on a 39-yard return against Pittsburgh in 2018.
- The 81-yard punt return is tied for the eighth-longest in program history, tying Bryant Johnson's return against Michigan State in 2002.
- Dotson is one of three Big Ten players to have 100 receiving yards and a punt return for a touchdown in the same game since 2000. Michigan's Steve Breaston (2006; vs. Indiana) and Wisconsin's Brandon Williams (2005; vs. Indiana) were the others to accomplish the feat.
- Dotson is averaging 21.0 yards per punt return this season, ranking second all-time at Penn State.
- Since 2000, Dotson is one of six FBS players (seven occasions) to total at least 695 receiving yards and average 21.0 yards per punt return.
- Dotson has an 18.4 career punt return average on 10 returns.