UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State welcomes Michigan State to Beaver Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on ESPN.
LAND GRANT TROPHY: The Nittany Lions and Spartans will battle for the Land Grant Trophy when they meet on Saturday. The trophy has been awarded to the winner since 1993, when Penn State joined the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions claimed the trophy last season with a 28-7 victory in East Lansing. TE Pat Freiermuth hauled in three touchdown catches, becoming the first tight end at PSU to have three touchdown grabs in a game. QB Sean Clifford also connected with KJ Hamler on a 27-yard touchdown. DE Jayson Oweh recorded two strip-sacks, while S Jaquan Brisker and CB Marquis Wilson both recorded interceptions.
SENIOR DAY: The Nittany Lions will celebrate Senior Day on Saturday. Penn State will honor TE/H Trevor Baker, S Jaquan Brisker, CB Tariq Castro-Fields, OL Will Fries, K/P Carson Landis, WR Isaac Lutz, OL Michal Menet, DT Antonio Shelton, DE Shane Simmons, DE Shaka Toney, S Lamont Wade and WR Benjamin Wilson.
TOTAL DEFENSE: Penn State held Rutgers to just 205 total yards, marking the 40th time holding an opponent under 300 yards since 2014. The Nittany Lions held Rutgers to zero or negative yards on 24 of 64 plays on Saturday and 1 or less yard on 29 plays (45.3 percent).
THE OPPOSITION: Michigan State owns a 2-4 record this season after falling 52-12 against No. 4/3/4 Ohio State on Saturday. The Spartans' two wins came over Top 15 opponents as they knocked off No. 13/14 Michigan, 27-24, and No. 8/11/13 Northwestern, 29-20. Against the Buckeyes, quarterback Payton Thorne threw for 147 yards while rushing for 42 yards and a 20-yard touchdown. Jayden Reed caught five passes for 79 yards. On defense, the Spartans tallied nine tackles for loss and three sacks. Antjuan Simmons led MSU with 12 tackles, including two for loss, and a fumble recovery. Michael Fletcher recorded two sacks.
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
- This is Mel Tucker's first season as head coach at Michigan State after being hired in February 2020.
- Michigan State is 2-4 this season with both wins coming over Top 15 opponents. The Spartans earned a 27-24 win at No. 13/14 Michigan on October 31 and defeated No. 8/11/13 Northwestern, 29-20, on November 28.
- The Spartans fell 52-12 against No. 4/3/4 Ohio State on Saturday. Payton Thorne threw for 147 yards while rushing for 42 yards and a 20-yard touchdown. On defense, the Spartans tallied nine tackles for loss and three sacks. Antjuan Simmons led 12 tackles, including two for loss, and a fumble recovery. Michael Fletcher recorded two sacks.
- The Spartans have been strong in the Red Zone on both sides of the ball. Michigan State is 9-of-9 on offense with six touchdowns. MSU is one of four teams in FBS with a 100 percent conversion rate in the Red Zone. On defense, Michigan State ranks 25th in the nation allowing a 76 percent conversion rate.
- Michigan State leads the Big Ten averaging seven tackles for loss per contest.
- LB Antjuan Simmons ranks third in the Big Ten with 8.5 tackles for loss and second with two fumble recoveries.
- CB Shakur Brown leads the country with five interceptions and sits third in the nation averaging 1.5 passes defended per game.
- WR Jalen Nailor holds 10th in the nation and second in the Big Ten averaging 20.75 yards per reception.
900 WINS
- Penn State won its 900th game in program history with its 23-7 victory over Rutgers.
- The Nittany Lions are the nation's eighth program to reach 900 wins, joining Michigan (964), Ohio State (929), Alabama (925), Texas (922), Notre Dame (918), Oklahoma (915) and Nebraska (904).
- Penn State owns the 10th-best winning percentage in the FBS (.687, 900-398-42).
WINNER CLAIMS LAND GRANT TROPHY
- When the Penn State-Michigan State series was renewed with the Nittany Lions' entrance into the Big Ten in 1993, the Land Grant Trophy was established to go to the winner in what was each school's annual season finale from 1993-2010 and 2014-16.
- The Land Grant Trophy honors Penn State's and Michigan State's unique places in history as the two pioneer Land Grant institutions in the United States.
- Each school was founded in 1855, Michigan State on Feb. 12 and Penn State on Feb. 22. The schools were the prototypes after which the Land Grant system was patterned.
- Each institution brought to American education the new dimensions of service and outreach in addition to education and research.
- The Land Grant Trophy joins the Governor's Victory Bell, presented to the Penn State-Minnesota victor, as the other trophy the Nittany Lions play for in Big Ten competition.
- Penn State holds a 15-9 advantage in Land Grant Trophy games.
LATEST GAME IN BEAVER STADIUM
- Penn State's matchup with Michigan State, on December 12, is the latest the Nittany Lions have played a game at Beaver Stadium.
- Penn State has played two previous December home games: December 7, 1968 vs. Syracuse and December 1, 1979 vs. Pitt.
- 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 6-4 record in December regular season games.
FINDING SUCCESS ON THE GROUND
- With 248 rushing yards against Rutgers, the Nittany Lions reached the 200-yard mark for the fourth time this season.
- Penn State has rushed for at least 245 yards in three of its past four games.
- The Nittany Lions have scored seven rushing touchdowns in the last four games.
- RB Keyvone Lee gained a team-high 95 yards against Rutgers and has 229 yards over the last two games.
- Penn State has rushed for over 200 yards in at least four games in each of the last five seasons (2016-20).
- The Nittany Lions have gained 200 or more rushing yards 30 times in the James Franklin era. Penn State is 25-5 in those games.
YOUNG WEAPONS STEPPING UP
- On the season, true freshmen have accounted for 1,024 total yards (35%) of Penn State's 2,888 yards.
- RB Keyvone Lee led PSU with 95 rushing yards against Rutgers.
- WR Parker Washington caught a 29-yard touchdown pass, while WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith tied for the team-lead with four catches.
- True freshmen accounted for 267 of Penn State's 417 total yards (64%) against Michigan.
- Against Michigan, TE Theo Johnson, Lee and 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.
- Lee leads PSU with 322 rushing yards. His three rushing touchdowns are tied for the team-lead while his 5.6 yards per carry paces the team. Lee's eight catches lead PSU running backs.
- Lee's 5.6 yards per carry are tied for tied for sixth among FBS freshmen.
- Washington ranks second on the team with 31 receptions, 378 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
- Lambert-Smith has 11 catches for 103 yards, while Johnson made his first two career catches against the Hawkeyes.
- RB Caziah Holmes has rushed for 142 yards and caught four passes.
LIMITING THE YARDS
- The Nittany Lions held Rutgers to just 205 total yards.
- It marked the 40th time keeping an opponent under 300 total yards in the James Franklin era. PSU has the seventh-most games holding opponents under 300 total yards since 2014.
- Penn State held Rutgers to zero or negative yards on 24 of 64 plays on Saturday and 1 or less yard on 29 plays (45.3 percent).
- Rutgers' first six drives resulted in four three-and-outs and two turnovers.
- The Nittany Lions held Rutgers to 43 yards in the first half, the fewest allowed by the Penn State defense in a half since limiting Maryland to 34 yards in the second half in 2019.
- Penn State allowed zero plays of 20 or more yards on defense or special teams for the first time since doing so against Eastern Michigan in 2013.
- Penn State ranks fourth in the Big Ten and 17th nationally allowing 327.4 yards per game.
- The 205 yards allowed at Rutgers marked the fourth time this season Penn State had held an opponent under 300 yards of offense (211 at Indiana, 298 at Nebraska, 286 at Michigan).
AIR CONTROL
- The Nittany Lions' passing defense ranks second in the Big Ten and 22nd in the country allowing 191.7 yards per game.
- Penn State gave up only 122 passing yards against Rutgers.
- The Nittany Lions have allowed less than 200 passing yards in five of seven games this season, tied for the third-most among FBS teams through their first seven games this year.
- Penn State allowed just 112 passing yards against Michigan.
- The Nittany Lions have allowed less than 200 passing yards in 50 games since 2014, tied for the fifth-most among FBS teams.
STOPPING THE RUN
- Penn State ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 37th nationally allowing 135.7 yards per game on the ground.
- The Nittany Lions limited Rutgers to 83 yards rushing, the 33rd time holding an opponent under 100 yards rushing since 2014. Penn State is 27-6 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.
ALLOWING FEW POINTS
- Penn State held Rutgers to seven points, marking the 21st time holding an opponent to seven or less points since 2014. That is tied for the fourth-most among FBS teams.
- Fifteen of the 21 times holding opponents to seven or less points have come against Big Ten opponents.