Game Notes: No. 19/20 Penn State vs. No. 12/15 WisconsinGame Notes: No. 19/20 Penn State vs. No. 12/15 Wisconsin

Game Notes: No. 19/20 Penn State vs. No. 12/15 Wisconsin

Opens in a new window Penn State Notes Opens in a new window Wisconsin Notes Opens in a new window Big Ten Notes

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 19/20 Penn State begins the 2021 season on the road at No. 12/15 Wisconsin at Camp Randall Stadium. Kickoff is set for noon on FOX.

BIG TEN SEASON OPENERS: On Saturday, Penn State will compete in its fourth season opener against a Big Ten opponent. The first was against Minnesota, a 38-20 win, on September 4, 1993 in Beaver Stadium in Penn State's first game as a Big Ten conference member. The following year, the Nittany Lions began the season with a 56-3 win at Minnesota. Last year's shortened season started with a matchup at Indiana, a 36-35 overtime setback.

ROAD WARRIORS: Penn State will open Big Ten action on the road for the sixth straight season. Since 2016, Penn State has began conference play at Michigan (2016), at Iowa (2017), at Illinois (2018), at Maryland (2019) and at Indiana (2020). PSU will also open Big Ten play on the road in 2022 (Purdue), 2023 (Illinois) and 2024 (Rutgers). In 29 seasons as a Big Ten member, Penn State has opened on the road 20 times in conference.

SERIES HISTORY: The Nittany Lions lead a tight series, 10-9, against Wisconsin. This is the seventh matchup when both teams are ranked. Penn State has won the last four matchups and six of the last seven contests. The latest battle was on November 10, 2018 when the Nittany Lions earned a 22-10 victory. Miles Sanders rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown while Jake Pinegar knocked in three field goals. The Penn State defense recorded five sacks and forced four turnovers.

TOUGH OPPONENT: Saturday's game marks the 13th time Penn State has opened the season against a ranked opponent. Penn State is 7-5 all-time when opening against a ranked opponent. The last time was on September 1, 2001 against No. 2 Miami when Penn State fell 33-7.

THE OPPOSITION: Wisconsin went 4-3 in 2020. The Badgers were dominant on the defensive side, pacing the Big Ten in total defense (299.9) and rushing defense (96.1), sitting fifth in the nation in both categories. Wisconsin led the Big Ten in third down defense (.287) and fourth down defense (.182), while ranking ninth in the nation in scoring defense (17.4). On offense, Wisconsin paced the country in time of possession (36:20).

SCOUTING THE BADGERS

  • Wisconsin went 4-3 in 2020 with wins over Illinois (45-7), Michigan (49-11), Minnesota (20-17, OT) and Wake Forest (42-28).
  • The Badgers continued their dominance on defense, leading the Big Ten in total defense (299.9) and rushing defense (96.1), sitting fifth in the nation in both categories. Wisconsin also paced the Big Ten in third down defense (.287) and fourth down defense (.182), while ranking ninth in the nation in scoring defense (17.4).
  • On offense, Wisconsin paced the country in time of possession (36:20).
  • Quarterback Graham Mertz returns after completing 61 percent of his passes for 1,238 yards and nine touchdowns.
  • Jalen Berger is the leading returning rusher with 301 yards and two touchdowns in 2020.
  • Tight End Jake Ferguson paced the Badgers with 30 receptions, 305 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
  • Linebacker Jack Sanborn led Wisconsin with 52 tackles in 2020.
  • Fellow linebackers Leo Chenal and Nick Herbig paced the Badgers with six tackles for loss and Chenal led the team with three sacks.

OFFENSIVE NOTES

  • Mike Yurcich takes over as Penn State's offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach after spending the 2020 season at Texas.
  • In addition to Texas, Yurcich has previous stints as the passing game coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Ohio State (2019) and the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Oklahoma State (2013-18).
  • In 15 years as an offensive coordinator, Yurcich's offenses have averaged 6.49 yards per play, ranking first among OCs since 2013.
  • Yurcich's offenses have averaged 14.03 yards per completion, also first among OCs since 2013.
  • Since 2013, Yurcich's offenses have scored 50 or more points 26 times and 40 or more points 51 times (50 percent of games coached) with both numbers leading FBS OC's.
  • In 2020, Yurcich led Texas' offense to rank eighth in the FBS in scoring offense (42.7 ppg), 16th in passing efficiency (156.2) and 19th in total offense (475.4 ypg).
  • Since the start of the 2016 season, Penn State's offense is second in the Big Ten in scoring (35.6; 9th nationally), touchdown percentage (33.2, 13th), points per possession (2.2; 15th), scoring percentage (41.6; 17th), yards per pass attempt (8.2; 18th), yards per play (6.2; 23rd) and total offense (431.6).
  • Penn State's offense has been explosive since the 2016 campaign, as it leads the Big Ten in 20-plus yard play percentage (8.19 percent; 10th), 70-plus (0.4, 8th) and 80-plus (0.2, 3rd), is second in 40-plus (2.1;16th) and third in 30-plus (3.7; 20th), 50-plus (1.0; 29th) and 60-plus (0.6; 22nd).
  • Additionally, the Nittany Lions are second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally in 15-plus yard passing play percentage since 2016 (20.3 percent).
  • The Nittany Lions have gained 200 or more rushing yards 31 times in the James Franklin era. Penn State is 26-5 in those games.
  • Penn State rushed for at least 245 yards in four of its final five games in 2020.
  • The blue and white has rushed for over 200 yards in at least four games in each of the last five seasons.
  • Penn State returns nine starters and 19 letterwinners (10 lost) on offense.
  • Eight of Penn State's nine leading pass catchers from 2020 are back for 2021, including senior WR Jahan Dotson (52 receptions, 884 yards, 8 touchdowns), sophomore WR Parker Washington (36, 489, 6), sophomore TE Brenton Strange (17, 164, 2) and sophomore WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith (15, 138).
  • Additionally, the Nittany Lions return four of its top five rushers from 2020, including sophomore RB Keyvone Lee (89 carries, 438 yards, 4 touchdowns), redshirt senior QB Sean Clifford (99, 335, 3), junior RB Devyn Ford (67, 274, 3) and sophomore RB Caziah Holmes (51, 227, 2).
  • Redshirt sophomore RB Noah Cain suffered a season-ending injury on the first drive in the opener at Indiana in 2020.
  • Cain scored eight touchdowns as a true freshman in 2019 and rushed for 443 yards.
  • Dotson, redshirt junior OL Mike Miranda and redshirt junior OL Rasheed Walker earned second-team All-Big Ten honors a year ago, while Washington was named a Freshman All-American by The Athletic.
  • Dotson was also a Phil Steele honorable mention All-American in 2020.
  • During the 2020 season, Penn State true freshmen accounted for 1,486 total yards (38%) of Penn State's 3,873 yards on offense, a school record.
  • Penn State has scored 40 points 20 times since 2016. By comparison, from 2008 until 2015, the Nittany Lions had 18 40-point outings.

DEFENSIVE NOTES

  • Defensive coordinator/linebackers coach Brent Pry enters his 30th year of coaching and his 15th at a Power Five program.
  • Pry has helped the program's he's coached to Top-25 finishes in total defense in eight of his last 11 seasons, including four at Penn State.
  • Over the last five seasons, PSU sits second nationally in sacks per game (3.10; trailing only Clemson), third in QB hurries (876), fourth in total pressures generated (1305), fifth in fewest passing TDs allowed per game (1.16), seventh in tackles for loss percentage (10.76) and ninth in fewest rushing yards per attempt (3.51).
  • Penn State's 239 sacks over the last six years (2015-20) are third only to Clemson (289) and Alabama (256).
  • Over the last six years, Penn State has cumulated a 9.03 percent sack percentage (239 sacks on 2,829 plays), which ranks third behind Clemson (10.25%) and Michigan (9.39%).
  • Since 2014, Penn State has held opponents to seven or less points 21 times, tied for fourth-most among FBS teams. Fifteen of those 21 games have been against Big Ten opponents.
  • Since 2014, Penn State has kept opponents under 300 total yards 41 times, the seventh-most games among FBS teams.
  • The Nittany Lions have limited opponents to under 100 yards rushing 34 times since 2014. Penn State is 28-6 in those games.
  • Penn State has registered 10 or more tackles for loss 24 times since 2014.
  • In 2020, Penn State held third in the Big Ten in total defense (328.8; 17th nationally), second in passing defense (198.6; 24th) and tackles for loss (6.7) and fourth in rushing defense (130.2).
  • Penn State returns seven starters and 19 letterwinners (7 lost) on defense.
  • The Nittany Lions return four of their top five tackles from a year ago, including redshirt senior LB Ellis Brooks (team-best 60 tackles), senior LB Jesse Luketa (59), senior S Jaquan Brisker (57) and junior LB Brandon Smith (37).
  • A total of 66.3 percent of Penn State tackling and 57.5 percent of its tackles for loss production returns for the 2021 campaign.
  • A total of five All-Big Ten selections are back for 2021 including third team selections in Brisker and redshirt sophomore CB Joey Porter Jr., and honorable mention selections in senior CB Tariq Castro-Fields, senior DT PJ Mustipher and Smith.
  • Seven defensive players have made their way on 2021 preseason watch lists including Brisker (Bednarik, Thorpe, Nagurski, Senior Bowl), Mustipher (Rotary Lombardi, Lott IMPACT, Senior Bowl), Luketa (Butkus, Senior Bowl), Brooks (Senior Bowl), Castro-Fields (Senior Bowl), DE Arnold Ebiketie (Senior Bowl) and Smith (Butkus).

SPECIAL TEAMS NOTES

  • Penn State brings back starters at kicker, punter, long snapper, holder and punt returner in 2021.
  • Senior PR Jahan Dotson averaged 24.6 yards per punt return in 2020, ranking first all-time at Penn State.
  • He was named honorable mention All-Big Ten as a punt returner.
  • Since 2000, Dotson is one of two FBS players to total at least 884 receiving yards and average 24.6 yards per punt return (minimum eight returns) in a season.
  • Dotson has a 21.3 career punt return average on 11 returns.
  • Dotson returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown against Michigan State in 2020.
  • With a 100-yard kick return for a touchdown by Lamont Wade vs. Illinois and the punt return for a score by Dotson vs. MSU, PSU was one of four Power Five schools in 2020 to have a kick and punt return for a TD.
  • Senior K Jake Pinegar ranks fourth all-time at Penn State with 136 career extra points and sits ninth in career extra point percentage (96.5).
  • Pinegar is sixth all-time at Penn State with a 73.5 field goal percentage. He's also tied for 10th in field goal attempts (49) and tied for 11th in field goals made (36).
  • The Iowa native is also ninth on the all-time scoring list with 244 career points.
  • Pinegar's 36 career field goals ranks third among current FBS kickers.
  • Redshirt senior K/P Jordan Stout is tied for second all-time at Penn State with three field goals of 50 or more yards.
  • Stout led the Big Ten and ranked seventh in the country with an 84.0 touchback percentage. He has a career touchback percentage of 82.3.
  • In his first season handling the punting duties, Stout averaged 41.5 yards per punt and landed eight inside the 20.
  • Senior SN Chris Stoll enters his third season as Penn State's primary long snapper. He's appeared in 22 career games.
  • S Drew Hartlaub and S Jonathan Sutherland return as key contributors on the special teams units. Hartlaub has 11 tackles and two forced fumbles in his career.
  • Sutherland will wear No. 0 for the second straight season as the team's special teams leader as part of a new tradition that began in 2020.
  • Special teams coordinator Joe Lorig enters his third season at Penn State.
  • Lorig has 24 years of coaching experience, including eight as a special teams coordinator.
  • In 2019, the Penn State special teams unit was ranked first among Power Five schools, and tied for second in the FBS, in special teams efficiency according to ESPN.com.