POSTGAME NOTES: Penn State at WisconsinPOSTGAME NOTES: Penn State at Wisconsin

POSTGAME NOTES: Penn State at Wisconsin

  TEAM 

  • Penn State is now 11-9 all-time against Wisconsin. 

  • The Nittany Lions are 5-6 against Wisconsin on the road. 

  • Penn State has won its last five contests over the Badgers. 
  • The Nittany Lions snapped Wisconsin's 25-game win streak in home openers. 
  • Penn State is now 3-1 all-time when opening the season against a Big Ten opponent. 

  • The Nittany Lions are now 8-5 all-time when opening against a ranked opponent. 

  • Penn State is now 15-14 all-time in Big Ten openers and 17-12 in Big Ten road openers. 

  • The Nittany Lions earned a road win over a ranked Big Ten opponent for first time since October 12, 2019 against Iowa (17-12). 

  • Five players made their first career start: S Ji'Ayir Brown, LB Curtis Jacobs, OL Juice Scruggs, DE Nick Tarburton and OL Anthony Whigan. 

  • DE Arnold Ebiketie and DT Derrick Tangelo made their first career start at Penn State. 

  • Three players made their collegiate debut: CB Kaleb Brown, OL Nick Dawkins and CB Kalen King

  • Two true freshmen made their collegiate debut: CB Kaleb Brown and CB Kalen King

  • CB Johnny Dixon, DE Arnold Ebiketie, WR Winston Eubanks, CB A.J. Lytton, DT Derrick Tangelo and OL Eric Wilson also made their Penn State debut. 

OFFENSE 
Team 

  • Both teams were scoreless at halftime. It marked the first time a Penn State game has been scoreless since October 29, 2011 against Illinois. That game remained scoreless until the 3:32 mark of the third quarter. The Nittany Lions won that game, 10-7. 

  • It was the first time two Big Ten teams were scoreless at halftime since Michigan-Northwestern in 2014. 

Jahan Dotson 

  • WR Jahan Dotson hauled in five catches for 102 yards and a touchdown. 

  • Dotson earned his seventh career 100-yard receiving game. It was Dotson's third-straight game with over 100 receiving yards dating back to the Michigan State game in 2020.
  • The senior is the first Penn State receiver with three straight 100-yard receiving games since Allen Robinson in 2013 (133 vs Syracuse; 129 vs. Eastern Michigan; 143 vs. UCF).
  • Dotson hauled in a 49-yard touchdown grab in the third quarter. It was Dotson's 14th career touchdown catch, moving him into sole possession of 13th all-time at Penn State. He broke a tie with Jordan Norwood (2005-08) and KJ Hamler (2018-19). 

  • Dotson now has eight career touchdown receptions of 40 or more yards. 

  • With 1,677 career receiving yards, Dotson sits 16th all-time at Penn State, passing KJ Hamler (1,658). Dotson is 25 yards behind Tony Johnson (1,702; 2000-03) for 15th. 

  • With 97 career receptions, Dotson holds 18th all-time at Penn State. He is one catch behind KJ Hamler for 17th. 

  • Has caught at least one pass in 30-straight games, dating back to Indiana game (10/20/18).  

Sean Clifford 

  • QB Sean Clifford completed 18-of-33 passes for 247 yards and a touchdown. 

  • Clifford connected with Jahan Dotson on a 49-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter. 

  • Clifford now has 4,979 career passing yards, moving into sole possession of 10th all-time at Penn State, passing Todd Blackledge (4,812; 1980-82). He sits 292 passing yards behind Anthony Morelli (5,275; 2004-07). 

  • The redshirt senior now has 42 career passing touchdowns, breaking a tie for fifth all-time at Penn State. He broke a tie with Todd Blackledge (1980-82), Tony Sacca (1988-91) and Zack Mills (2001-04). 

  • Clifford earned his 12th career 200-yard passing game. 

Noah Cain 

  • RB Noah Cain rushed for 48 yards to reach the 500 career rushing yard-mark. He now has 504 career rushing yards. 

  • Cain had a career-long 34-yard run in the fourth quarter. Cain bettered his previous career long run of 27 against Purdue in 2019. 

  • Cain set career highs with five receptions for 27 yards. His previous bests were three receptions for 25 yards against Purdue in 2019. 

KeAndre Lambert-Smith 

  • WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith had a 52-yard catch in the third quarter. It was a career-long reception, topping his 20-yard reception at Nebraska in 2020. 

  • Lambert-Smith recorded a career-best 71 receiving yards. It bettered his 35-yard performance against Nebraska in 2020.  

Parker Washington 

  • WR Parker Washington has caught a pass in all 10 games of his career. 

  • With a 24-yard reception in the first quarter, Washington reached the 500 career receiving yard-mark. 

DEFENSE 

Jaquan Brisker 

  • S Jaquan Brisker recorded an interception in the fourth quarter, his fourth career interception. 

  • Brisker returned the interception 41 yards, bettering his previous long return of 29 yards at Michigan State in 2019. 

Ji'Ayir Brown 

  • S Ji'Ayir Brown intercepted a pass to seal the victory in the fourth quarter. It was his first career interception.  

Arnold Ebiketie 

  • DE Arnold Ebiketie recorded a solo sack in the first quarter. It was his seventh career sack and first as a Nittany Lion. 

Ellis Brooks 

  • LB Ellis Brooks tallied 11 tackles to match a career best. Brooks also had 11 tackles against Ohio State in 2020. 

  • Brooks earned his second career double-digit tackle game. 

  • Brooks recorded his fifth career sack in the first quarter. 

Nick Tarburton 

  • DE Nick Tarburton recovered a fumble in the second quarter. It was his first career fumble recovery. 

  • Tarburton recorded a career-high two tackles. 

Curtis Jacobs 

  • LB Curtis Jacobs notched a career high five tackles. His previous best was four stops against Michigan State in 2020.  

Brandon Smith 

  • LB Brandon Smith matched a career best with eight tackles. He also had eight stops against Illinois in 2020.  

Joey Porter Jr. 

  • CB Joey Porter Jr. tied a career high with six tackles. He had six stops in two previous games with the last time coming against Michigan State in 2020.  

Dvon Ellies 

  • DT Dvon Ellies tied a career high with two tackles. He also had two against Illinois in 2020. 

SPECIAL TEAMS 
Jordan Stout 

  • K/P Jordan Stout averaged 53.9 yards per punt, on seven punts, ranking second-best in a game at Penn State behind only Ralph Giacomarro (54.75; 1981 at Syracuse). 

  • Stout hit punts of 55, 54, 52, 53 and 76 yards...He now has eight career punt of 50+ yards. 

  • The 76-yard punt, in the third quarter, was the longest of Stout's career. It's tied for the third-longest punt in program history with Chris Clauss (vs. Rutgers, 1987).  

  • Stout's 53.9 punt average bettered his career high of 49.0 against Ohio State in 2020.  

  • Stout set a career high for punt attempts, topping five in two previous games, last against Il 

  • Stout hit a 24-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, his fifth career field goal make. 

Arnold Ebiketie 

  • DE Arnold Ebiketie blocked a Wisconsin 25-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter. 

  • It was Penn State's first blocked field goal since Shaka Toney against Michigan State on October 26, 2019. 

  • Ebiketie recorded a solo sack in the first quarter. It was his seventh career sack and first as a Nittany Lion.