TEAM
- Penn State is now 8-7 all time in overtime games, including a 5-5 record at Beaver Stadium.
- Penn State leads the all-time series, 20-6 against Illinois, including a 10-2 mark at home.
- Penn State is 15-8 against Big Ten West Division teams since 2014.
- DT Coziah Izzard made his first career start. He is the seventh Penn State player to make their first collegiate start this season.
- WR Malick Meiga made his collegiate debut. He is one of 16 players to see their first collegiate action this season.
OVERTIME
- The nine overtimes are an NCAA record for most overtimes across all divisions. The previous NCAA football mark was an eight-overtime game between Bethune-Cookman and Virginia State in 1998. In FBS, there have been six, seven-overtime games.
- The nine-overtime game came under the NCAA's overtime format, adopted before the 2021 season, which includes teams trading 2-point conversion attempts beginning in the third overtime.
- Penn State's previous longest overtime game was a four-overtime win over Michigan (43-40) in 2013.
OFFENSE
Team
- Penn State had 227 yards of offense, the fewest since having 186 at Michigan in 2018.
Jahan Dotson
- WR Jahan Dotson's 36-yard reception in the first quarter gives Dotson 24 career games with at least one 20-yard reception.
- Dotson's six receptions raise his total to 49 for the season, moving him into 20th all-time at Penn State for single-season receptions.
- Dotson has caught at least one pass in 36-straight games, dating back to Indiana game (10/20/18).
- Dotson has at least five catches in nine-straight games, dating back to the Michigan State game in 2020. That is the longest five-reception streak by a Penn State player since at least 2000.
Parker Washington
- WR Parker Washington has caught a pass in all 16 games of his career.
KeAndre Lambert-Smith
- WR KeAndre Lambert-Smith hauled in a 42-yard touchdown grab in the first quarter. It was his second career touchdown reception.
DEFENSE
Team
- The Nittany Lions held Illinois to 38 yards passing, the second-lowest mark under James Franklin.
- Dating back to the Nebraska game in 2020, Penn State has forced a turnover in 13-straight games (20 total, 14 interceptions, 6 fumbles). It is the sixth-longest active streak among FBS teams and the third-longest among Power Five teams (Marshall, 21; Baylor, 15; San Diego State, 14; ECU, 14; Oklahoma, 14).
Arnold Ebiketie
- DE Arnold Ebiketie recorded a season-high 10 tackles, matching his career best, which he did last season at Temple while playing Navy.
- Ebiketie's 10 tackles were the most by a Penn State defensive end since Yetur Gross-Matos recorded 10 at Indiana in 2018.
- Ebiketie registered 1.5 sacks, his third-straight game with at least one sack.
Ji'Ayir Brown
- S Ji'Ayir Brown tallied a career-best 13 tackles. His previous high was five, in two games, with the last time coming at Iowa.
Curtis Jacobs
- LB Curtis Jacobs made a diving catch for his first career interception in the first quarter.
- Jacobs tied a career high with five tackles. He also had five at Wisconsin.
Ellis Brooks
- LB Ellis Brooks collected 11 tackles. It was his fourth career game, and third this season, with double-digit tackles.
Brandon Smith
- LB Brandon Smith forced a fumble on a sack in the second quarter. It was his first career forced fumble and fourth career sack.
Dvon Ellies
- DT Dvon Ellies recovered a fumble in the second quarter. It was his first career recovery.
Coziah Izzard
- DT Coziah Izzard had a career-high five tackles. Previously, he had three against Villanova.
Derrick Tangelo
- DT Derrick Tangelo forced a fumble on a sack in the third quarter.
- Tangelo recorded his first forced fumble at Penn State and the sixth of his career.
Jaquan Brisker
- S Jaquan Brisker recovered a fumble in the third quarter and returned it 12 yards.
- Brisker earned his first career fumble recovery.
Joey Porter, Jr.
- CB Joey Porter, Jr. recorded a career-high nine tackles. He had six tackles on four previous occasions, last against Auburn.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Jordan Stout
- K/P Jordan Stout hit a 55-yard punt to the Illinois 11 in the first quarter. He added a 55-yard punt, which was downed at the Illinois 6, and a 53-yard punt, fair caught at the 17, in the second quarter.
- Stout landed a 48-yard punt at the Illinois 12 and a 30-yard punt at the Illinois 11 in the third quarter.
- Stout converted a 35-yard field goal in the second quarter, a 31-yard field goal in the first overtime and a 40-yard field goal in the second overtime.
- Stout tied his career high with three field goals made.
- Stout's four punts today of 50+ yards give him 21 career 50+ yard punts and 18 this season.
- Stout dropped six punts inside the 20, a career high. He previously booted four punts inside the 20 on two occasions, last against Indiana earlier this season.
- With his six punts inside the 20 today, Stout now has 26 career punts inside the 20, including 18 this season (seven inside the 10)
- Stout has a 48.38-yard punt average in 2021 (1,790 yards on 37 attempts), the highest punt average in a season at Penn State.
- Stout has touchbacks on 35 of 38 kickoffs (92 percent) this season.