UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 11/12/14 Penn State visits Rutgers on Saturday at SHI Stadium for a Big Ten contest. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network. The 2022 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State meets Rutgers for the 33rd time in program history. The Nittany Lions hold a 30-2 advantage in the series, including 15-straight wins. Penn State earned a 28-0 win in November 2021. Christian Veilleux threw for 235 yards and three touchdowns, connecting on passing scores with Jahan Dotson, Malick Meiga and Parker Washington. The Nittany Lions limited Rutgers to 160 total yards.
WREAKING HAVOC: Penn State followed up 16 tackles for loss and six sacks against Indiana with nine tackles for loss and seven sacks against Maryland. The seven sacks totaled 49 yards. Penn State had six or more sacks in back-to-back games (6, at Indiana; 7, Maryland) for the first time since 2007. On the season, 23 different Nittany Lions have at least a full tackle for loss and 14 have at least one sack. The 14 different players with a sack is tied for the most among Power Five teams.
LIMITING RUSHING ATTACKS: The Nittany Lions held Maryland to 60 rushing yards on 37 carries. Penn State has held seven opponents to less than 100 rushing yards, including five Big Ten opponents (Purdue 61; Northwestern, 31; Ohio State, 98; Indiana, 65; Maryland, 60). PSU has held eight of its last nine opponents under their season rushing average entering the game and, in the season opener, held Purdue under its 2021 season average (84.2).
CLIFFORD BREAKS CAREER PASSING YARDS RECORD: On Saturday, Clifford leaped Trace McSorley (9,899 yards; 2015-18) for the all-time passing yards record at Penn State. Clifford now has 10,023 career passing yards. He also became the seventh Big Ten quarterback to reach the 10,000 career passing yards mark. The redshirt senior also owns PSU career marks for passing touchdowns (79), completions (781), attempts (1,285) and completion percentage (.608).
THE OPPOSITION: Rutgers is 4-6 overall and 1-6 in the Big Ten this season. The Scarlet Knights fell 27-21 at Michigan State last Saturday. Rutgers gained 460 total yards, including 224 on the ground. Kyle Monangai rushed for 162 yards, averaging 6.8 yards per carry. Gavin Wimsatt threw for 236 yards and two scores. Avery Young and Tyreem Powell tied for the team lead with nine tackles.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 10,023: Sean Clifford became the all-time passing yards leader at Penn State and now has 10,023 career yards.
- 14: Fourteen Penn State players have at least one sack this season, which is tied for the most among Power Five teams.
- 11.1: Nicholas Singleton averaged 11.1 yards per carry against Maryland, his third time this season averaging more than 10 ypc.
- 7: Penn State recorded seven sacks against Maryland, earning back-to-back weeks with at least six sacks (6 vs. Indiana).
RUTGERS SCOUTING REPORT
- Greg Schiano returned as head coach at Rutgers in December 2019 and holds an 12-19 mark over the last three seasons.
- Rutgers is 4-6 overall and 1-6 in the Big Ten this season.
- The Scarlet Knights own wins over Boston College (22-21), Wagner (66-7), Temple (16-14) and Indiana (24-17) this year.
- Rutgers holds 12th in the Big Ten in scoring offense (19.9 ppg), 13th in total offense (308.3 ypg), 13th in passing offense (164) and eighth in rushing offense (144.3).
- Gavin Wimsatt has started the last three games at quarterback for the Scarlet Knights. On the season, Wimsatt is completing 48.5 percent of his passes for 587 yards and four touchdowns.
- Kyle Monangai leads the rushing attack with 391 yards and two touchdowns, while averaging 4.2 yards per carry.
- Aron Cruickshank leads the receivers with 40 receptions and 362 yards to go with two touchdowns.
- On defense, Rutgers ranks 11th in the conference in scoring defense (25.9 ppg), seventh in total defense (324.8 ypg), sixth in passing defense (190.4) and ninth in rushing defense (134.4).
- Deion Jennings paces Rutgers with 78 tackles and has recorded 5.5 tackles for loss.
- Christian Izien owns 70 tackles, five tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.
- Christian Braswell leads Rutgers with three interceptions.
- Led by Adam Korsak, Rutgers ranks third in the nation in net punting (43.57) and second in punt return defense (-2.5).
MARYLAND NOTES
- Penn State is now 42-3-1 all-time against Maryland, including a 24-2 record at home.
- It marked the fourth time this season Penn State has rushed for 200 or more yards (Ohio, 234; Auburn, 245; Northwestern, 220; Maryland, 249).
- Penn State did not allow a sack for the fourth time this season. The four games without allowing a sack are the most for Penn State since 2011 (five games).
- On a 16-yard pass to Brenton Strange in the first quarter, QB Sean Clifford leaped Trace McSorley (9,899 yards; 2015-18) for the all-time passing yards record at Penn State. Clifford now has 10,023 career passing yards.
- Clifford became the seventh Big Ten quarterback to reach the 10,000 career passing yards mark.
- Penn State recorded its eighth shutout since 2014 and 13th shutout since 2007.
- Penn State held Maryland to 134 total yards (60 rushing, 74 passing) the fewest since giving up just 104 yards to Purdue in 2019.
- The 134 yards are the fourth-fewest given up in a Big Ten game for Penn State and also the fourth-lowest by any opponent in the James Franklin era.
- The Nittany Lions limited Maryland to 11 first downs, tied for the eighth-lowest by an opponent since 2014.
- Penn State had six or more sacks in back-to-back games (6, at Indiana; 7, Maryland) for the first time since 2007 when it had two consecutive games with six or more sacks (7, Florida International, 9/1; 6, Notre Dame, 9/8).
- Penn State held Maryland to 3 total yards in the first quarter (5 pass, -2 rush) and 27 total yards in the first half (20 pass, 7 rush).
APPROACHING 100 WINS
- Penn State's next win will be 100th career win for head coach James Franklin.
- Franklin owns a career record of 99-51, a .660 winning percentage, and a 75-36 mark, a .676 winning percentage, at Penn State.
- Franklin has led his team to a bowl game in 11 of his 12 seasons and has guided Penn State to three New Year's Six Bowls.
- Since 2016, Franklin's .718 winning percentage (61-24) ranks sixth among FBS coaches.
- Franklin is set to become the 27th active FBS coach with 100 career wins.
- He would join 17 other active coaches with 100 wins at the FBS level.
- Of the active coaches with 100 career wins, Franklin would be one of nine with at least 75% of their wins coming at one FBS school.
- The eight current coaches with 100 career wins with 75% of their victories at one school include Troy Calhoun (Air Force), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa), Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), Ken Niumatalolo (Navy), Rick Stockstill (MTSU), Dabo Swinney (Clemson) and Kyle Wittingham (Utah).
- Of the 26 current coaches with 100 career wins, Franklin would be one of seven with all of their first 100 wins coming while coaching at a Power Five program.
- Franklin could potentially earn his 100th win in his 151st career game. Only six of the 26 current FBS coaches with 100 wins have earned 100 wins in less than 151 games while coaching only at the FBS level.