UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 14/15 Penn State returns to Beaver Stadium to host Central Michigan on Saturday. Kickoff is set for noon on Big Ten Network. The 2022 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State meets Central Michigan for the second time in program history. The Nittany Lions earned a 40-3 win over the Chippewas on Sept. 17, 2005. Michael Robinson threw for three touchdowns and rushed for another, while Deon Butler had five catches for 108 yards and two touchdowns. The Nittany Lions held Central Michigan to 14 yards rushing.
B1G WIN: In its win over Auburn, Penn State became the first Big Ten school to sweep a home-and-home series against an SEC opponent since 2012, when Northwestern swept Vanderbilt in 2010 and 2012. The Nittany Lions' 29-point win is the Big Ten's second-largest margin of victory in a road game against an SEC opponent, trailing only Purdue's 35-3 win at Missouri in 2017, which was also the last Big Ten road win against an SEC team. The 29-point win marked the sixth time (third time in regular season) a Big Ten team has beaten an SEC team by 29 or more points and just the second time in a road game.
RUSHING ATTACK: The Nittany Lions rushed for five touchdowns at Auburn. Penn State's five rushing touchdowns were its most since the 2019 Cotton Bowl vs. Memphis. Entering the game, Auburn had only allowed one rushing touchdown in its last seven games. Freshmen Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen each scored two touchdowns. Singleton had runs of 54 (TD) and 53 yards and Devyn Ford added a 30-yard rush.
FORCING TAKEAWAYS: Penn State forced four takeaways against Auburn. The Nittany Lions recovered two fumbles and had two interceptions. In the third quarter, Ji'Ayir Brown forced a fumble and recorded an interception. Zakee Wheatley recorded his first career pick, while Chop Robinson and Jonathan Sutherland each recovered a fumble. Robinson and Abdul Carter each forced a fumble.
THE OPPOSITION: Central Michigan is 1-2 this season and coming off a 41-0 win over Bucknell. The Chippewas gained 529 total yards, including 287 on the ground, against the Bison. On defense, CMU recorded 13 tackles for loss. Lew Nichols rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, while Daniel Richardson threw for 198 yards and two scores.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 1982: Penn State is set to honor its 1982 National Championship team.
- 334: Nicholas Singleton's 334 rushing yards are Penn State's most in the first three games in a season since Larry Johnson's 362 in 2002.
- 11: Penn State recorded 11 tackles for loss at Auburn, including six sacks.
- 5: The Nittany Lions scored five rushing touchdowns at Auburn. Entering the game, the Tigers had allowed one rushing TD in its last seven games.
SCOUTING THE CHIPPEWAS
- Jim McElwain is in his fourth season at Central Michigan, including a 21-15 record. McElwain led Central Michigan to winning records in 2019 (8-6) and 2021 (9-4).
- The Chippewas played in the MAC Championship game in 2019, the New Mexico Bowl in 2019 and the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl in 2021.
- Before taking over at Central Michigan, McElwain was the receivers coach at Michigan in 2018.
- McElwain was head coach at Florida from 2015-17, collecting a 22-12 record, two SEC East titles and two SEC Championship Game appearances.
- Prior to Florida, McElwain was head coach at Colorado State from 2012-14, leading the Rams to a 10-3 record in 2014.
- Central Michigan is 1-2 this season. The Chippewas are coming off a 41-0 win over Bucknell last Saturday.
- Central Michigan gained 529 total yards, including 287 on the ground, against the Bison. On defense, CMU recorded 13 tackles for loss.
- RB Lew Nichols rushed for 166 yards and two touchdowns on 30 carries, while QB Daniel Richardson threw for 198 yards and two scores.
- Central Michigan ranks 19th in the FBS in passing offense (311.0) and leads the MAC in total offense (476.3).
- Richardson leads the MAC with 879 passing yards and 293.0 passing yards per game.
- Nichols is averaging 88.0 rushing yards per game and sits seventh in the FBS with five touchdowns.
- The Chippewas rank 17th in the nation averaging 8.3 tackles for loss per game. CMU paces the MAC in red zone defense (71.4%) and third down defense (27.3%).
- DL Thomas Incoom and DL Michael Heldman are tied for the team lead with 4.5 tackles for loss, while Incoom leads the team with 3.0 sacks.
- Central Michigan leads the MAC in net punting (41.0).
- P Luke Elzinga averages 45.3 yards per punt.
NITTANY LIONS VS. THE MAC
- Penn State has a long history of competing against Mid-American Conference teams.
- The Nittany Lions hold a 10-2 all-time record against MAC opponents.
- Prior to a Big Ten-only schedule in 2020, Penn State had played a MAC opponent in 18 straight seasons.
- The Nittany Lions earned a 46-10 win over Ohio on September 10.
- Ohio is tied with Akron as Penn State's most-played MAC opponent with six matchups each.
- The Nittany Lions have played Kent State and Temple five times each while they have been members of the MAC.
- Penn State meets Central Michigan for the second time in program history. The Nittany Lions earned a 40-3 win over the Chippewas in 2005.
1982 TEAM RECOGNITION
- Penn State will honor its 1982 National Championship team on Saturday.
- The Nittany Lions defeated Georgia, 27-23, in the Sugar Bowl to claim its first National Championship.
- In the Sugar Bowl, Todd Blackledge threw for 228 yards, including a go-ahead 48-yard touchdown pass to Gregg Garrity.
- Curt Warner rushed for 117 yards and two touchdowns, out-gaining Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker.
- Linebacker Scott Radecic led Penn State with 14 tackles, while safety Mark Robinson made nine tackles and two interceptions.
- After a mid-season loss to Alabama, Penn State rattled off seven straight wins to close the season.
- Blackledge earned the Davey O'Brien Award, throwing for 2,218 yards and 22 touchdowns.
- Robinson and Warner joined wide receiver Kenny Jackson and defensive end Walker Lee Ashley as first-team All-Americans.
- Warner rushed for 1,041 yards and eight touchdowns.
- Michael Zordich, returning to Beaver Stadium as Central Michigan's defensive backs coach, was a member of the 1982 team.
AUBURN NOTES
- Penn State moved to 3-1 all-time against Auburn.
- The Nittany Lions are 25-24 all-time against current members of the SEC.
- Penn State is 12-16 in regular season matchups against SEC opponents.
- Penn State became the first Big Ten school to sweep a home-and-home series against an SEC opponent since 2012, when Northwestern swept Vanderbilt in 2010 and 2012.
- The Nittany Lions' 29-point win is the Big Ten's second-largest margin of victory in a road game against an SEC opponent, trailing only Purdue's 35-3 win at Missouri in 2017, which was also the last Big Ten road win against an SEC team.
- The 29-point win marks the sixth time (third time in regular season) a Big Ten team has beaten an SEC team by 29 or more points and just the second time in a road game.
- Penn State owns two of those six wins, and both wins were against Auburn, the other coming in the 1996 Outback Bowl, a 43-14 win.
- Auburn's 29-point loss was its first home loss by 29-plus points since 2012 (38-0 loss to Georgia).
- It marked Auburn's largest margin of defeat in a non-conference home game since 1982 (41-7 loss to Nebraska).
- The 41 points allowed by Auburn are its most to a non-conference opponent at home since 2001 (41 vs. Louisiana Tech in a 48-41 overtime win).
- The Nittany Lions scored on five rushing touchdowns, the first time with five rushing touchdowns since the 2019 Cotton Bowl vs. Memphis.
- Prior to the Penn State game, Auburn had allowed just one rushing touchdown in its last seven contests.
- The Nittany Lions had two freshmen running backs (Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton) each score two touchdowns. Since at least 2000, they are the only Penn State freshmen to both score two rushing touchdowns in a game.
- The Nittany Lions forced two fumbles and two interceptions. Penn State had four takeaways in a game for the first time since the Michigan State game in 2019.
- Penn State recorded 11 tackles for loss and six sacks. Penn State tallied 11 tackles for loss in a game for the first time since the Iowa game in 2021.
- The Nittany Lions had six sacks in a game for the first time since the 2019 Cotton Bowl vs. Memphis.