UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 12 Penn State hosts Rutgers in Beaver Stadium on Saturday. The matchup is set to air at noon on FS1. The Nittany Lions will celebrate Senior Day.
SERIES HISTORY: The Nittany Lions meet Rutgers for the 34th time in the series. Penn State holds a 31-2 lead, including 17-2 at home. Penn State has won each of the last 16 matchups, including a 55-10 victory in Piscataway last season. PSU scored the final 48 points of the game. Kaytron Allen rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown, while Nicholas Singleton returned a kickoff 100 yards for a score. The Penn State defense tallied 15 tackles for loss and three takeaways.
ALLAR CLIMBING SEASON PASSING TOUCHDOWNS LIST: Last Saturday, Drew Allar threw his 21st touchdown pass of the season. His 21 touchdown passes are currently tied eighth in a season at Penn State with Tony Sacca (1991), Kerry Collins (1994) and Sean Clifford (2021). Trace McSorley holds the Penn State season record with 29 passing touchdowns in 2016. In 2023, Allar is the only FBS quarterback with 20+ touchdown passes and less than two interceptions.
DEFENSIVE TEAM EFFORT: The Nittany Lions continue to make plays behind the line of scrimmage this season, sitting second in the nation in sacks per game (3.8), third in total sacks (38), fourth in tackles for loss per game (8.2) and fifth in total tackles for loss (82). Twenty-four Nittany Lions have made at least one tackle for loss this season, tied for most in the FBS, while a nation-leading 18 players have recorded at least one sack. Adisa Isaac leads the defense with 13.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks this season, while ranking second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss and third in sacks.
THE OPPOSITION: Rutgers is 6-4 overall and 3-4 in Big Ten play after falling 22-0 at Iowa last Saturday. The Scarlet Knights tallied 127 total yards. Desmond Igbinosun, Deion Jennings and Mohamed Toure each posted 10 tackles, while Jennings contributed a tackle for loss. Max Melton recorded a tackle for loss and an interception.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 110,856: Penn State welcomed 110,856 fans to Beaver Stadium last Saturday. It is the second-largest crowd in stadium history.
- 60: Penn State held Michigan to 60 passing yards, its fourth time holding an opponent to 60 or less passing yards this season.
- 13: Against Michigan, Theo Johnson caught Penn State's 13th receiving touchdown by a tight end this season, most among FBS teams.
- 7th: Adisa Isaac recorded three tackles for loss against Michigan, his seventh career game with multiple tackles for loss.
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
- Greg Schiano returned as head coach at Rutgers in December 2019 and holds an 18-26 mark over the last four seasons.
- Schiano was previously head coach at Rutgers from 2001 to 2011, leading the Scarlet Knights to six winning seasons and five bowl wins. Rutgers went 11-2 in 2006 with Schiano earning four national coach of the year honors.
- Rutgers is 6-4 overall and 3-4 in the Big Ten this season.
- Last week, Rutgers fell 22-0 at Iowa.
- Rutgers holds fifth in the Big Ten in scoring offense (24.1 ppg), 11th in total offense (310.5 ypg), fourth in rushing offense (169.6) and 12th in passing offense (140.9).
- The Scarlet Knights are fifth in the nation in tackles for loss allowed per game (3.6) and seventh in sacks allowed per game (0.9), leading the Big Ten in both categories.
- Gavin Wimsatt has completed 48.2 percent of his passes for 1,356 yards and eight touchdowns, while adding 409 rushing yards and seven scores.
- Kyle Monangai leads the Big Ten in total rushing yards (942) and rushing yards per game (94.2) while sitting third in yards per carry (5.2) and fourth in rushing touchdowns (7).
- On defense, Rutgers ranks sixth in the Big Ten in scoring defense (18.3 ppg), fifth in total defense (294.4 ypg), fourth in passing defense (166.2) and seventh in rushing defense (128.2).
- Deion Jennings paces Rutgers with 74 tackles and has recorded 2.5 tackles for loss.
- Mohamed Toure owns 68 tackles, five tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, while Desmond Igbinosun has 49 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and one sack.
IN THE CFP RANKINGS
- Penn State opened the 2023 College Football Playoff rankings at No. 11 and currently sits at No. 12.
- Penn State is one of 11 FBS teams who have appeared in each of the last nine CFP rankings.
- With appearances in the last nine CFP rankings, Penn State is tied for the seventh-longest active streak among FBS teams.
- The Nittany Lions have appeared in the CFP rankings 33 times since the College Football Playoff was introduced in 2014.
- Penn State has ranked among the CFP Top 10 on 18 occasions.
- Penn State has finished in the CFP Top 12 five times, ranking sixth-most among FBS teams and second among Big Ten teams.
STREAKING
- Penn State has allowed 24 or less points in 15-straight games. It is the nation's longest active streak.
- Penn State has not allowed a first-drive touchdown in the last 24 games, dating back to the Michigan State game in 2021. It is the nation's longest active streak.
- Penn State has not allowed a special teams touchdown in 58-straight games, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
AWARD FINALISTS/SEMIFINALISTS
- Junior OL Olumuyiwa Fashanu was named one of 16 William V. Campbell Trophy finalists on Oct. 25.
- The William V. Campbell Trophy recognizes an individual as the absolute best football scholar-athlete in the nation for his combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.
- Fashanu is also a semifinalist for the Lombardi Award, which goes annually to the college football offensive or defensive lineman who exemplifies the character and discipline of NFL Hall of Fame Head Coach Vince Lombardi in addition to outstanding performance and ability.
- Junior LB Curtis Jacobs was tabbed as one of 12 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, which is annually given to the top linebacker in college football.
- Junior TE Theo Johnson was tabbed as one of nine semifinalists for the Mackey Award, which is annually presented to the top tight end in college football.
MICHIGAN POSTGAME NOTES
- The Nittany Lions welcomed 110,856 fans. It is the second-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history.
- The Nittany Lions allowed 227 rushing yards. Penn State snapped a streak of eight-straight opponents under 100 rushing yards, dating back to the Delaware game. It was the longest active streak in the nation.
- On Penn State's field goal drive in the first quarter, the Nittany Lions became Michigan's first opponent this season to run a play from inside the Michigan 10.
- Michigan's field goal in the third quarter marked the first points allowed by the Nittany Lions this season in the third quarter.
- Penn State held Michigan to 60 passing yards, the fourth time this season holding an opponent to 60 or fewer passing yards.