TEAM
- Penn State trails 18-10 in the all-time series against Michigan, including 11-4 in road matchups.
- Five of the last eight matchups have been decided by 10 or less points.
- DT Ty Blanding made his first career start. He is one of four Nittany Lions to make their first collegiate start this season.
STREAKS
- Penn State has not allowed a special teams touchdown in 97-straight games, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
OFFENSE
Team
- Penn State tallied four 20+ yard pass plays on Saturday. The Nittany Lions have 30 plays of 20+ yards this season.
- Penn State scored on a two-point conversion attempt on a pass from Rocco Becht to Benjamin Brahmer. It was PSU’s first successful two-point conversion since Drew Allar to Trebor Peña against Villanova in 2025.
- The Nittany Lions threw for 267 yards, marking the 105th occasion throwing for 200+ yards since 2014. PSU is 78-27 in those games.
- QB Rocco Becht completed 28 passes for 267 yards and a touchdown.
- He connected on a 24-yard touchdown pass to Chase Sowell in the fourth quarter. It was his 76th career touchdown pass.
- Nine of Becht’s 12 touchdown passes this season are 15+ yards.
- Becht recorded his 35th career game with 200+ passing yards.
- RB Carson Hansen scored a touchdown in the fourth quarter on a two-yard rush. He now has 23 career rushing touchdown.
- On his second carry of the game, Hansen went over the 2,000 career rushing yards mark. He now has 2,049 career rushing yards.
- WR Chase Sowell caught 11 passes for 151 yards and a touchdown.
- Sowell hauled in a career-high 11 receptions. His previous high was seven, on three occasions and last against Army in 2024 (while playing at ECU). He became the first receiver to catch 10 passes since Parker Washington, who caught 11 against Ohio State in the 2022 season. He was the first Penn State player with 10+ receptions in a single game since Tyler Warren caught 17 passes against USC in 2024.
- His 151 receiving yards are also a career high, bettering his 146 yards against Arizona in 2025 (while playing at Iowa State).
- He caught a 24-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter. It was his ninth career receiving touchdown.
- Sowell’s catches included 26, 26 and 24 yards, giving him 30 career 20+ yard receptions.
- Sowell posted his sixth career 100-yard receiving game.
- He caught a 26-yard pass in the second quarter and added another 26-yard catch in the third quarter.
- TE Benjamin Brahmer has a catch in 19-straight games.
- TE Gabe Burkle caught a season-long 20-yard pass in the fourth quarter. It marked his sixth career reception of 20+ yards.
- TE Andrew Rappleyea tied a career high with seven receptions. He equaled his career best set last week against USC.
DEFENSE
Team
- The Nittany Lions held Michigan scoreless in the first half. Penn State’s defense has posted three shutout halves this season.
- CB Zion Tracy intercepted a pass in the second quarter, helped by a key pass breakup by CB Jahmir Joseph.
- CB Josiah Zayas picked off a pass late in the second quarter, on a one-handed grab.
- Penn State has forced 11 takeaways this season (four fumbles, seven interceptions).
- Since 2022, Penn State has forced 100 takeaways (59 interceptions, 41 fumbles).
- Since 2022, Penn State is 25-4 when forcing multiple takeaways in a game.
- The Nittany Lions have forced multiple takeaways in a game 71 times since 2014.
- Penn State held Michigan to 90 passing yards. It marked the 95th time since 2014 holding a team under 200 passing yards and the 28th time holding a team under 100 passing yards.
- DE Caleb Bacon ended Michigan's first drive of the game with a tackle for loss of one yard, moving his career total to 21 TFL.
- LB Cael Brezina forced a tackle for loss of five yards in the second quarter, nearly costing Michigan a safety. It moves his career total TFL to four.
- LB Kooper Ebel earned a half tackle for loss of three yards in the fourth quarter, moving his career total to 16.5.
- CB Jahmir Joseph forced a pass breakup in the second quarter that led to an interception by teammate CB Zion Tracy.
- LB Tony Rojas recorded a tackle for loss of two yards on Michigan’s first drive and a sack in the fourth quarter for two yards. It moved his career total TFLs to 24.5. His sack total now sits at eight.
- The game was his sixth with 2+ TFL.
- Rojas led the PSU defense with 12 tackles, marking his third-straight game (fourth over his career) with 10+ tackles. He became the first Nittany Lion to total 10+ tackles in three straight contests (12 at Northwestern, 10 vs. USC, 12 at Michigan) since Micah Parsons did so in 2019 (10 at Ohio State, 10 vs. Rutgers, 14 vs. Memphis).
- Since 1956, one of nine Big Ten linebackers to post 24+ tackles for loss and 6+ interceptions in their career.
- CB Zion Tracy picked off a pass in the second quarter. It was his third career interception.
- With three tackles in the first half, Tracy went over 100 career tackles. He now has 102 career stops.
- Tracy also earned half a TFL in the contest, moving his career total to eight.
- CB Josiah Zayas picked off his second career interception, and completed his third career takeaway, to end Michigan’s last drive of the first half.
SPECIAL TEAMS
- K Ryan Barker drilled a 24-yard field goal to conclude Penn State’s first drive.
- He added three extra-points.
- Barker now has 44 career field goals made, sitting one behind Brett Conway (45; 1993-96) for sixth all-time at Penn State.
- Barker’s 88.0 career field goal percentage is best all-time at Penn State (min. 25 attempts).
- With 115 career extra points, Barker is now tied for seventh all-time at Penn State with Robbie Gould (115; 2002-04).
- Barker now owns 250 career points.
- P Nathan Tiyce landed two punts inside the 20, bringing his career total to 19, including 12 punts inside the 10.
- Tiyce landed a punt at the Michigan 7 in the second quarter.
- He added a 45-yard punt to the Michigan 7 in the fourth quarter.