PISCATAWAY, N.J. — No. 16/15 Penn State plays its final road game of the year Saturday at Rutgers, starting at noon on BTN.
(Photo by Paul Burdick. Check out more of Burdick’s work here)
Penn State looks to remain undefeated in Piscataway, entering with a 5-0 record at Rutgers, and also looks to extend its streak against schools located within 250 miles of State College, as the Nittany Lions have won their last nine games against their neighbors.
Penn State clinched its 14th consecutive winning season with a win last week over Wisconsin. Running back Miles Sanders led Penn State offensively with 159 rushing yards and a touchdown on 23 carries, while the defense shined with five sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions.
Sanders is the 26th Nittany Lion to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and one of 18 in FBS so far this season.
The Nittany Lions continued their red zone efficiency, scoring on all three trips inside the 20 against Wisconsin to improve to 38-for-40 on the season with 33 touchdowns.
Quarterback Trace McSorley continues to etch his name in the Penn State record books. He needs just one more win to take sole possession of the school’s career record for starting quarterback wins after tying the mark (29 wins) with the Wisconsin win.
Sophomore defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos ranks second in the Big Ten in tackles for loss (1.6 per game) and is third in the conference in sacks (0.80 per game). Gross-Matos has made 28 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks in the last four weeks after making 17 tackles, 6.5 TFLs and 2.0 sacks the previous six weeks.
Rutgers is celebrating Senior Day with its home finale. Freshman running back Isaih Pacheco led the Scarlet Knights last week against No. 4 Michigan with 213 all-purpose yards, including 142 rushing yards and an 80-yard touchdown run.
Rutgers is 1-9 this season and 0-7 in Big Ten Conference play. The Scarlet Knights are searching for their first win since a 35-7 win over Texas State in their season opener. Rutgers last win over a Big Ten opponent was against Maryland, Nov. 4, 2017. Rutgers has two defensive touchdowns scored this season to rank third in the Big Ten.The Scarlet Knights have done well preventing negative yardage plays, ranking second in the Big Ten in both sacks allowed (1.20) and tackles for loss allowed (4.20) per game. Rutgers boasts one of the nation’s strongest kickoff return defenses, allowing 15.94 yards per return to rank second in the Big Ten and ninth in FBS.Ball security is a strength for Rutgers with just five fumbles lost all season. The total ranks third in the Big Ten and 29th in FBS.
Saquan Hampton ranks fifth in the Big Ten with 1.2 passes defended per game, while Trevor Morris ranks fourth in the league with 9.1 tackles per game.
TAKING ON THE NEIGHBORS
– For the fifth consecutive year, Penn State is playing at least four FBS teams that are within a 250-mile drive (based on Google Maps from stadium to stadium).
– Penn State went 4-0 against its neighbors last season, and is 2-0 in 2018 after defeating Pitt, 51-6, and Kent State, 63-10. The Nittany Lions have won their last nine consecutive against their neighbors.
– The only nearby FBS team Penn State has not played since 2012 is West Virginia, but the Mountaineers are on the Nittany Lions’ schedule in 2023 and 2024.
– Since joining the Big Ten in 1993, Penn State is 45-4 against FBS teams within 250 miles.
– All-time, Penn State is 291-111-17 against its current FBS regional foes.
FRANKLIN SET TO BOWL AGAIN
– Head coach James Franklin has guided his teams to bowl appearances in each of his eight seasons as a head coach (3 at Vanderbilt; 5 at Penn State).
-He is one of eight active head coaches who have earned bowl eligibility in their first eight or more consecutive seasons on the job.
PENN STATE IN THE RANKINGS
– Penn State is ranked No. 15 in the Amway Coaches Poll and No. 16 in the Associated Press poll.
– Penn State’s 36-straight weeks in the AP Top 25 is the fifth-longest active streak in FBS and seventh-longest streak in Penn State history.
– In the last College Football Playoff rankings, Penn State was ranked No. 20.
– Penn State has been ranked in the last 12 CFP rankings, dating back to its first-ever appearance in the first poll of the 2016 season.
WINNING WAYS
– Penn State clinched its 14th consecutive winning season. Only three other FBS teams have had a winning season each of the last 14 years (Oklahoma, Boise State, LSU). Wisconsin, Virginia Tech, USC and Florida State can also achieve the feat this season.
– Head coach James Franklin has guided his teams to a winning record each of the last seven seasons (2 at Vanderbilt, 5 at Penn State).
– Penn State is 27-6 in its last 33 games, the best span since going 27-6 from the start of the 1997 season to the first nine games of 1999.
– Penn State is 29-8 over the past three seasons (2016-18), for the 11th-best record in FBS.
– Dating back to 2015, Penn State has won 24 of its last 27 home games.
– Penn State’s 43 wins over the last five years (2014-18) rank tied for 15th in FBS and third in the Big Ten (Ohio State, 58; Wisconsin, 51; Michigan State 42).
– Penn State’s 85 wins over the last 10 years (2009-18) rank tied for 17th in FBS and fourth in the Big Ten (Wisconsin, 100; Ohio State, 99; Michigan State, 90).
– Penn State’s 129 wins over the last 15 years rank tied for 16th in FBS and third in the Big Ten (Ohio State, 150; Wisconsin, 147).
MILESTONE WATCH
– Trace McSorley is 1 TD shy of 100 career touchdowns responsible for … 118 yards shy of the PSU career QB rushing record of 1,637 yards held by Michael Robinson (2002-05) … 186 yards shy of the PSU career QB season record of 806 held by Michael Robinson (2005) … 129 yards shy of 2,000 passing yards on the season … 26 completions shy of 700 career completions … 380 yards shy of 1,000 rushing yards this season.
WINDSOR NAMED BIG TEN DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
– DT Robert Windsor earned his first Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week award after his performance against his home-state Wisconsin Badgers.
– Windsor is the second Nittany Lion to win defensive weekly honors this season, following fellow lineman Yetur Gross-Matos vs. Iowa.
– Windsor finished the Wisconsin game second on the team with a career-high-tying six tackles, including a personal-best 2.0 sacks.
– The Penn State defensive line accounted for five sacks, led by Windsor and DE Shareef Miller’s two each. Entering the game, Wisconsin had only allowed 13 sacks all season.
HAMLER NAMED HORNUNG AWARD FINALIST
– Redshirt freshman wide receiver and return man KJ Hamler has been selected as one of the five finalists for the Louisville Sports Commission’s Paul Hornung Award presented by Texas Roadhouse.
– This is the second-straight year a Penn State player has been named a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, which was established in 2010. Saquon Barkley won the honor last season.
– The award is given annually by the Louisville Sports Commission to the most versatile player in major college football. This year’s winner of the award will be announced Dec. 3 and be honored March 7, 2019 at a banquet at the Galt House Hotel in downtown Louisville.
– The 17-person Paul Hornung Award National Selection Committee chose the finalists, with fans generating the 18th vote online. Fan voting for the winner, powered by Texas Roadhouse is open and continues through Dec. 3, 2018, at paulhornungaward.com and will count as the 18th vote. Fans can vote once every 24 hours for their favorite among the five finalists.
