2018 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

2018 Penn State Nittany Lions football
2018 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Citrus Bowl, L 24–27 vs. Kentucky
Conference	Big Ten Conference
	East Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 17
AP	No. 17
Record	9–4 (6–3 Big Ten)
Head coach	James Franklin (5th season);
Offensive coordinator	Ricky Rahne (1st as OC; 5th overall season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Brent Pry (3rd as DC; 5th overall season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Tim Banks (3rd season)
Base defense	4–3
Captain	Trace McSorley ; Blake Gillikin ; Nick Scott
Home stadium	Beaver Stadium
	Seasons ← 2017 2019 →

The 2018 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by fifth-year head coach James Franklin and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. They were a member of the East Division of the Big Ten Conference.

2018 Big Ten Conference football standings
v t e
Team	W		L	W		L
East Division
No. 3 Ohio State xy$	8	–	1	13	–	1
No. 14 Michigan x	8	–	1	10	–	3
No. 17 Penn State	6	–	3	9	–	4
Michigan State	5	–	4	7	–	6
Maryland	3	–	6	5	–	7
Indiana	2	–	7	5	–	7
Rutgers	0	–	9	1	–	11
West Division
No. 21 Northwestern xy	8	–	1	9	–	5
Wisconsin	5	–	4	8	–	5
No. 25 Iowa	5	–	4	9	–	4
Purdue	5	–	4	6	–	7
Minnesota	3	–	6	7	–	6
Nebraska	3	–	6	4	–	8
Illinois	2	–	7	4	–	8
Championship: Ohio State 45, Northwestern 24
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

Penn State, coming off an 11–2, Fiesta Bowl-winning season in 2017, began the year at 10th in the preseason AP Poll. They narrowly escaped an upset in their first game of the year by defeating Appalachian State in overtime. The Nittany Lions won their first four games and entered an anticipated home game against No. 4 Ohio State at No. 9, but lost to the Buckeyes by a score of 26–27. The following week the team was upset by Michigan State on homecoming. The team rebounded with a home win against then-No. 18 Iowa, but was blown out the following week by Michigan 42–7. The Nittany Lions finished the regular season in third in the Big Ten East with a conference record of 6–3. They were invited to the Citrus Bowl, where they lost to Kentucky to finish the year at 9–4.

Senior quarterback Trace McSorley led the team in passing, finishing with 2,530 passing yards and 18 passing touchdowns to go along with 12 rushing touchdowns. He was named second team All-Big Ten by both the media and coaches. During the season, McSorley became the all-time school record holder in several categories, including career passing yards, completions, passing touchdowns, and total touchdowns responsible for.^[1] Junior running back Miles Sanders finished in second in the conference in rushing with 1,274 yards.^[2] On defense, cornerback Amani Oruwariye and lineman Yetur Gross-Matos were named first-team all-conference by the media.^[3]

Offseason

Staff changes

On November 29, 2017, it was announced that offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Moorhead was hired to be the head coach for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.^[4] Shortly after, it was reported that running backs coach and special teams coordinator Charles Huff would be joining Moorhead at Mississippi State as his assistant head coach, run game coordinator, and running backs coach.^[5] On December 1, 2017, James Franklin announced that tight ends coach Ricky Rahne would replace Moorhead as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.^[6] It was also announced that former Maryland offensive line coach Tyler Bowen was hired to coach tight ends and consultant Phil Galiano was hired to coordinate special teams and assist with the defensive line.^[6] On January 12, 2018, former Army wide receivers coach David Corley Jr. was hired to the staff as the running backs coach.^[7] Corley was hired as the 10th assistant coach because of a new rule change by the NCAA, that expanded staff sizes by one.^[8] On January 24, 2018, wide receivers coach Josh Gattis announced that he would be leaving to serve as the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach for the Alabama Crimson Tide.^[9] The next day it was announced that former Florida Gators running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider would be joining Penn State in the same capacity and David Corley Jr. would be coaching the wide receivers.^[10] It was also announced that defensive line coach Sean Spencer received the title of associate head coach, a title previously held by defensive coordinator Brent Pry.^[11]

Recruiting

The Nittany Lions signed 23 recruits.^[12]^[13]

US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Justin Shorter WR	Monmouth Junction, NJ	South Brunswick High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	213 lb (97 kg)	Aug 6, 2016
Justin Shorter WR	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Pat Freiermuth TE	North Andover, MA	Brooks School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	250 lb (110 kg)	Aug 16, 2016
Pat Freiermuth TE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Zack Kuntz TE	Camp Hill, PA	Camp Hill High School	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)	221 lb (100 kg)	Nov 26, 2016
Zack Kuntz TE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Isaiah Humphries S	Sachse, TX	Sachse High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	191 lb (87 kg)	Dec 31, 2016
Isaiah Humphries S	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Charlie Katshir LB	Mechanicsburg, PA	Cumberland Valley High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	210 lb (95 kg)	Feb 2, 2017
Charlie Katshir LB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Ricky Slade RB	Woodbridge, VA	C. D. Hylton High School	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	Feb 3, 2017
Ricky Slade RB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jesse Luketa LB	Erie, PA	Mercyhurst Preparatory School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	238 lb (108 kg)	Feb 3, 2017
Jesse Luketa LB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Nick Tarburton LB	Perkasie, PA	Pennridge High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	242 lb (110 kg)	Feb 9, 2017
Nick Tarburton LB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Trent Gordon CB	Manvel, TX	Manvel High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	180 lb (82 kg)	Mar 29, 2017
Trent Gordon CB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Nana Asiedu OT	Stafford, VA	North Stafford High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	265 lb (120 kg)	Apr 22, 2017
Nana Asiedu OT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Bryce Effner OT	Aurora, IL	Metea Valley High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	285 lb (129 kg)	May 6, 2017
Bryce Effner OT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jordan Miner CB	Wesley Chapel, FL	Wiregrass Ranch High School	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	183 lb (83 kg)	Jul 6, 2017
Jordan Miner CB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Judge Culpepper DE	Tampa, FL	Plant High School	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	256 lb (116 kg)	Jul 14, 2017
Judge Culpepper DE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Will Levis QB	Middletown, CT	Xavier High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	222 lb (101 kg)	Jul 15, 2017
Will Levis QB	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jake Pinegar K	Ankeny, IA	Centennial High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	Jul 16, 2017
Jake Pinegar K	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Daniel George WR	Oxon Hill, MD	Oxon Hill High School	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	205 lb (93 kg)	Jul 16, 2017
Daniel George WR	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Juice Scruggs C	Erie, PA	Cathedral Preparatory School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	Aug 4, 2017
Juice Scruggs C	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
P. J. Mustipher DT	Owings Mills, MD	McDonogh School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	Aug 7, 2017
P. J. Mustipher DT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Aeneas Hawkins DT	Cincinnati, OH	Moeller High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	265 lb (120 kg)	Aug 10, 2017
Aeneas Hawkins DT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Jahan Dotson WR	Nazareth, PA	Nazareth Area High School	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	165 lb (75 kg)	Dec 20, 2017
Jahan Dotson WR	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Micah Parsons DE	Harrisburg, PA	Harrisburg High School	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	235 lb (107 kg)	Dec 20, 2017
Micah Parsons DE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Odafe Oweh DE	Blairstown, NJ	Blair Academy	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	236 lb (107 kg)	Jan 4, 2018
Odafe Oweh DE	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Rasheed Walker OT	Waldorf, Maryland	North Point High School	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	Feb 7, 2018
Rasheed Walker OT	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN:
Overall recruiting rankings:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Penn State Football Commitments". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 21, 2017. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved December 21, 2017.

2018 NFL draft

Player	Position	Round	Pick	Team
Saquon Barkley	Running back	1	2	New York Giants
Mike Gesicki	Tight end	2	42	Miami Dolphins
Troy Apke	Safety	4	109	Washington Redskins
DaeSean Hamilton	Wide receiver	4	113	Denver Broncos
Marcus Allen	Safety	5	148	Pittsburgh Steelers
Christian Campbell	Cornerback	6	182	Arizona Cardinals
Jason Cabinda	Linebacker	UFA		Oakland Raiders
Saeed Blacknall	Wide receiver	UFA		Oakland Raiders
Grant Haley	Cornerback	UFA		New York Giants
Brendan Mahon	Guard	UFA		Carolina Panthers
Curtis Cothran	Defensive tackle	UFA		Minnesota Vikings
Parker Cothren	Defensive lineman	UFA		Pittsburgh Steelers
Tyler Davis	Kicker	UFA		Buffalo Bills

Offseason departures

Player	Class	Position	Hometown	Reason left
DaeSean Hamilton	Sr	WR	Stafford, Virginia	Graduated
Marcus Allen	Sr	S	Upper Marlboro, Maryland	Graduated
Saeed Blacknall	Sr	WR	Manalapan, New Jersey	Graduated
Christian Campbell	Sr	CB	Phenix City, Alabama	Graduated
Mike Gesicki	Sr	TE	Manahawkin, New Jersey	Graduated
Grant Haley	Sr	CB	Atlanta, Georgia	Graduated
Troy Apke	Sr	S	Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania	Graduated
Jason Cabinda	Sr	LB	Buena Park, California	Graduated
Curtis Cothran	Sr	DT	Newtown, Pennsylvania	Graduated
Parker Cothren	Sr	DT	Huntsville, Alabama	Graduated
Tyler Davis	Sr	K	St. Charles, Illinois	Graduated
Brendan Mahon	Sr	G	Randolph, New Jersey	Graduated
Saquon Barkley	Jr	RB	Whitehall, Pennsylvania	Declared for NFL draft
Crae McCracken	Fr	OL	Williamsport, Pennsylvania	Transferred
Andre Robinson	So	RB	Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania	Transferred
Alex Barbir	Fr	K	Cumming, Georgia	Transferred
Corey Bolds	Fr	DT	Paterson, New Jersey	Transferred
Manny Bowen	Jr	LB	Barnegat, New Jersey	Dismissed from program
Irvin Charles	So	WR	Sicklerville, New Jersey	Dismissed from program
Robert Martin	So	OL	Sparta, New Jersey	Retired

Returning starters

Offense

Player	Class	Position
Trace McSorley	Senior	Quarterback
Juwan Johnson	Junior	Wide receiver
Ryan Bates	Junior	Offensive tackle
Connor McGovern	Junior	Center/Guard
Steven Gonzalez	Junior	Guard
Will Fries	Sophomore	Offensive tackle
DeAndre Thompkins	Senior	Wide receiver
Chasz Wright	Senior	Offensive tackle
Miles Sanders	Junior	Running back
Reference:^[14]

Defense

Player	Class	Position
Kevin Givens	Junior	Defensive tackle
Shareef Miller	Junior	Defensive end
Koa Farmer	Senior	Linebacker
Nick Scott	Senior	Safety
Reference:^[14]

Special teams

Player	Class	Position
Blake Gillikin	Junior	Punter
Kyle Vasey	Senior	Long snapper
DeAndre Thompkins	Senior	Punt returner
Reference:^[14]

Position key

Back	B	Center	C	Cornerback	CB	Defensive back	DB
Defensive end	DE	Defensive lineman	DL	Defensive tackle	DT	End	E
Fullback	FB	Guard	G	Halfback	HB	Kicker	K
Kickoff returner	KR	Offensive tackle	OT	Offensive lineman	OL	Linebacker	LB
Long snapper	LS	Punter	P	Punt returner	PR	Quarterback	QB
Running back	RB	Safety	S	Tight end	TE	Wide receiver	WR

Preseason

Award watch lists

Award	Player	Position	Year
Rimington Trophy^[15]	Connor McGovern	C	JR
Chuck Bednarik Award^[16]	Shareef Miller	DE	JR
Maxwell Award^[17]	Trace McSorley	QB	SR
Davey O'Brien Award^[18]	Trace McSorley	QB	SR
Doak Walker Award^[19]	Miles Sanders	RB	JR
John Mackey Award^[20]	Jonathan Holland	TE	JR
Butkus Award^[21]	Koa Farmer	LB	SR
Bronko Nagurski Trophy^[22]	Amani Oruwariye	CB	SR
Outland Trophy^[23]	Ryan Bates	OL	SR
Outland Trophy^[23]	Connor McGovern	C	JR
Ray Guy Award^[24]	Blake Gillikin	P/K	JR
Wuerffel Trophy^[25]	Trace McSorley	QB	SR
Walter Camp Award^[26]	Trace McSorley	QB	SR
Ted Hendricks Award^[27]	Shareef Miller	DE	JR
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award^[28]	Trace McSorley	QB	SR
Manning Award^[29]	Trace McSorley	QB	SR

Personnel

Roster

Seniors Trace McSorley and Nick Scott, and junior Blake Gillikin were elected by their teammates as captains.^[30] Running Back C. J. Holmes is a transfer from Notre Dame.^[31] On August 4, 2018, Linebacker Manny Bowen returned to the program after being dismissed near the end of the 2017 season.^[32]

2018 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster

Players

Coaches

Offense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
WR	`1`	K. J. Hamler	Fr
QB	`2`	Tommy Stevens	Jr
WR	`3`	DeAndre Thompkins	Sr
RB	`4`	Ricky Slade	Fr
WR	`5`	Jahan Dotson	Fr
WR	`6`	Justin Shorter	Fr
QB	`7`	Jake Zembiec	So
RB	`8`	Mark Allen	Sr
QB	`9`	Trace McSorley (C)	Sr
WR	`10`	Brandon Polk	Jr
WR	`12`	Mac Hippenhammer	Fr
QB	`13`	Grayson Kline	Fr
QB	`14`	Sean Clifford	Fr
QB	`15`	Michael Shuster	So
QB	`17`	Will Levis	Fr
TE	`18`	Jonathan Holland	Jr
RB	`20`	Johnathan Thomas	Sr
RB	`24`	Miles Sanders	Jr
WR	`29`	Henry Fessler	Fr
RB	`32`	Journey Brown	Fr
RB	`33`	C. J. Holmes	So
RB	`40`	Nick Eury	So
TE	`41`	Joe Arcangelo	Jr
OL	`50`	Will Knutsson	Fr
OL	`51`	Alex Gellerstedt	So
OL	`52`	Ryan Bates	Jr
OL	`53`	Rasheed Walker	Fr
OL	`54`	Nana Asiedu	Fr
OL	`62`	Michal Menet	So
OL	`63`	Collin DeBoef	Fr
OL	`64`	Zach Simpson	Jr
OL	`66`	Connor McGovern	Jr
OL	`68`	Hunter Kelly	So
OL	`69`	C. J. Thorpe	Fr
OL	`70`	Juice Scruggs	Fr
OL	`71`	Will Fries	So
OL	`72`	Bryce Effner	Fr
OL	`73`	Mike Miranda	Fr
OL	`74`	Steven Gonzalez	Jr
OL	`75`	Des Holmes	Fr
OL	`76`	Sterling Jenkins	Jr
OL	`77`	Chasz Wright	Sr
OL	`79`	Charlie Shuman	Sr
WR	`80`	Justin Weller	Fr
TE	`80`	Danny Dalton	So
WR	`81`	Cam Sullivan-Brown	Fr
TE	`82`	Zack Kuntz	Fr
WR	`82`	Tyler Shoop	Jr
TE	`83`	Nick Bowers	Jr
WR	`83`	Alex Hoenstine	Fr
WR	`84`	Juwan Johnson	Jr
WR	`85`	Isaac Lutz	So
WR	`86`	Daniel George	Fr
TE	`87`	Pat Freiermuth	Fr
WR	`88`	Dan Chisena	Jr
WR	`89`	Brandon Clark	Fr
WR	`89`	Colton Maxwell	So

Defense

Pos.	#	Name	Class
S	`2`	Isaiah Humphries	Fr
CB	`2`	Donovan Johnson	Fr
S	`4`	Nick Scott (C)	Sr
CB	`5`	Tariq Castro-Fields	So
LB	`6`	Cam Brown	Jr
LB	`7`	Koa Farmer	Sr
CB	`8`	Jordan Miner	Fr
LB	`9`	Jarvis Miller	Jr
LB	`11`	Micah Parsons	Fr
LB	`13`	Ellis Brooks	Fr
CB	`14`	Zech McPhearson	So
S	`16`	John Petrishen	Jr
S	`17`	Garrett Taylor	Jr
DE	`18`	Shaka Toney	So
DE	`19`	Torrence Brown	Sr
CB	`19`	Trent Gordon	Fr
CB	`20`	Jabari Butler	Jr
CB	`21`	Amani Oruwariye	Sr
S	`23`	Ayron Monroe	Jr
CB	`24`	D. J. Brown	Fr
LB	`25`	Brelin Faison-Walden	Fr
S	`26`	Jonathan Sutherland	Fr
DT	`27`	Aeneas Hawkins	Fr
S	`27`	Cody Romano	Fr
DE	`28`	Odafe Oweh	Fr
CB	`29`	John Reid	Jr
DT	`30`	Kevin Givens	Jr
CB	`31`	Christopher Welde	Jr
LB	`33`	Jake Cooper	Sr
DE	`34`	Shane Simmons	So
S	`35`	Justin Neff	Fr
LB	`36`	Jan Johnson	Jr
S	`37`	Drew Hartlaub	Fr
S	`38`	Lamont Wade	So
LB	`39`	Frank Di Leo	Jr
LB	`40`	Jesse Luketa	Fr
LB	`41`	Dae'Lun Darien	So
DT	`42`	Ellison Jordan	So
LB	`43`	Manny Bowen	Sr
DE	`45`	Joe DuMond	So
LB	`45`	Charlie Katshir	Fr
DE	`46`	Nick Tarburton	Fr
LB	`47`	Will Blair	So
DE	`48`	Shareef Miller	Jr
DE	`49`	Daniel Joseph	So
LB	`50`	Max Chizmar	Fr
LB	`51`	Jason Vranic	Sr
DT	`53`	Fred Hansard	Fr
DT	`54`	Robert Windsor	Jr
DT	`55`	Antonio Shelton	So
DT	`58`	Evan Presta	Fr
DT	`88`	Judge Culpepper	Fr
DT	`90`	Damion Barber	Fr
DT	`93`	P. J. Mustipher	Fr
DE	`95`	Donnell Dix	Sr
DT	`96`	Immanuel Iyke	Jr
DE	`97`	Ryan Buchholz	Jr
DE	`99`	Yetur Gross-Matos	So

Special teams

Pos.	#	Name	Class
P	`49`	Cade Pollard	Fr
K	`90`	Rafael Checa	Fr
LS	`91`	Chris Stoll	Fr
K	`92`	Jake Pinegar	Fr
P, K	`93`	Blake Gillikin (C)	Jr
LS	`94`	Joe Calcagno	Fr
K	`95`	Vlad Hilling	Fr
LS	`96`	Matt Aloni	Fr
LS	`96`	Kyle Vasey	Sr
K, P	`97`	Carson Landis	Fr
LS	`98`	Kevin Cahill	Fr
LS	`98`	Mike Curry	Jr
LS	`98`	Dan Vasey	Fr
K	`99`	Justin Tobin	So

Head coach

James Franklin

Coordinators/assistant coaches

Brent Pry (defensive coordinator/linebackers)
Ricky Rahne (offensive coordinator/quarterbacks)
Ja'Juan Seider (running backs)
Phil Galiano (special teams coordinator/assistant defensive line)
Tim Banks (safeties/co-defensive coordinator)
David Corley Jr. (wide receivers coach)
Matt Limegrover (offensive line/run game coordinator)
Tyler Bowen (tight ends/offensive recruiting coordinator)
Terry Smith (cornerbacks/defensive recruiting coordinator/assistant head coach)
Sean Spencer (defensive line/run game coordinator/associate head coach)
Dwight Galt (assistant athletics director for performance enhancement)
Sean Cascarano (graduate assistant)
Mark Dupuis (graduate assistant)
Matt Fleischacker (graduate assistant)
Kevin Smith (graduate assistant)

Legend

(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible

Injured
Redshirt

Roster

Depth chart

As of August 28, 2018

Defense

FS
4 Nick Scott
23 Ayron Monroe
16 John Petrishen

WLB	MLB	SLB
7 Koa Farmer	36 Jan Johnson	6 Cam Brown
11 Micah Parsons	13 Ellis Brooks	9 Jarvis Miller
33 Jake Cooper	40 Jesse Luketa	41 Dae'Lun Darien

SS
17 Garrett Taylor
38 Lamont Wade
26 Jonathan Sutherland

CB
21 Amani Oruwariye
2 Donovan Johnson
14 Zech McPhearson

DE	DT	DT	DE
99 Yetur Gross-Matos	30 Kevin Givens	54 Robert Windsor	48 Shareef Miller
18 Shaka Toney	53 Fred Hansard	55 Antonio Shelton	49 Daniel Joseph
28 Odafe Oweh	42 Ellison Jordan	93 P. J. Mustipher	46 Nick Tarburton

CB
29 John Reid
5 Tariq Castro-Fields
19 Trent Gordon

Offense

WR
84 Juwan Johnson
81 Cam Sullivan-Brown
86 Daniel George

WR
1 K. J. Hamler
12 Mac Hippenhammer
5 Jahan Dotson

LT	LG	C	RG	RT
52 Ryan Bates	74 Steven Gonzalez	62 Michal Menet	66 Connor McGovern	77 Chasz Wright OR
75 Des Holmes	73 Mike Miranda	64 Zach Simpson	69 C.J. Thorpe	71 Will Fries
53 Rasheed Walker	72 Bryce Effner	70 Juice Scruggs	79 Charlie Shuman	51 Alex Gellerstedt

TE
18 Jonathan Holland OR 80 Danny Dalton
83 Nick Bowers
87 Pat Freiermuth

WR
3 DeAndre Thompkins
10 Brandon Polk
85 Isaac Lutz

QB
9 Trace McSorley
2 Tommy Stevens
14 Sean Clifford

Special teams
PK 92 Jake Pinegar
PK 90 Rafael Checa
P 93 Blake Gillikin
P 49 Cade Pollard
KR 1 K. J. Hamler 32 Journey Brown
PR 3 DeAndre Thompkins 1 K. J. Hamler
LS 96 Kyle Vasey
H 93 Blake Gillikin

RB
24 Miles Sanders
8 Mark Allen
4 Ricky Slade

Coaching staff

Position	Name	Alma mater
Head coach	James Franklin^[33]	East Stroudsburg (1994)
Defensive coordinator/linebackers	Brent Pry	Buffalo (1993)
Offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks	Ricky Rahne^[34]	Cornell (2002)
Tight ends/ Offensive Recruiting Coordinator	Tyler Bowen	Maryland (2010)
Safeties/co-Defensive coordinator	Tim Banks	Central Michigan University (1994)
Defensive line/Run Game Coordinator/Associate Head coach	Sean Spencer^[34]	Clarion (1995)
Offensive line	Matt Limegrover	University of Chicago (1990)
Cornerbacks/Defensive Recruiting Coordinator	Terry Smith^[34]	Penn State (1991)
Running backs	Ja'Juan Seider	West Virginia University (2000)
Wide receivers	David Corley	College of William & Mary (2002)
Special teams coordinator/assistant defensive line	Phil Galiano	Shippensburg University (1999)
Strength and conditioning	Dwight Galt^[34]	Maryland (1981)
Graduate Assistant	Sean Cascarano	University of Virginia (2013)
Graduate Assistant	Mark Dupuis	University of Connecticut (2011)
Graduate Assistant	Matt Fleischacker	Penn State (2016)
Graduate Assistant	Kevin Smith	Urbana University (2014)

Schedule

Spring game

Date	Time	Spring Game	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
April 21	3:00 p.m.	Blue vs. White	Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA	BTN^[35]	Blue 21–10	71,000^[36]

Regular season

The team hosted two of the three non-conference games against the Appalachian State Mountaineers (first ever meeting) from the Sun Belt Conference and the Kent State Golden Flashes from the Mid-American Conference (MAC).^[37] They traveled to the Pittsburgh Panthers from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).^[38]

During the 2018 Nittany Lions season, Penn State faced Big Ten conference opponents Illinois, Ohio State, Michigan State, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Wisconsin, Rutgers and Maryland. Their annual homecoming game was played on October 13.^[39] The 2018 regular season schedule consisted of 7 home games and 5 away.^[40]^[41]

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	3:30 p.m.	Appalachian State*	No. 10	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	BTN	W 45–38 ^OT	105,232
September 8	8:00 p.m.	at Pittsburgh*	No. 13	Heinz Field Pittsburgh, PA (rivalry)	ABC	W 51–6	68,400
September 15	12:00 p.m.	Kent State*	No. 11	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	FS1	W 63–10	106,528
September 21	9:00 p.m.	at Illinois	No. 10	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	FS1	W 63–24	34,704
September 29	7:30 p.m.	No. 4 Ohio State	No. 9	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry, College GameDay)	ABC	L 26–27	110,889
October 13	3:30 p.m.	Michigan State	No. 8	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry)	BTN	L 17–21	106,685
October 20	3:30 p.m.	at Indiana	No. 18	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN	ABC	W 33–28	41,553
October 27	3:30 p.m.	No. 18 Iowa	No. 17	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ESPN	W 30–24	105,244
November 3	3:45 p.m.	at No. 5 Michigan	No. 14	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	ESPN	L 7–42	111,747
November 10	12:00 p.m.	Wisconsin	No. 20	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ABC	W 22–10	105,396
November 17	12:00 p.m.	at Rutgers	No. 14	HighPoint.com Stadium Piscataway, NJ	BTN	W 20–7	44,840
November 24	3:30 p.m.	Maryland	No. 12	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry)	ABC	W 38–3	98,422
January 1, 2019	1:00 p.m.	vs. No. 14 Kentucky*	No. 12	Camping World Stadium Orlando, FL (Citrus Bowl, SEC Nation)	ABC	L 24–27	59,167
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after October 30 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

^[42]

Game summaries

Appalachian State

Appalachian State at Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Appalachian State	10	0	0	28	0	38
No. 10 Penn State	7	3	14	14	7	45

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Date: September 1
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 76 °F (24 °C); cloudy, humid
Game attendance: 105,232
Referee: Mark Kluczynski
TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen, Lisa Byington
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – Trace McSorley, 12-yard TD run, Jake Pinegar kick good, 12:02 (PSU 7–0)
ASU – Darrynton Evans, 100-yard kickoff return, Chandler Staton kick good, 11:48 (TIE 7–7)
ASU – Staton, 38-yard field goal, 4:10 (ASU 10–7)

Second quarter

PSU – Pinegar, 32-yard field goal, 0:12 (TIE 10–10)

Third quarter

PSU – McSorley, 10-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 9:41 (PSU 17–10)
PSU – Ricky Slade, 27-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 2:41 (PSU 24–10)

Fourth quarter

ASU – Malik Williams, 17-yard TD pass from Zac Thomas, Staton kick good, 13:39 (PSU 24–17)
PSU – Miles Sanders, 2-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 11:17 (PSU 31–17)
ASU – Williams, 24-yard TD pass from Thomas, Staton kick good, 7:40 (PSU 31–24)
ASU – Thomas, 1-yard TD run, Staton kick good, 6:03 (TIE 31–31)
ASU – Jalin Moore, 16-yard TD run, Staton kick good, 1:47 (ASU 38–31)
PSU – K. J. Hamler, 15-yard TD pass from McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 0:42 (TIE 38–38)

Overtime

PSU – Sanders, 4-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, (PSU 45–38)

Top passers

ASU – Zac Thomas – 25/38, 270 yards, 2 TD, INT
PSU – Trace McSorley – 21/36, 230 yards, TD

Top rushers

ASU – Jalin Moore – 18 carries, 88 yards, TD
PSU – Miles Sanders – 19 carries, 91 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

ASU – Corey Sutton – 6 receptions, 87 yards
PSU – K. J. Hamler – 4 receptions, 68 yards, TD

Top defenders

ASU – Anthony Flory – 9 tackles
PSU – Jan Johnson – 11 tackles

At Pittsburgh

Penn State at Pittsburgh – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 13 Penn State	7	7	16	21	51
Pittsburgh	6	0	0	0	6

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Date: September 8
Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C); rain
Game attendance: 68,400
Referee: John O'Neill
TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – K. J. Hamler, 32-yard TD run, Jake Pinegar kick good, 12:14 (PSU 7–0)
UP – Qadree Ollison, 13-yard TD run, 2-point conversion failed, 7:09 (PSU 7–6)

Second quarter

PSU – Hamler, 14-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 0:26 (PSU 14–6)

Third quarter

PSU – McSorley, 4-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 8:36 (PSU 21–6)
PSU – safety, offensive holding penalty by Pittsburgh (Stefano Millin) in its endzone, 7:38 (PSU 23–6)
PSU – DeAndre Thompkins, 39-yard punt return for TD, Pinegar kick good, 0:28 (PSU 30–6)

Fourth quarter

PSU – Mac Hippenhammer, 11-yard pass from McSorley, 11:40 (PSU 37–6)
PSU – Mark Allen, 4-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 6:17 (PSU 44–6)
PSU – Brandon Polk, 34-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Pinegar kick good, 4:21 (PSU 51–6)

Top passers

PSU – Trace McSorley – 14/30, 145 yards, 2 TD
UP – Kenny Pickett – 9/18, 55 yards, INT

Top rushers

PSU – Miles Sanders – 16 carries, 118 yards
UP – Qadree Ollison – 21 carries, 119 yards, TD

Top receivers

PSU – Brandon Polk – 2 receptions, 45 yards, TD
UP – Shocky Jacques−Louis – 2 receptions, 21 yards

Top defenders

PSU – Kevin Givens – 7 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
UP – Quintin Wirginis – 9 tackles, 2.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 1 sack

Kent State

Kent State at Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Kent State	7	3	0	0	10
No. 11 Penn State	21	7	21	14	63

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Date: September 15
Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 74 °F (23 °C); cloudy, humid
Game attendance: 106,528
Referee: Ron Hudson
TV announcers (FS1): Tim Brando, Spencer Tillman, Holly Sonders
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – DeAndre Thompkins, 40-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Jake Pinegar kick good, 12:51 (PSU 7–0)
KSU – Mike Carrigan, 47-yard TD pass from Woody Barrett, Matthew Trickett kick good, 9:43 (TIE 7–7)
PSU – McSorley, 1-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 5:07 (PSU 14–7)
PSU – McSorley, 2-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 1:09 (PSU 21–7)

Second quarter

KSU – Trickett, 24-yard field goal, 0:35, (PSU 21–10)
PSU – McSorley, 13-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 0:04 (PSU 28–10)

Third quarter

PSU – Mark Allen, 7-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 10:05 (PSU 35–10)
PSU – Ricky Slade, 2-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 7:42 (PSU 42–10)
PSU – Brandon Polk, 41-yard TD pass from McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 2:37 (PSU 49–10)

Fourth quarter

PSU – Daniel George, 95-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Pinegar kick good, 6:55 (PSU 56–10)
PSU – Johnathan Thomas, 15-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 1:09 (PSU 63–10)

Top passers

KSU – Woody Barrett – 20/38, 176 yards, TD
PSU – Trace McSorley – 11/22, 229 yards, 2 TD, INT

Top rushers

KSU – Dustin Crum – 3 carries, 23 yards
PSU – Miles Sanders – 14 carries, 86 yards

Top receivers

KSU – Antwan Dixon – 5 receptions, 59 yards
PSU – DeAndre Thompkins – 4 receptions, 101 yards, TD

Top defenders

KSU – Dalton Hicks – 12 tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
PSU – Cam Brown – 7 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss (TFL)

At Illinois

Penn State at Illinois – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 10 Penn State	7	14	7	35	63
Illinois	7	10	7	0	24

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

Date: September 21
Game time: 9:00 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C); partly cloudy
Game attendance: 34,704
Referee: Ron Snodgrass
TV announcers (FS1): Justin Kutcher, Petros Papadakis, DeMarco Murray
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – Miles Sanders, 14-yard TD run, Jake Pinegar kick good, 9:17 (PSU 7–0)
UI – Reggie Corbin, 2-yard TD run, Chase McLaughlin kick good, 2:16 (TIE 7–7)

Second quarter

PSU – Sanders, 2-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 12:52 (PSU 14–7)
PSU – Pat Freiermuth, 5-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 8:11 (PSU 21–7)
UI – Ricky Smalling, 6-yard TD pass from M. J. Rivers II, McLaughlin kick good, 6:47 (PSU 21–14)
UI – McLaughlin, 42-yard field goal, 0:00 (PSU 21–17)

Third quarter

UI – Smalling, 17-yard TD pass from Trenard Davis, McLaughlin kick good, 10:36 (UI 24–21)
PSU – Sanders, 48-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 8:36 (PSU 28–24)

Fourth quarter

PSU – Juwan Johnson, 16-yard TD pass from McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 14:53 (PSU 35–24)
PSU – K. J. Hamler, 21-yard TD pass from McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 14:09 (PSU 42–24)
PSU – Ricky Slade, 61-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 9:58 (PSU 49–24)
PSU – Slade, 1-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 4:24 (PSU 56–24)
PSU – Journey Brown, 6-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 1:56 (PSU 63–24)

Top passers

PSU – Trace McSorley – 12/19, 160 yards, 3 TD, INT
UI – M. J. Rivers – 17/28, 149 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

PSU – Miles Sanders – 22 carries, 200 yards, 3 TD
UI – Reggie Corbin – 11 carries, 87 yards, TD

Top receivers

PSU – Jonathan Holland – 3 receptions, 53 yards
UI – Carmoni Green – 4 receptions, 49 yards

Top defenders

PSU – Jonathan Sutherland – 8 tackles, 1 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
UI – Bobby Roundtree – 12 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 1 sack

No. 4 Ohio State

Ohio State at Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 4 Ohio State	0	7	7	13	27
No. 9 Penn State	3	10	0	13	26

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Date: September 29
Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C) clear, cool
Game attendance: 110,889
Referee: Daniel Capron
TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor, Tom Rinaldi
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – Jake Pinegar, 34-yard field goal, 4:58 (PSU 3–0)

Second quarter

PSU – Pinegar, 39-yard field goal, 11:18 (PSU 6–0)
PSU – K. J. Hamler 93-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 5:59 (PSU 13–0)
OSU – J. K. Dobbins, 26-yard TD pass from Dwayne Haskins, Sean Nuernberger kick good, 1:50 (PSU 13–7)

Third quarter

OSU – Dobbins, 4-yard TD run, Nuernberger kick good, 10:22 (OSU 14–13)

Fourth quarter

PSU – Pat Freiermuth, 2-yard TD pass from McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 12:22 (PSU 20–14)
PSU – Miles Sanders, 1-yard TD run, 2-point conversion run failed, 8:00 (PSU 26–14)
OSU – Binjimen Victor, 47-yard TD pass from Haskins, Nuernberger kick good, 6:42 (PSU 26–21)
OSU – K. J. Hill, 24-yard TD pass from Haskins, 2-point conversion pass failed, 2:03 (OSU 27–26)

Top passers

OSU – Dwayne Haskins – 22/39, 270 yards, 3 TD, INT
PSU – Trace McSorley – 16/32, 286 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

OSU – J. K. Dobbins – 17 carries, 57 yards, TD
PSU – Trace McSorley – 25 carries, 175 yards

Top receivers

OSU – J. K. Dobbins – 2 receptions, 61 yards, TD
PSU – K. J. Hamler – 4 receptions, 138 yards, TD

Top defenders

OSU – Chase Young – 6 tackles, 3 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 2 sacks
OSU – Tuf Borland – 6 tackles, sack
PSU – Koa Farmer – 8 tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
PSU – Garrett Taylor – 4 tackles, INT

Michigan State

Michigan State at Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Michigan State	0	7	7	7	21
No. 8 Penn State	7	7	0	3	17

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Date: October 13
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 50 °F (10 °C); cool, cloudy
Game attendance: 106,685
Referee: Michael Cannon
TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler, James Laurinaitis, Lisa Byington
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – K. J. Hamler, 5-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Jake Pinegar kick good, 5:03 (PSU 7–0)

Second quarter

MSU – La'Darius Jefferson, 1-yard TD run, Matt Coghlin kick good, 13:25 (TIE 7–7)
PSU – Miles Sanders, 48-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 4:33 (PSU 14–7)

Third quarter

MSU – Felton Davis III, 20-yard TD pass from Brian Lewerke, Coghlin kick good, 6:10 (TIE 14–14)

Fourth quarter

PSU – Pinegar, 20-yard field goal, 9:21 (PSU 17–14)
MSU – Davis, 25-yard TD pass from Lewerke, Coghlin kick good, 0:19 (MSU 21–17)

Top passers

MSU – Brian Lewerke – 24/52, 259 yards, 2 TD, INT
PSU – Trace McSorley – 19/32, 192 yards, TD

Top rushers

MSU – La'Darius Jefferson – 15 carries, 60 yards, TD
PSU – Miles Sanders – 17 carries, 162 yards, TD

Top receivers

MSU – Felton Davis III – 8 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TD
PSU – K. J. Hamler – 5 receptions, 66 yards, TD

Top defenders

MSU – Khari Willis – 9 tackles
PSU – Koa Farmer – 6 tackles
PSU – Garrett Taylor – 6 tackles, INT

At Indiana

Penn State at Indiana – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 18 Penn State	7	10	9	7	33
Indiana	14	0	7	7	28

at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana

Date: October 20
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 60 °F (16 °C); sunny
Game attendance: 41,553
Referee: John O'Neill
TV announcers (ABC): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Todd McShay
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – Miles Sanders, 1-yard TD run, Jake Pinegar kick good, 13:00 (PSU 7–0)
IU – Stevie Scott III, 5-yard TD run, Logan Justus kick good, 10:18 (TIE 7–7)
IU – Ronnie Walker Jr., 30-yard TD run, Justus kick good, 1:06 (IU 14–7)

Second quarter

PSU – Pat Freiermuth, 23-yard TD pass from Tommy Stevens, Pinegar kick good, 10:08 (TIE 14–14)
PSU – Pinegar, 27-yard field goal, 6:27 (PSU 17–14)

Third quarter

PSU – Pinegar, 32-yard field goal, 7:16 (PSU 20–14)
IU – Scott, 3-yard TD run, Justus kick good, 4:01 (IU 21–20)
PSU – Trace McSorley, 5-yard TD run, Pinegar kick blocked, 3:41 (PSU 26–21)

Fourth quarter

PSU – McSorley, 4-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 10:25 (PSU 33–21)
IU – J-Shun Harris II, 21-yard TD pass from Peyton Ramsey, Justus kick good, 0:49 (PSU 33–28)

Top passers

PSU – Trace McSorley – 19/36, 220 yards, INT
IU – Peyton Ramsey – 26/36, 236 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

PSU – Trace McSorley – 19 carries, 107 yards, 2 TD
IU – Stevie Scott III – 26 carries, 138 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

PSU – Juwan Johnson – 2 receptions, 72 yards
IU – Luke Timian – 6 receptions, 58 yards

Top defenders

PSU – Yetur Gross-Matos – 10 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 2 sacks
IU – Marcelino Ball – 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 0.5 sacks

No. 18 Iowa

Iowa at Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 18 Iowa	12	5	0	7	24
No. 17 Penn State	7	10	10	3	30

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Date: October 27
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C); cloudy, rain
Game attendance: 105,244
Referee: Larry Smith
TV announcers (ESPN): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Todd McShay
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

UI – Safety, Blake Gillikin punt blocked out of end zone by Dominique Dafney, 14:08 (UI 2–0)
UI – Miguel Recinos, 27-yard field goal, 10:09 (UI 5–0)
UI – Sam Brincks, 10-yard TD pass from Colten Rastetter, Recinos kick good, 5:22 (UI 12–0)
PSU – Pat Freiermuth, 18-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Jake Pinegar kick good, 0:27 (UI 12–7)

Second quarter

UI – Safety, snap out of end zone, 13:39 (UI 14–7)
PSU – Tommy Stevens, 3-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 6:45 (TIE 14–14)
UI – Recinos, 49-yard field goal, 4:32 (UI 17–14)
PSU – Pinegar, 45-yard field goal, 0:03 (TIE 17–17)

Third quarter

PSU – McSorley, 51-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 12:10 (PSU 24–17)
PSU – Pinegar, 49-yard field goal, 4:10 (PSU 27–17)

Fourth quarter

UI – Geno Stone, 24-yard interception return, Recinos kick good, 10:00 (PSU 27–24)
PSU – Pinegar, 44-yard field goal, 8:24 (PSU 30–24)

Top passers

UI – Nate Stanley – 18/49, 205 yards, 2 INT
PSU – Trace McSorley – 11/25, 167 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

UI – Mekhi Sargent – 16 carries, 91 yards
PSU – Trace McSorley – 12 carries, 63 yards, TD

Top receivers

UI – T. J. Hockenson – 3 receptions, 63 yards
PSU – K. J. Hamler – 5 receptions, 96 yards

Top defenders

UI – Amani Hooker – 6 tackles
UI – Matt Nelson – 6 tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
PSU – Yetur Gross-Matos – 9 tackles, 4 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 2 sacks

At No. 5 Michigan

Penn State at Michigan – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 14 Penn State	0	0	0	7	7
No. 5 Michigan	7	7	14	14	42

at Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Date: November 3
Game time: 3:45 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C); partly cloudy
Game attendance: 111,747
Referee: Jeff Servinski
TV announcers (ESPN): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

UM – Shea Patterson, 1-yard TD run, Quinn Nordin kick good, 8:12 (UM 7–0)

Second quarter

UM – Donovan Peoples-Jones, 23-yard TD pass from Patterson, Nordin kick good, 6:52 (UM 14–0)

Third quarter

UM – Zach Gentry, 7-yard TD pass from Patterson, Nordin kick good, 0:56 (UM 21–0)
UM – Brandon Watson, 62-yard interception return for TD, Nordin kick good, 0:09 (UM 28–0)

Fourth quarter

UM – Karan Higdon, 4-yard TD run, Nordin kick good, 9:49 (UM 35–0)
UM – Chris Evans, 1-yard TD run, Nordin kick good, 7:44 (UM 42–0)
PSU – Tommy Stevens, 8-yard TD run, Jake Pinegar kick good, 1:59 (UM 42–7)

Top passers

PSU – Trace McSorley – 5/13, 83 yards, INT
UM – Shea Patterson – 11/17, 144 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

PSU – Tommy Stevens – 10 carries, 52 yards, TD
UM – Karan Higdon – 20 carries, 132 yards, TD

Top receivers

PSU – Pat Freiermuth – 3 receptions, 51 yards
UM – Donovan Peoples-Jones – 3 receptions, 38 yards, TD

Top defenders

PSU – Jan Johnson – 10 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL)
UM – Devin Bush Jr. – 7 tackles

Wisconsin

Wisconsin at Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Wisconsin	7	0	3	0	10
No. 21 Penn State	10	6	3	3	22

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Date: November 10
Game time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Game weather: 36 °F (2 °C); partly cloudy, windy
Game attendance: 105,396
Referee: Jerry McGinn
TV announcers (ABC): Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Molly McGrath
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

UW – Jonathan Taylor, 71-yard TD run, Rafael Gaglianone kick good, 11:04 (UW 7–0)
PSU – DeAndre Thompkins, 14-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Jake Pinegar kick good, 7:41 (TIE 7–7)
PSU – Pinegar, 49-yard field goal, 1:53 (PSU 10–7)

Second quarter

PSU – Miles Sanders, 1-yard TD run, Pinegar kick missed, 8:09 (PSU 16–7)

Third quarter

UW – Rafael Gaglianone, 28-yard field goal, 9:45 (PSU 16–10)
PSU – Pinegar, 42-yard field goal, 4:07 (PSU 19–10)

Fourth quarter

PSU – Pinegar, 23-yard field goal, 7:23 (PSU 22–10)

Top passers

UW – Jack Coan – 9/20, 60 yards, 2 INT
PSU – Trace McSorley – 19/25, 160 yards, TD

Top rushers

UW – Jonathan Taylor – 20 carries, 185 yards, TD
PSU – Miles Sanders – 23 carries, 159 yards, TD

Top receivers

UW – Danny Davis III – 2 receptions, 24 yards
PSU – Jahan Dotson – 2 receptions, 39 yards

Top defenders

UW – T. J. Edwards – 14 tackles
PSU – Micah Parsons – 7 tackles

At Rutgers

Penn State at Rutgers – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 16 Penn State	3	10	0	7	20
Rutgers	0	0	0	7	7

at HighPoint.com Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey

Date: November 17
Game time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C); mostly cloudy
Game attendance: 44,840
Referee: Michael Cannon
TV announcers (BTN): Chris Vosters, Shaun O'Hara
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – Jake Pinegar, 22-yard field goal, 2:27 (PSU 3–0)

Second quarter

PSU – Pat Freiermuth, 6-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 2:04 (PSU 10–0)
PSU – Pinegar, 19-yard field goal, 0:00 (PSU 13–0)

Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter

PSU – Freiermuth, 18-yard TD pass from McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 13:06 (PSU 20–0)
RU – Raheem Blackshear, 2-yard TD run, Justin Davidovicz kick good, 9:23 (PSU 20–7)

Top passers

PSU – Trace McSorley – 17/37, 183 yards, 2 TD, INT
RU – Giovanni Rescigno – 2/8, 28 yards

Top rushers

PSU – Miles Sanders – 27 carries, 88 yards
RU – Raheem Blackshear – 22 carries, 102 yards, TD

Top receivers

PSU – K. J. Hamler – 5 receptions, 71 yards
RU – Bo Melton – 3 receptions, 29 yards

Top defenders

PSU – Koa Farmer – 8 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL)
RU – Deonte Roberts – 10 tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL)

Maryland

Maryland at Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Maryland	3	0	0	0	3
No. 15 Penn State	14	3	7	14	38

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Date: November 24
Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Game weather: 33 °F (1 °C); rain, freezing drizzle
Game attendance: 98,422
Referee: Daniel Capron
TV announcers (ABC): Mark Jones, Dusty Dvoracek, Molly McGrath
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – Trace McSorley, 3-yard TD run, Jake Pinegar kick good, 13:24 (PSU 7–0)
UM – Joseph Petrino, 26-yard field goal, 4:53 (PSU 7–3)
PSU – McSorley, 20-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 1:58 (PSU 14–3)

Second quarter

PSU – Pinegar, 25-yard field goal, 2:06 (PSU 17–3)

Third quarter

PSU – Ricky Slade, 8-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 9:10 (PSU 24–3)

Fourth quarter

PSU – Pat Freiermuth, 5-yard TD pass from McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 12:24 (PSU 31–3)
PSU – Slade, 1-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 6:13 (PSU 38–3)

Top passers

UM – Tyrrell Pigrome – 14/23, 185 yards
PSU – Trace McSorley – 12/22, 230 yards, TD

Top rushers

UM – Javon Leake – 11 carries, 34 yards
PSU – Miles Sanders – 14 carries, 128 yards

Top receivers

UM – Brian Cobbs – 2 receptions, 58 yards
PSU – K. J. Hamler – 3 receptions, 90 yards

Top defenders

UM – Isaiah Davis – 9 tackles
PSU – Cam Brown – 5 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 1 sack

Vs. No. 16 Kentucky (Citrus Bowl)

Penn State vs. Kentucky – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 13 Penn State	0	7	0	17	24
No. 16 Kentucky	10	0	17	0	27

at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida

Date: January 1, 2019
Game time: 1:00 p.m. ET
Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C); bright sunshine, warm, humid
Game attendance: 59,167
Referee: Riley Johnson
TV announcers (ABC): Dave Flemming, Brock Huard, Laura Rutledge
ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com Box Score

Game information

First quarter

UK – Miles Butler, 28-yard field goal, 12:23 (UK 3–0)
UK – Lynn Bowden, 58-yard TD punt return, Butler kick good, 0:45 (UK 10–0)

Second quarter

PSU – Nick Bowers, 1-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Jake Pinegar kick good, 13:56 (UK 10–7)

Third quarter

UK – Benny Snell, 2-yard TD run, Butler kick good, 12:38 (UK 17–7)
UK – Butler, 28-yard field goal, 3:48 (UK 20–7)
UK – Snell, 12-yard TD run, Butler kick good, 1:35 (UK 27–7)

Fourth quarter

PSU – McSorley, 1-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 13:37 (UK 27–14)
PSU – Pat Freiermuth, 18-yard TD pass from McSorley, Pinegar kick good, 9:00 (UK 27–21)
PSU – Pinegar, 32-yard field goal, 4:12 (UK 27–24)

Top passers

PSU – Trace McSorley – 17/33, 246 yards, 2 TD, INT
UK – Terry Wilson – 9/15, 121 yards

Top rushers

PSU – Trace McSorley – 19 carries, 75 yards, TD
UK – Benny Snell – 26 carries, 144 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

PSU – DeAndre Thompkins – 4 receptions, 74 yards
UK – Lynn Bowden – 5 receptions, 84 yards

Top defenders

PSU – Micah Parsons – 13 tackles
UK – Darius West – 10 tackles

Rankings

Ranking movements
**Legend:** ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
т = Tied with team above or below
	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	10	13	11	10–T	9	11	8	18	17	14	21	16	15	14	13	17
Coaches	9	10	10	9	9	11	8	16	16	13	20	15	14	12	12	17
CFP	Not released									14	20	14	12	12	12	Not released

Awards and honors

All-Big Ten
Player	Position	Coaches	Media
Amani Oruwariye	DB	1	1
Yetur Gross-Matos	DL	3	1
Trace McSorley	QB	2	2
Miles Sanders	RB	2	2
Connor McGovern	OG	3	3
Ryan Bates	OT	3	3
Shareef Miller	DL	3	3
K. J. Hamler	WR	HM	HM
Pat Freiermuth	TE	HM	HM
Steven Gonzalez	OG	HM	HM
Garrett Taylor	DB	HM	HM
John Reid	DB	HM	HM
Robert Windsor	DL	HM	HM
K. J. Hamler	PR/KR	HM	HM
Micah Parsons	DL	–	HM
Nick Scott	DB	–	HM
HM = Honorable mention. Reference:^[3]

Players drafted into the NFL

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL club
2	53	Miles Sanders	RB	Philadelphia Eagles
4	138	Shareef Miller	DE	Philadelphia Eagles
5	146	Amani Oruwariye	CB	Detroit Lions
6	197	Trace McSorley	QB	Baltimore Ravens
7	243	Nick Scott	S	Los Angeles Rams

References

^ Juliano, Joe (December 31, 2018). "Trace McSorley's memorable Penn State career will end Tuesday. His legacy is more than just statistics". The Philadelphia Inquirer.
^ "2018 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 5, 2019.
^ ^a ^b "2018 All-Big Ten Football Teams and Individual Award Recipients" (PDF). BigTen.org. Big Ten Conference. November 28, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
^ Sammon, Will."Mississippi State hires Joe Moorhead as its next football coach", The Clarion-Ledger, November 29, 2017, retrieved March 22, 2018.
^ Sammon, Will."How Joe Moorhead assembled his first staff at Mississippi State", The Clarion-Ledger, January 17, 2018, retrieved March 22, 2018.
^ ^a ^b Juliano, Joe."Penn State hires two football assistants, promotes a third", The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 1, 2017, retrieved March 22, 2018.
^ Rubin, Andrew."James Franklin hires Army's David Corley to be Penn State football's running backs coach", The Daily Collegian, January 12, 2018, retrieved March 22, 2018.
^ Silverstein, Adam."College football teams can hire 10th on-field assistant coach starting in 2018", CBSSports.com, April 14, 2017, retrieved March 22, 2018.
^ Juliano, Joe."Penn State assistant Josh Gattis announces he is leaving for Alabama", The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 24, 2018, retrieved March 22, 2018.
^ DiPaola, Jerry."Penn State hires Ja'Juan Seider as RBs coach", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 25, 2018, retrieved March 23, 2018.
^ Levarse, Derek."Penn State hires Ja’Juan Seider as running backs coach in staffing shift", Times Leader, January 25, 2018, retrieved March 23, 2018.
^ Koerbler, Patrick. "National Signing Day 2018". SB Nation.
^ Rollins, Khadrice. "Penn State Recruiting: Updated List of Commits as of National Signing Day 2018". Sports Illustrated.
^ ^a ^b ^c Penn State Game Notes, GoPSUSports.com, August 27, 2018, retrieved September 24, 2018
^ "Rimington Trophy Press Release". May 30, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
^ "2018 Bednarik Award Watch List". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
^ "2018 Maxwell Award Watch List". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
^ "Davey O'Brien Award Watch List includes 26 players". July 17, 2018. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.
^ "2018 Doak Walker Award Candidates". July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.
^ "2018 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.
^ "Butkus Award – 2018 Collegiate Watchlist". The Butkus Award. July 23, 2018. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2018.
^ "2018 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
^ "22018 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
^ "Ray Guy Award preseason watch list unveiled". July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.
^ "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
^ Carbone, Al (July 27, 2018). "Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces 2018 Player of the Year Preseason "Watch List"". Retrieved July 30, 2018.
^ "Preseason Watch List – 2018 edition of the Ted Hendricks Award" (PDF). August 14, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.
^ "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
^ "Manning Award: See which quarterbacks made the preseason watch list for 2018". August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
^ Schlarp,Thomas."Captains selected for Penn State football", The Daily Collegian, April 14, 2018, retrieved April 15, 2018.
^ Burns, Patrick."Notre Dame transfer running back takes walk on spot at Penn State", The Daily Collegian, July 2, 2018, retrieved August 5, 2018.
^ Burns, Patrick."Manny Bowen officially rejoins Penn State football program" The Daily Collegian, August 4, 2018, retrieved August 5, 2018.
^ "Penn State Selects James Franklin To Lead Football Program". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2014.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "Staff Directory". GoPSUsports.com. Retrieved April 29, 2020.
^ Rubin, Andrew."Penn State football sets kickoff time for Blue-White game | Game to air live on Big Ten Network", The Daily Collegian, February 22, 2018, retrieved February 24, 2018.
^ Juliano, Joe."Extended playing time in Penn State spring game no problem for Trace McSorley", The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 21, 2018, retrieved April 22, 2018.
^ "Penn State Hosting Appalachian State To Complete 2018 Schedule". GoPSUsports.com. October 30, 2014. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
^ Kelley, Kevin (October 31, 2014). "Penn State Nittany Lions complete 2018 Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
^ Pianovich, Stephen (January 16, 2018). "Penn State announces date for 2018 homecoming game". landof10.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018.
^ "2018 Penn State Nittany Lions Football Schedule". FB Schedules.
^ "PSU Football Schedules 2017–2021". happyvalley.com.
^ "2018 Penn State Nittany Lions Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 7, 2017.

[1] Juliano, Joe (December 31, 2018). "Trace McSorley's memorable Penn State career will end Tuesday. His legacy is more than just statistics". The Philadelphia Inquirer.

[2] "2018 Big Ten Conference Year Summary". Sports-Reference.com. Retrieved May 5, 2019.

[all_big_ten-3] "2018 All-Big Ten Football Teams and Individual Award Recipients" (PDF). BigTen.org. Big Ten Conference. November 28, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2018. Retrieved November 28, 2018.

[4] Sammon, Will."Mississippi State hires Joe Moorhead as its next football coach", The Clarion-Ledger, November 29, 2017, retrieved March 22, 2018.

[5] Sammon, Will."How Joe Moorhead assembled his first staff at Mississippi State", The Clarion-Ledger, January 17, 2018, retrieved March 22, 2018.

[joe-6] Juliano, Joe."Penn State hires two football assistants, promotes a third", The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 1, 2017, retrieved March 22, 2018.

[7] Rubin, Andrew."James Franklin hires Army's David Corley to be Penn State football's running backs coach", The Daily Collegian, January 12, 2018, retrieved March 22, 2018.

[8] Silverstein, Adam."College football teams can hire 10th on-field assistant coach starting in 2018", CBSSports.com, April 14, 2017, retrieved March 22, 2018.

[9] Juliano, Joe."Penn State assistant Josh Gattis announces he is leaving for Alabama", The Philadelphia Inquirer, January 24, 2018, retrieved March 22, 2018.

[10] DiPaola, Jerry."Penn State hires Ja'Juan Seider as RBs coach", Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, January 25, 2018, retrieved March 23, 2018.

[11] Levarse, Derek."Penn State hires Ja’Juan Seider as running backs coach in staffing shift", Times Leader, January 25, 2018, retrieved March 23, 2018.

[12] Koerbler, Patrick. "National Signing Day 2018". SB Nation.

[13] Rollins, Khadrice. "Penn State Recruiting: Updated List of Commits as of National Signing Day 2018". Sports Illustrated.

[notes-14] Penn State Game Notes, GoPSUSports.com, August 27, 2018, retrieved September 24, 2018

[15] "Rimington Trophy Press Release". May 30, 2018. Retrieved July 14, 2018.

[16] "2018 Bednarik Award Watch List". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2018.

[17] "2018 Maxwell Award Watch List". July 16, 2018. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.

[18] "Davey O'Brien Award Watch List includes 26 players". July 17, 2018. Archived from the original on July 17, 2018. Retrieved July 17, 2018.

[19] "2018 Doak Walker Award Candidates". July 18, 2018. Retrieved July 18, 2018.

[20] "2018 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List Released" (PDF). July 20, 2018. Retrieved July 20, 2018.

[21] "Butkus Award – 2018 Collegiate Watchlist". The Butkus Award. July 23, 2018. Archived from the original on August 20, 2010. Retrieved July 23, 2018.

[22] "2018 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Preseason Watch List". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.

[23] "22018 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.

[24] "Ray Guy Award preseason watch list unveiled". July 25, 2018. Retrieved July 25, 2018.

[25] "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.

[26] Carbone, Al (July 27, 2018). "Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces 2018 Player of the Year Preseason "Watch List"". Retrieved July 30, 2018.

[27] "Preseason Watch List – 2018 edition of the Ted Hendricks Award" (PDF). August 14, 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 16, 2018.

[28] "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.

[29] "Manning Award: See which quarterbacks made the preseason watch list for 2018". August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.

[30] Schlarp,Thomas."Captains selected for Penn State football", The Daily Collegian, April 14, 2018, retrieved April 15, 2018.

[31] Burns, Patrick."Notre Dame transfer running back takes walk on spot at Penn State", The Daily Collegian, July 2, 2018, retrieved August 5, 2018.

[32] Burns, Patrick."Manny Bowen officially rejoins Penn State football program" The Daily Collegian, August 4, 2018, retrieved August 5, 2018.

[33] "Penn State Selects James Franklin To Lead Football Program". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. Archived from the original on January 11, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2014.

[gopsusports.com-34] "Staff Directory". GoPSUsports.com. Retrieved April 29, 2020.

[35] Rubin, Andrew."Penn State football sets kickoff time for Blue-White game | Game to air live on Big Ten Network", The Daily Collegian, February 22, 2018, retrieved February 24, 2018.

[36] Juliano, Joe."Extended playing time in Penn State spring game no problem for Trace McSorley", The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 21, 2018, retrieved April 22, 2018.

[37] "Penn State Hosting Appalachian State To Complete 2018 Schedule". GoPSUsports.com. October 30, 2014. Archived from the original on March 25, 2018. Retrieved March 25, 2018.

[38] Kelley, Kevin (October 31, 2014). "Penn State Nittany Lions complete 2018 Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved March 25, 2018.

[39] Pianovich, Stephen (January 16, 2018). "Penn State announces date for 2018 homecoming game". landof10.com. Archived from the original on February 5, 2018. Retrieved February 4, 2018.

[40] "2018 Penn State Nittany Lions Football Schedule". FB Schedules.

[41] "PSU Football Schedules 2017–2021". happyvalley.com.

[42] "2018 Penn State Nittany Lions Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 7, 2017.

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