Penn State Hosts Wolverines Saturday
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Following its bye week, Penn State (7-3) closes another home season at Beaver Stadium, hosting No. 14/13 Michigan (8-2) for the annual White Out game, Saturday at noon on ABC.
Penn State will look to complete its first undefeated home season since 2008, and extend a three-game home winning streak over Michigan that dates back to the same year. The last meeting in Beaver Stadium between the two teams was a historic one, as Penn State prevailed 43-40 in four overtimes for the longest game in the history of the Big Ten.
Penn State looks to return to the win column after a narrow loss at Northwestern in its most recent outing. The Nittany Lions rallied from a 13-point deficit to take a one-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but Northwestern was able to convert a field goal try with nine seconds remaining to steal the win.
The Penn State-Michigan matchup will feature two of the strongest defenses in the nation. Michigan ranks second in FBS in total defense, allowing just 268.7 yards per game, while Penn State ranks 13th, averaging 311.2 yards allowed per game. Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg will be looking to thread passes past defensive back Jourdan Lewis, who leads the country in passes defended. Lewis leads a secondary unit that will try to contain wide receiver Chris Godwin, who is coming off a career-best eight-catch outing at Northwestern. Godwin ranks seventh in the Big Ten with 4.9 catches per game and third with 80.8 receiving yards per game. Penn State running back Saquon Barkley will face a rushing defense that ranks eighth nationally, allowing 103.2 yards on the ground per game. Barkley ranks 27th in FBS with 104.5 yards rushing per game.
Penn State will conclude the regular season with another tough test Saturday, Nov. 28 at No. 9/9 Michigan State. That game has been announced for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff.
HEAD COACH JIM HARBAUGH
• Jim Harbaugh is in his first season as head coach at Michigan.
• For the four previous seasons, Harbaugh was head coach of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers. He led the franchise to the NFC Championship Game in each of his first three seasons and the 2012 Super Bowl.
• From 2007-10, Harbaugh was the head coach at Stanford, leading the Cardinal to an Orange Bowl victory in 2010.
• Harbaugh is the only coach to win both the AP NFL Coach of the Year (2011) and Woody Hayes Coach of the Year Award (2010).
• Harbaugh played for five different organizations during his 15-year NFL career (1987-2001).
• As a quarterback at Michigan, Harbaugh earned first team All-America honors and finished third in the balloting for the Heisman Trophy following the 1986 season.
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
• Michigan carries an 8-2 overall record and 5-1 Big Ten record. The Wolverines’ losses were at Utah (17-24) in their season opener and to Michigan State (23-27) on a turnover on the final play of the game.
• Michigan is coming off a double overtime victory at Indiana. QB Jake Rudock completed 33-of-46 passes for 440 yards and six touchdowns. Jehu Chesson had four touchdown receptions on 10 catches for 207 yards.
• Rudock leads the Big Ten in completion percentage and ranks in the top five in passing yards and touchdowns.
• Michigan’s defense ranks second in the nation allowing just 268.7 yards per game. It shutout BYU, Maryland and Northwestern in consecutive games.
• Jourdan Lewis leads the nation with 2.0 passes defended per game.
• The 41 points scored by Indiana were the most allowed this season. The 27 points allowed against Michigan State was the previous high.
• The Wolverines excel in kick returns, ranking second in FBS averaging 32.63 yards per return.
• Michigan is balanced on offense, ranking in the middle of the Big Ten averaging 393.7 yards per game (224.9 passing, 168.8 rushing).
SPECIAL SENIOR CLASS TO BE HONORED
• There are 19 Nittany Lion seniors that will take the field in Beaver Stadium for the final time Saturday.
• The 2015 seniors have been instrumental in the Nittany Lions earning a 29-18 record the past four years under unprecedented circumstances, with four winning seasons during their careers.
• The 19 players will be introduced in a pre-game ceremony and include: Matt Baney, Tarow Barney, Kyle Carter, Jordan Dudas, Jack Haffner, Albert Hall, Colin Harrop, Charles Idemudia, Brandon Johnson, Ben Kline, team co-captain Jordan Lucas, team co-captain Angelo Mangiro, Carl Nassib, Kevin Reihner, Dom Salomone, Anthony Smith, Trevor Williams, team co-captain Anthony Zettel and Matt Zanellato. Lucas suffered season-ending injuries against Northwestern.
• Among the group are: five graduates from prior to the season, an offensive lineman that has paved the way for Penn State’s all-time passing yards leader, the Penn State single-season sacks leader, a pair of lockdown DBs, a tight end that has made big catches in big games, two disruptive defensive linemen, two service-minded Lions and valued members of the scout and special teams.
SENIOR DAY SUCCESS
The Nittany Lions have earned victories in 20 of their 25 Senior Day games since 1990. The losses have come to No. 16 Michigan (1999), No. 11 Michigan State (2010), Nebraska (2011 and 2013) and No. 10 Michigan State (2014).
STORIED PROGRAMS MEET ON GRIDIRON
Penn State and Michigan are among the nation’s premier football programs:
• Penn State and Michigan both rank among the top-12 programs in winning percentage and total victories in NCAA history.
• Four of the top-12 winningest programs in NCAA history are from the Big Ten.
• Penn State sits No. 8 in all-time victories (856) and No. 10 in winning percentage (.687).
• Michigan owns an NCAA-best 923 victories and ranks No. 2 in all-time winning percentage at .730.
• The Nittany Lions and Wolverines are also among the most ranked teams in NCAA history according to the AP poll.
• Michigan has spent 32 weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP Poll (11th all-time) and Penn State has earned the No. 1 ranking by the AP on 19 occasions (t-16th all-time). (Not including preseason rankings).
• Penn State’s 589 weeks ranked among the AP Top-25 rank ninth all-time, while Michigan’s 803 weeks rank second.
AP Poll statistics are since 1936
COMING OFF A BYE
• Penn State has a 15-13 record after a bye week since starting Big Ten competition in 1993.
• Penn State fell at Michigan (18-13) following its first bye week of 2014, and fell, at home to No. 13 Ohio State, 31-24 following its second.
• The Nittany Lions fell at Indiana on Oct. 5 and at No. 4 Ohio State on Oct. 26 during the 2013 season.
• The Nittany Lions had two bye weeks in 2013 & 2014.
• The Nittany Lions won at Iowa in 2012 following their only bye week during that season.
• The Nov. 14 bye was the latest first-bye date for the Nittany Lions since 1958 when Penn State’s only bye came on Nov. 22.
• Penn State also had its first bye on Nov. 22 in 1923 and on Nov. 21 in 1922.
• In the Big Ten, Penn State and Wisconsin have their off date on Nov. 14, while Nebraska’s single bye comes on Nov. 21.
NITTANY LIONS FROM MICHIGAN
Penn State has two players from Michigan on its roster.
• TE Charles Idemudia – Detroit/Grosse Pointe North
• DL Anthony Zettel – West Branch/Ogemaw Heights
PENN STATE-MICHIGAN CONNECTIONS
• PSU junior OL Brian Gaia and Michigan junior TE Henry Poggi played together at The Gilman School (Md.).
• PSU junior WR Gregg Garrity and Michigan junior OL Patrick Kugler played together at North Allegheny (Pa.)
• PSU freshman CB John Reid and Michigan freshman OL John Runyan played together at St. Joseph’s Prep.
• PSU alum Navorro Bowman played for Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh with the San Francisco 49ers.
