2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

The 2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team competed as a member of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. The team was led by eighth-year head coach James Franklin.

2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Outback Bowl, L 10–24 vs. Arkansas
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record7–6 (4–5 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorMike Yurcich (1st season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorBrent Pry (8th season)
Co-defensive coordinatorAnthony Poindexter (1st season)
Home stadiumBeaver Stadium
(Capacity: 106,572)
Uniform
2021 Big Ten Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
No. 3 Michigan xy$^  8 1   12 2  
No. 6 Ohio State x  8 1   11 2  
No. 9 Michigan State  7 2   11 2  
Penn State  4 5   7 6  
Maryland  3 6   7 6  
Rutgers  2 7   5 8  
Indiana  0 9   2 10  
West Division
No. 23 Iowa xy  7 2   10 4  
Minnesota  6 3   9 4  
Wisconsin  6 3   9 4  
Purdue  6 3   9 4  
Illinois  4 5   5 7  
Nebraska  1 8   3 9  
Northwestern  1 8   3 9  
Championship: Michigan 42, Iowa 3
  • ^ College Football Playoff participant
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • y Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The Nittany Lions had a promising start to the season, going 5–0 and beating a ranked Wisconsin and Auburn, to reach number 4 in the AP poll. However during their game against #3 Iowa, quarterback Sean Clifford was injured, stalling all momentum they had, allowing Iowa to come back and beat them 23–20. The next week they played an unranked Illinois to hopefully regain momentum ahead of playing rival Ohio State on the road, however they lost in a record breaking 9OT. The Nittany Lions would then lose the next four of their last six games, finishing their season at 7–6 after losing to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl.

Offseason

Players drafted into the NFL

Round Pick Player Position NFL club
112Micah ParsonsLBDallas Cowboys
131Odafe OwehDEBaltimore Ravens
255Pat FreiermuthTEPittsburgh Steelers
7 246 Shaka Toney DE Washington Football Team
7 247 Michal Menet C Arizona Cardinals
7 248 Will Fries OG Indianapolis Colts

Preseason

Preseason Big Ten poll

Cleveland.com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011, making this the first preseason Big Ten poll since 2010. For the 2021 poll, Penn State was projected to finish second in the East Division.[1]

Media poll (East Division)
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1Ohio State238 (34)
2Penn State192
3Indiana169
4Michigan144
5Maryland74
6Rutgers77.5
7Michigan State52.5

Personnel

Coaching staff

Penn State football current coaching staff[2]
Name Position Alma Mater Years at Penn State
James FranklinHead coachEast Stroudsburg University (1995)8th
Brent PryDefensive coordinator/linebackersUniversity at Buffalo (1993)8th
Mike YurcichOffensive coordinator/quarterbacks coachCalifornia University of Pennsylvania (1999)1st
Anthony PoindexterCo-defensive coordinator/safetiesUniversity of Virginia (1999)1st
Ty HowleTight ends coachPenn State University (2013)2nd
Phil TrautweinOffensive lineUniversity of Florida (2007)2nd
John ScottDefensive lineWestern Carolina University (2000)2nd
Taylor StubblefieldWide receiversPurdue University (2004)2nd
Ja'Juan SeiderRun Game Coordinator/running backsWest Virginia University (2000)4th
Terry SmithAssistant head coach/defensive recruiting coordinator/cornerbacksPenn State University (1991)8th
Joe LorigSpecial teams coordinator/outside LinebackerWestern Oregon University (1995)3rd
Dwight Galt IIIAssistant AD, Performance EnhancementUniversity of Maryland (1981)8th
V'Angelo BentleyGraduate AssistantUniversity of Illinois (2015)3rd
David ParkerGraduate AssistantUniversity of Arkansas (2015)1st
Deion BarnesGraduate AssistantPenn State University (2014)2nd
Wendy LaurentGraduate AssistantPenn State University (2016)2nd

Roster

2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football roster

Quarterback

  •  2 Ta'Quan Roberson – Redshirt freshman (5'11, 195)
  •  9 Christian Veilleuxfreshman (6'4, 197)
  • 14 Sean CliffordRedshirt junior (6'2, 217)
  • 17 Mason Stahl – freshman (6'0, 204)

Running back

  • 10 John Lovett – senior (6'0, 205)
  • 21 Noah Cain – sophomore (5'10, 226)
  • 24 Keyvone Lee – freshman (6'0, 230)
  • 26 Caziah Holmes – freshman (5'11, 209)
  • 28 Devyn Ford – sophomore (5'11, 205)
  • 38 Tank Smith – Redshirt freshman (5'7, 227)

Wide receiver

  •  3 Parker Washingtonfreshman (5'10, 205)
  •  5 Jahan Dotsonjunior (5'11, 182)
  •  6 Cam Sullivan-Brown – Redshirt junior (6'0, 191)
  • 11 Daniel George – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 210)
  • 13 KeAndre Lambert-Smithfreshman (6'1, 185)
  • 19 Jaden Dottin – freshman (6'2, 190)
  • 29 Henry Fessler – Redshirt sophomore (5'10, 182)
  • 80 Malick Meiga – freshman (6'4, 198)
  • 80 Justin Weller – Redshirt junior (6'0, 194)
  • 83 Johnny Crise – freshman (6'5, 201)
  • 84 Benjamin Wilson – senior (6'2, 212)
  • 88 Norval Black – junior (6'1, 178)
  • 89 Winston Eubanks – Redshirt senior (6'0, 191)

Tight end

Placekicker

  • 90 Rafael Checa – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 203)
  • 92 Jake Pinegar – junior (6'2, 192)
  • 95 Vlad Hilling – Redshirt sophomore (5'10, 213)
  • 96 Anthony DaSilva – Redshirt freshman (5'11, 157)
 

Offensive lineman

  • 50 Will Knutsson – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 319)
  • 51 Jimmy Christ – freshman (6'7, 298)
  • 52 Blake Zalar – Redshirt freshman (6'1, 286)
  • 53 Rasheed WalkerRedshirt sophomore (6'6, 310)
  • 55 Anthony Whigan – Redshirt junior (6'4, 315)
  • 57 Ibrahim Traore – freshman (6'5, 325)
  • 59 Kaleb Konigus – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 291)
  • 63 Collin De Boef – Redshirt sophomore (6'5, 264)
  • 66 Nick Dawkins – freshman (6'4, 310)
  • 70 Juice ScruggsRedshirt sophomore (6'3, 302)
  • 72 Bryce Effner – Redshirt sophomore (6'5, 301)
  • 73 Mike Miranda – Redshirt junior (6'3, 301)
  • 74 Olu Fashanufreshman (6'6, 300)
  • 75 Des Holmes – Redshirt junior (6'5, 312)
  • 77 Sal Wormley – Redshirt freshman (6'3, 317)
  • 78 Golden Israel-Achumba – freshman (6'4, 345)
  • 79 Caedan Wallace – Redshirt freshman (6'5, 313)
  • Nate Bruce – freshman (6'4, 344)
  • Landon Tengwall – freshman (6'6, 321)

Defensive lineman

  • 17 Arnold Ebiketie – DE – Redshirt senior (6'3, 238)
  • 20 Adisa Isaac – DE – sophomore (6'4, 251)
  • 27 Aeneas Hawkins – DT – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 288)
  • 33 Bryce Mostella – DE – freshman (6'6, 248)
  • 44 Joseph Darkwa – DT – Redshirt freshman (6'5, 293)
  • 46 Nick Tarburton – DE – Redshirt sophomore (6'3, 252)
  • 51 Hakeem Beamon – DE – Redshirt freshman (6'3, 292)
  • 53 Fred Hansard – DT – Redshirt junior (6'3, 324)
  • 54 Fatorma Mulbah – DT – freshman (6'3, 289)
  • 56 Amin Vanover – DT – freshman (6'4, 279)
  • 91 Dvon Ellies – DT – Redshirt freshman (6'1, 296)
  • 92 Smith Vilbert – DE – Redshirt freshman (6'6, 251)
  • 94 Jake Wilson – DE – freshman (6'3, 241)
  • 95 Cole Brevard – DT – freshman (6'3, 312)
  • 97 P. J. Mustipher – DT – junior (6'4, 300)
  • 98 Dan Vasey – DE – Redshirt junior (6'4, 251)
  • 99 Coziah Izzard – DT – freshman (6'3, 290)
  • Rodney McGraw – DE – freshman (6'5, 254)
  • Derrick Tangelo – DT – senior (6'2, 298)

Punter

  • 93 Levi Forrest – freshman (6'5, 184)
  • 93 Bradley King – Redshirt junior (6'2, 214)
  • 98 Jordan StoutRedshirt junior (6'3, 208)
  • 96 Barney Amor – Redshirt junior (6'1, 200)
 

Linebacker

  • 12 Brandon Smithsophomore (6'3, 244)
  • 13 Ellis Brooks – Redshirt junior (6'1, 233)
  • 23 Curtis Jacobsfreshman (6'1, 226)
  • 34 Dominic DeLuca – freshman (6'1, 202)
  • 36 Zuriah Fisher – freshman (6'3, 244)
  • 39 Robbie Dwyer – Redshirt freshman(6'1, 247)
  • 40 Jesse Luketajunior (6'3, 242)
  • 41 Kobe King – freshman (6'1, 236)
  • 43 Tyler Elsdon – freshman (6'2, 230)
  • 45 Charlie Katshir – Redshirt sophomore (6'3, 231)
  • 47 Alex Furmanek – Redshirt freshman(6'2, 265)
  • 50 Max Chizmar – Redshirt junior (6'2, 229)

Defensive back

  •  0 Jonathan Sutherland – S – Redshirt junior (5'11, 202)
  •  1 Jaquan Brisker – S – senior (6'1, 210)
  •  2 Keaton Ellis – CB – sophomore (5'11, 186)
  •  4 Kalen King – CB – freshman (5'11, 177)
  •  5 Tariq Castro-Fields – CB – senior (6'0, 191)
  •  8 Marquis Wilson – CB – sophomore (5'11, 181)
  •  9 Joey Porter Jr. – CB – Redshirt freshman (6'2, 193)
  • 15 Enzo Jennings – S – freshman (6'1, 197)
  • 16 Ji'Ayir Brown – S – junior (5'11, 209)
  • 17 Joseph Johnson III – CB – freshman (6'2, 168)
  • 21 Tyler Rudolph – S – Redshirt freshman (6'0, 203)
  • 25 Daequan Hardy – CB – Redshirt freshman (5'9, 180)
  • 27 Jaden Seider – S – Redshirt freshman (5'10, 174)
  • 29 Sebastian Costantini – CB – Redshirt freshman (5'11, 185)
  • 32 Dylan Farronato – S – Redshirt freshman (5'11, 187)
  • 48 Cody Romano – S – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 207)
  • Jeffrey Davis Jr – CB – freshman (6'0, 174)
  • Johnny Dixon – CB – sophomore (6'0, 183)

Long snappers

  • 49 Michael Wright – freshman (6'1, 197)
  • 91 Chris StollRedshirt junior (6'2, 242)

Source:[3]

Schedule

Spring game

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State did not host their annual Blue vs. White scrimmage. In lieu of the Blue vs. White game, the university invited the freshmen class to Beaver Stadium for what was meant to be the final spring practice on April 17.[4] More than 7,500 Penn State freshmen attended. Following backlash from students and the public, an extra practice was scheduled for April 23, initially limited to Penn State seniors with an in-person class, but soon opened tickets to all seniors, then to the general public.[5]

Regular season

The Nittany Lions hosted three non-conference games: the Ball State Cardinals from the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the Auburn Tigers (first ever regular season meeting) from the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and the Villanova Wildcats an FCS school from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

PSU played Big Ten opponents Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio State, Maryland, Michigan, Rutgers, and Michigan State. The schedule consisted of seven home games and five road games.

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 4, 202112:00 p.m.at No. 12 WisconsinNo. 19Camp Randall Stadium (Big Noon Kickoff)FOXW 16–1076,832
September 113:30 p.m.Ball State*No. 11FS1W 44–13105,323
September 187:30 p.m.No. 22 Auburn*No. 10
ABCW 28–20109,958
September 2512:00 p.m.No. 11 (FCS) Villanova*No. 6
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
BTNW 38–17105,790
October 27:30 p.m.IndianaNo. 4
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ABCW 24–0105,951
October 94:00 p.m.at No. 3 IowaNo. 4FOXL 20–2369,250
October 2312:00 p.m.IllinoisdaggerNo. 7
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ABCL 18–20 9OT105,001
October 307:30 p.m.at No. 5 Ohio StateNo. 20ABCL 24–33102,951
November 63:30 p.m.at MarylandFS1W 31–1446,924
November 1312:00 p.m.No. 6 Michigan
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ABCL 17–21109,534
November 2012:00 p.m.Rutgers
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
BTNW 28–0106,038
November 273:30 p.m.at No. 12 Michigan StateABCL 27–3066,312
January 1, 202212:00 p.m.vs. No. 21 Arkansas*ESPN2L 10–2446,577
Schedule Source[6]

Game summaries

At No. 12 Wisconsin

No. 19 Penn State at No. 12 Wisconsin – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 19 Penn State 0 0 7916
No. 12 Wisconsin 0 0 7310

at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin

Game information
First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

No scoring

Third quarter
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 49-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jordan Stout kick, 12:08 (PSU, 7–0)
  • UW – Chez Mellusi, 3-yard TD run, Collin Larsh kick, 8:01 (TIE, 7–7)
Fourth quarter
  • UW – Larsh, 43-yard field goal, 13:36 (UW, 10–7)
  • PSU – Stout, 24-yard field goal, 11:26 (TIE, 10–10)
  • PSU – Noah Cain, 2-yard TD run, Stout kick missed, 9:17 (PSU, 16–10)
Statistics PSU UW
First downs1129
Plays–yards51–29795–359
Rushes–yards18–5058–174
Passing yards247185
Passing: comp–att–int18–33–022–37–2
Time of possession17:0942:51
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Penn State PassingSean Clifford18/33, 247 yards, TD
RushingNoah Cain8 carries, 48 yards, TD
ReceivingJahan Dotson5 receptions, 102 yards, TD
Wisconsin PassingGraham Mertz22/37, 185 yards, 2 INT
RushingChez Mellusi31 carries, 121 yards, TD
ReceivingDanny Davis III8 receptions, 99 yards

Ball State

Ball State at No. 11 Penn State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Ball State 0 6 0713
No. 11 Penn State 14 10 101044

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter
  • PSU – Noah Cain, 5-yard TD run, Jordan Stout kick, 10:01 (PSU, 7–0)
  • PSU – Sean Clifford, 1-yard TD run, Stout kick, 5:53 (PSU, 14–0)
Second quarter
  • BSU – Jake Chanove, 24-yard field goal, 14:25 (PSU, 14–3)
  • PSU – Stout, 45-yard field goal, 11:22 (PSU, 17–3)
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 25-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 2:50 (PSU, 24–3)
  • BSU – Chanove, 23-yard field goal, 0:00 (PSU, 24–6)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Jesse Luketa, 16-yard interception returned for TD, Stout kick, 5:56 (PSU, 31–6)
  • PSU – Stout, 26-yard field goal, 1:53 (PSU, 34–6)
Fourth quarter
  • PSU – Stout, 22-yard field goal, 9:59 (PSU, 37–6)
  • BSU – Carson Steele, 6-yard TD run, Chanove kick, 6:58 (PSU, 37–13)
  • PSU – Theo Johnson, 23-yard TD pass from Ta'Quan Roberson, Stout kick, 2:10 (PSU, 44–13)
Statistics BSU PSU
First downs1931
Plays–yards71–29579–493
Rushes–yards26–6948–240
Passing yards226253
Passing: comp–att–int30–45–222–31–0
Time of possession26:0034:00
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Ball State PassingDrew Plitt25/39, 176 yards, 2 INT
RushingCarson Steele7 carries, 18 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingJayshon Jackson4 receptions, 42 yards
Penn State PassingSean Clifford21/29, 230 yards, 1 TD
RushingNoah Cain20 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingJahan Dotson5 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD

No. 22 Auburn

No. 22 Auburn at No. 10 Penn State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 22 Auburn 3 7 7320
No. 10 Penn State 7 7 7728

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter
  • AU – Anders Carlson, 45-yard field goal, 9:37 (AU, 3–0)
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 4-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jordan Stout kick, 2:24 (PSU, 7–3)
Second quarter
  • AU – Tank Bigsby, 4-yard TD run, Carlson kick, 12:28 (AU, 10–7)
  • PSU – Brenton Strange, 2-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 1:23 (PSU, 14–10)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Tyler Warren, 2-yard TD run, Stout kick, 13:06 (PSU, 21–10)
  • AU – Bigsby, 6-yard TD run, Carlson kick, 5:52 (PSU, 21–17)
Fourth quarter
  • AU – Carlson, 43-yard field goal, 14:55 (PSU, 21–20)
  • PSU – Noah Cain, 3-yard TD run, Stout kick, 10:48 (PSU, 28–20)
Statistics AU PSU
First downs2422
Plays–yards79–36766–396
Rushes–yards40–18233–94
Passing yards185302
Passing: comp–att–int21–39–029–33–1
Time of possession31:4228:18
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Auburn PassingBo Nix21/37, 185 yards
RushingTank Bigsby23 carries, 102 yards, 2 TD
ReceivingKobe Hudson4 receptions, 66 yards
Penn State PassingSean Clifford28/32, 280 yards, 2 TD, INT
RushingNoah Cain19 carries, 45 yards, TD
ReceivingJahan Dotson10 receptions, 78 yards, TD

No. 11 (FCS) Villanova

No. 11 (FCS) Villanova at No. 6 Penn State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 11 (FCS) Villanova 3 0 01417
No. 6 Penn State 7 10 14738

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

  • Date: September 25
  • Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
  • Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C); sunny
  • Game attendance: 105,790
  • Referee: Jerry McGinn
  • TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill (play-by-play), Matt Millen (analyst), and Elise Menaker (sideline)
  • Pregame line: None (due to Villanova's FCS status) • Odds to win: Penn State 96.8% • ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com
Game information
First quarter
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 52-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jordan Stout kick, 12:59 (PSU, 7–0)
  • VU – Cole Bunce, 39-yard field goal, 1:21 (PSU, 7–3)
Second quarter
  • PSU – Parker Washington, 52-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 14:07 (PSU, 14–3)
  • PSU – Stout, 29-yard field goal, 8:26 (PSU, 17–3)
Third quarter
  • PSU – KeAndre Lambert-Smith, 83-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 14:14 (PSU, 24–3)
  • PSU – Washington, 23-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 1:58 (PSU, 31–3)
Fourth quarter
  • PSU – Tyler Warren, 3-yard TD run, Stout kick, 13:58 (PSU, 38–3)
  • VU – Rayjoun Pringle, 57-yard TD pass from Daniel Smith, Bunce kick, 9:42 (PSU, 38–10)
  • VU – Pringle, 17-yard TD pass from Smith, Bunce kick, 1:38 (PSU, 38–17)
Statistics VU PSU
First downs1520
Plays–yards60–28065–509
Rushes–yards26–5834–80
Passing yards222429
Passing: comp–att–int20–34–122–31–1
Time of possession31:1528:45
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Villanova PassingDaniel Smith20/34, 222 yards, 2 TD, INT
RushingJalen Jackson7 carries, 58 yards
ReceivingRayjoun Pringle4 receptions, 107 yards, 2 TD
Penn State PassingSean Clifford19/26, 401 yards, 4 TD, INT
RushingJohn Lovett11 carries, 45 yards
ReceivingParker Washington5 receptions, 148 yards, 2 TD

Indiana

Indiana at No. 4 Penn State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Indiana 0 0 000
No. 4 Penn State 7 7 7324

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter
  • PSU – Brenton Strange, 10-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jordan Stout kick, 5:28 (PSU, 7–0)
Second quarter
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 8-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 13:31 (PSU, 14–0)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Dotson, 30-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 4:16 (PSU, 21–0)
Fourth quarter
  • PSU – Stout, 50-yard field goal, 8:06 (PSU, 24–0)
Statistics IU PSU
First downs1220
Plays–yards58–26476–408
Rushes–yards24–6942–209
Passing yards195199
Passing: comp–att–int16–34–218–34–1
Time of possession25:0734:53
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Indiana PassingMichael Penix Jr.10/22, 118 yards, INT
RushingStephen Carr15 carries, 50 yards
ReceivingPeyton Hendershot5 receptions, 88 yards
Penn State PassingSean Clifford17/33, 178 yards, 3 TD, INT
RushingKeyvone Lee8 carries, 74 yards
ReceivingJahan Dotson8 receptions, 84 yards, 2 TD

At No. 3 Iowa

No. 4 Penn State at No. 3 Iowa – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 4 Penn State 14 3 3020
No. 3 Iowa 3 7 31023

at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa

Game information
First quarter
  • UI – Caleb Shudak, 34-yard field goal, 11:08 (UI, 3–0)
  • PSU – Noah Cain, 2-yard TD run, Jordan Stout kick, 8:37 (PSU, 7–3)
  • PSU – Sean Clifford, 4-yard TD run, Stout kick 3:21 (PSU, 14–3)
Second quarter
  • PSU – Stout, 32-yard field goal, 3:21 (PSU, 17–3)
  • UI – Charlie Jones, 9-yard TD pass from Spencer Petras, Shudak kick, 7:08 (PSU, 17–10)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Stout, 44-yard field goal, 6:40 (PSU, 20–10)
  • UI – Shudak, 48-yard field goal, 1:36 (PSU, 20–13)
Fourth quarter
  • UI – Shudak, 36-yard field goal, 8:08 (PSU, 20–16)
  • UI – Nico Ragaini, 44-yard TD pass from Petras, Shudak kick, 6:26 (UI 23–20)
Statistics PSU UI
First downs1818
Plays–yards79–28776–305
Rushes–yards33–10745–110
Passing yards180195
Passing: comp–att–int22–46–417–31–1
Time of possession24:0735:50
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Penn State PassingSean Clifford15/25, 146 yards, 2 INT
RushingSean Clifford3 carries, 36 yards, TD
ReceivingKeAndre Lambert-Smith5 receptions, 61 yards
Iowa PassingSpencer Petras17/31, 195 yards, 2 TD, INT
RushingTyler Goodson25 carries, 88 yards
ReceivingNico Ragaini4 receptions, 73 yards, TD

Illinois

Illinois at No. 7 Penn State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34OT2OT3OT4OT5OT6OT7OT8OT9OTTotal
Illinois 0 7 0333000002220
No. 7 Penn State 7 3 0033000002018

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter
  • PSU – KeAndre Lambert-Smith, 42-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jordan Stout kick, 0:09 (PSU, 7–0)
Second quarter
  • PSU – Stout, 35-yard field goal, 11:12 (PSU, 10–0)
  • UI – Chase Brown, 1-yard TD run, James McCourt kick, 2:52 (PSU, 10–7)
Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter
  • UI – McCourt, 37-yard field goal, 11:49 (TIE, 10–10)
First overtime
  • PSU – Stout, 31-yard field goal (PSU, 13–10)
  • UI – McCourt, 39-yard field goal (TIE, 13–13)
Second overtime
  • UI – McCourt, 22-yard field goal (UI, 16–13)
  • PSU – Stout, 40-yard field goal, (TIE, 16–16)
Third overtime (2-point conversion attempts)

No scoring

Fourth overtime (2-point conversion attempts)

No scoring

Fifth overtime (2-point conversion attempts)

No scoring

Sixth overtime (2-point conversion attempts)

No scoring

Seventh overtime (2-point conversion attempts)

No scoring

Eighth overtime (2-point conversion attempts)
  • UI – Isaiah Williams, 2-point conversion pass from Brandon Peters (UI, 18–16)
  • PSU – Noah Cain, 2-point conversion rush (TIE, 18–18)
Ninth overtime (2-point conversion attempts)
  • UI – Casey Washington, 2-point conversion pass from Peters (UI, 20–18)
Statistics UI PSU
First downs2614
Plays–yards88–39563–227
Rushes–yards67–35729–62
Passing yards38165
Passing: comp–att–int8–21–119–34–0
Time of possession36:2523:35
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Illinois PassingArtur Sitkowski8/19, 38 yards, INT
RushingChase Brown33 carries, 223 yards, TD
ReceivingDonny Navarro2 receptions, 12 yards
Penn State PassingSean Clifford19/34, 165 yards, TD
RushingNoah Cain11 carries, 43 yards
ReceivingJahan Dotson6 receptions, 69 yards

At No. 5 Ohio State

No. 20 Penn State at No. 5 Ohio State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 20 Penn State 7 3 14024
No. 5 Ohio State 3 14 10633

at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

Game information
First quarter
  • PSU – Brenton Strange, 5-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jordan Stout kick, 6:08 (PSU, 7–0)
  • OSU – Noah Ruggles, 35-yard field goal, 2:02 (PSU, 7–3)
Second quarter
  • OSU – Chris Olave, 38-yard TD pass from C. J. Stroud, Ruggles kick, 3:48 (OSU, 10–7)
  • OSU – Jerron Cage, 57-yard fumble recovery run for TD, Ruggles kick, 2:24 (OSU, 17–7)
  • PSU – Stout, 47-yard field goal, 0:00 (OSU, 17–10)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 2-yard TD run, Stout kick, 10:26 (TIE, 17–17)
  • OSU – Ruggles, 23-yard field goal, 6:42 (OSU, 20–17)
  • OSU – TreVeyon Henderson, 1-yard TD run, Ruggles kick, 3:35 (OSU, 27–17)
  • PSU – Keyvone Lee, 1-yard TD run, Stout kick, 0:10 (OSU, 27–24)
Fourth quarter
  • OSU – Ruggles, 25-yard field goal, 7:12 (OSU, 30–24)
  • OSU – Ruggles, 26-yard field goal, 2:41 (OSU, 33–24)
Statistics PSU OSU
First downs2722
Plays–yards81–39468–466
Rushes–yards29–3334–161
Passing yards361305
Passing: comp–att–int35–52–122–34–0
Time of possession29:5030:10
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Penn State PassingSean Clifford35/52, 361 yards, TD, INT
RushingJohn Lovett13 carries, 20 yards
ReceivingJahan Dotson11 receptions, 127 yards
Ohio State PassingC. J. Stroud22/34, 305 yards, TD
RushingTreVeyon Henderson28 carries, 152 yards, TD
ReceivingJaxon Smith-Njigba6 receptions, 97 yards

At Maryland

No. 22AP Penn State at Maryland – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 22AP Penn State 7 0 71731
Maryland 0 6 0814

at Maryland Stadium, College Park, Maryland

Game information
First quarter
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 38-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jordan Stout kick, 7:55 (PSU, 7–0)
Second quarter
  • UM – Challen Faamatau, 2-yard TD run, Joseph Petrino kick failed, 1:15 (PSU, 7–6)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Dotson, 21-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 6:51 (PSU, 14–6)
Fourth quarter
  • UM – Corey Dyches, 13-yard TD pass from Taulia Tagovailoa, Chigoziem Okonkwo 2-point conversion pass from Tagovailoa, 14:56 (TIE, 14–14)
  • PSU – Dotson, 86-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 13:55 (PSU, 21–14)
  • PSU – Stout, 24-yard field goal, 6:33 (PSU, 24–14)
  • PSU – Ji'Ayir Brown, 87-yard interception return for TD, Stout kick, 2:39 (PSU, 31–14)
Statistics UM PSU
First downs2329
Plays–yards80–45685–419
Rushes–yards33–9327–48
Passing yards363371
Passing: comp–att–int27–47–041–58–1
Time of possession31:3328:27
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Maryland PassingTaulia Tagovailoa41/57, 371 yards, TD, INT
RushingChallen Faamatau11 carries, 38 yards, TD
ReceivingChigoziem Okonkwo12 receptions, 85 yards
Penn State PassingSean Clifford27/47, 363 yards, 3 TD
RushingKeyvone Lee8 carries, 50 yards
ReceivingJahan Dotson11 receptions, 242 yards, 3 TD

No. 9AP/6CFP Michigan

No. 9AP/6CFP Michigan at No. 22AP Penn State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 9AP/6CFP Michigan 0 7 7721
No. 23AP Penn State 3 3 01117

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter
  • PSU – Jordan Stout, 42-yard field goal, 9:56 (PSU, 3–0)
Second quarter
  • UM – Roman Wilson, 21-yard TD pass from Cade McNamara, Jake Moody kick, 5:49 (UM, 7–3)
  • PSU – Stout, 52-yard field goal, 0:31 (UM, 7–6)
Third quarter
  • UM – Wilson, 1-yard TD pass from McNamara, Moody kick, 11:50 (UM, 14–6)
Fourth quarter
  • PSU – Tyler Warren, 2-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jahan Dotson 2-point conversion pass from Clifford, 7:35 (TIE, 14–14)
  • PSU – Stout, 31-yard field goal, 5:55 (PSU, 17–14)
  • UM – Erick All, 47-yard TD pass from McNamara, Moody kick, 3:29 (UM, 21–17)
Statistics UM PSU
First downs2120
Plays–yards70–36186–332
Rushes–yards41–14442–109
Passing yards217233
Passing: comp–att–int19–29–024–44–0
Time of possession30:2029:40
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Michigan PassingCade McNamara19/29, 217 yards, 3 TD
RushingHassan Haskins31 carries, 156 yards
ReceivingErick All4 receptions, 64 yards, TD
Penn State PassingSean Clifford23/43, 205 yards, TD
RushingKeyvone Lee20 carries, 88 yards
ReceivingParker Washington4 receptions, 92 yards

Rutgers

Rutgers at Penn State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Rutgers 0 0 000
Penn State 0 7 14728

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 8-yard TD pass from Christian Veilleux, Jordan Stout kick, 1:03 (PSU, 7–0)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Parker Washington, 17-yard TD pass from Veilleux, Stout kick, 3:32 (PSU, 14–0)
  • PSU – Malick Meiga, 67-yard TD pass from Veilleux, Stout kick, 1:31 (PSU, 21–0)
Fourth quarter
  • PSU – Keyvone Lee, 7-yard TD run, Stout kick, 7:32 (PSU, 28–0)
Statistics RU PSU
First downs1021
Plays–yards60–16074–407
Rushes–yards32–6742–149
Passing yards93258
Passing: comp–att–int13–28–117–32–0
Time of possession26:2633:34
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Rutgers PassingNoah Vedral12/23, 91 yards
RushingJohnny Langan5 carries, 18 yards
ReceivingBo Melton3 receptions, 47 yards
Penn State PassingChristian Veilleux15/24, 235 yards, 3 TD
RushingKeyvone Lee13 carries, 41 yards, TD
ReceivingParker Washington6 receptions, 72 yards, TD

At No. 12AP/CFP Michigan State

Penn State at No. 12AP/CFP Michigan State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Penn State 7 7 6727
No. 12AP/CFP Michigan State 14 3 6730

at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan

Game information
First quarter
  • MSU – Kenneth Walker III, 2-yard TD run, Matt Coghlin kick, 11:22 (MSU, 7–0)
  • MSU – Tre Mosely, 9-yard TD pass from Payton Thorne, Coghlin kick, 6:09 (MSU, 14–0)
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 27-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jordan Stout kick, 3:37 (MSU, 14–7)
Second quarter
  • PSU – Dotson, 30-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 12:11 (TIE, 14–14)
  • MSU – Coghlin, 22-yard field goal, 5:59 (MSU, 17–14)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Daequan Hardy, 17-yard interception return for TD, Stout kick failed, 11:07 (PSU, 20–17)
  • MSU – Thorne, 1-yard TD run, Evan Johnson kick failed, 2:14 (MSU, 23–20)
Fourth quarter
  • MSU – Jayden Reed, 20-yard TD pass from Thorne, Johnson kick, 5:10 (MSU, 30–20)
  • PSU – Parker Washington, 15-yard TD pass from Clifford, Jake Pinegar kick, 0:43 (MSU, 30–27)
Statistics PSU MSU
First downs1921
Plays–yards60–37477–451
Rushes–yards26–6147–183
Passing yards313268
Passing: comp–att–int23–34–019–30–1
Time of possession23:3636:24
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Penn State PassingSean Clifford23/34, 313 yards, 3 TD
RushingKeyvone Lee15 carries, 79 yards
ReceivingJahan Dotson8 receptions, 137 yards, 2 TD
Michigan State PassingPayton Thorne19/30, 268 yards, 2 TD, INT
RushingKenneth Walker III30 carries, 138 yards, TD
ReceivingJayden Reed6 receptions, 89 yards, TD

vs. No. 22AP/21CFP Arkansas (Outback Bowl)

Arkansas vs. Penn State – Game summary
Period 1 2 34Total
Penn State 0 10 0010
No. 22AP/21CFP Arkansas 7 0 17024

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information
First quarter
  • UA – Raheim Sanders, 3-yard TD run, Cam Little kick, 0:00 (UA, 7–0)
Second quarter
  • PSU – KeAndre Lambert-Smith, 42-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jake Pinegar kick, 10:53 (TIE, 7–7)
  • PSU – Pinegar, 33-yard field goal, 5:19 (PSU, 10–7)
Third quarter
  • UA – KJ Jefferson, 8-yard TD run, Little kick, 12:42 (UA, 14–10)
  • UA – Little, 36-yard field goal, 6:29 (UA, 17–10)
  • UA – Sanders, 1-yard TD run, Little kick, 2:08 (UA, 24–10)
Fourth quarter

No scoring

Statistics PSU UA
First downs1725
Plays–yards63–32378–451
Rushes–yards28–12558–361
Passing yards19890
Passing: comp–att–int15–35–214–20–2
Time of possession23:4736:13
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
Penn State PassingSean Clifford14/32, 195 yards, TD, INT
RushingSean Clifford11 carries, 47 yards
ReceivingParker Washington7 receptions, 98 yards
Arkansas PassingKJ Jefferson14/19, 90 yards, INT
RushingKJ Jefferson20 carries, 110 yards, TD
ReceivingDe'Vion Warren3 receptions, 33 yards

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
— = Not ranked. RV = Received votes.
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP19111064477202223RVRVRVRV
Coaches20131286488172323RVRVRVRV
CFPNot releasedNot released

Awards and honors

All-American
Player AP AFCA FWAA TSN Designation
Jaquan Brisker2322None
Jahan Dotson3--None
Jordan Stout33None
Arnold Ebiketie--2-None
The NCAA recognizes a selection to all five of the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN and WCFF first teams for unanimous selections and three of five for consensus selections. HM = Honorable mention. Source:[7][8][9][10]

References

  1. "Ohio State football voted overwhelming 2021 Big Ten favorite in cleveland.com preseason poll". Cleveland.com. July 11, 2020.
  2. "Football Coaching Staff". GoPSUsports.com. Penn State Nittany Lions. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  3. "2021 Football Roster". GoPSUSports.com. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  4. Morganstein, Justin (March 17, 2021). "Penn State football to allow freshmen students to attend final spring practice". Daily Collegian. The Daily Collegian. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  5. Patrick, Evan (April 21, 2021). "Penn State to allow seniors, general public to attend special football spring practice". Daily Collegian. The Daily Collegian. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  6. "2021 Penn State Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  7. "2021 AP All-America team: Alabama's Bryce Young, Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson headline first-team selections".
  8. "Iowa State's Breece Hall and Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. Headline the 2021 AFCA FBS Coaches' All-America Teams - AFCA".
  9. "2021 FWAA All-America Team". College Football Poll. December 10, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  10. "Sporting News 2021 College Football All-America Team".
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