2018 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

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 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Citrus Bowl, L 24–27 vs. Kentucky
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionEast Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 17
APNo. 17
Record9–4 (6–3 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorRicky Rahne (1st as OC; 5th overall season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorBrent Pry (3rd as DC; 5th overall season)
Co-defensive coordinatorTim Banks (3rd season)
Base defense4–3
CaptainTrace McSorley
Blake Gillikin
Nick Scott
Home stadiumBeaver Stadium
Seasons
← 2017
2019 →
2018 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
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
Beaver Stadium fills up during pregame warmups prior to the annual game vs Ohio State in 2018.
Beaver Stadium fills up during pregame warmups prior to the annual game vs Ohio State in 2018.

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

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Staff changes

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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

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

College recruiting information (2018)
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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 
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

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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

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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

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Position key

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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

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Award watch lists

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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
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

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Roster

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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
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

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As of August 28, 2018

Coaching staff

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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

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Spring game

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

Regular season

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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]

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 13:30 p.m.Appalachian State*No. 10BTNW 45–38 OT105,232
September 88:00 p.m.at Pittsburgh*No. 13ABCW 51–668,400
September 1512:00 p.m.Kent State*No. 11
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
FS1W 63–10106,528
September 219:00 p.m.at IllinoisNo. 10FS1W 63–2434,704
September 297:30 p.m.No. 4 Ohio StateNo. 9
ABCL 26–27110,889
October 133:30 p.m.Michigan State No. 8
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
BTNL 17–21106,685
October 203:30 p.m.at IndianaNo. 18ABCW 33–2841,553
October 273:30 p.m.No. 18 IowaNo. 17
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ESPNW 30–24105,244
November 33:45 p.m.at No. 5 MichiganNo. 14ESPNL 7–42111,747
November 1012:00 p.m.WisconsinNo. 20
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ABCW 22–10105,396
November 1712:00 p.m.at RutgersNo. 14BTNW 20–744,840
November 243:30 p.m.MarylandNo. 12
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
ABCW 38–398,422
January 1, 20191:00 p.m.vs. No. 14 Kentucky*No. 12ABCL 24–2759,167

[42]

Game summaries

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Appalachian State

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Appalachian State at Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OTTotal
Appalachian State 10 0 028038
No. 10 Penn State 7 3 1414745

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information

At Pittsburgh

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Penn State at Pittsburgh – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 13 Penn State 7 7 162151
Pittsburgh 6 0 006

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Game information

Kent State

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Kent State at Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Kent State 7 3 0010
No. 11 Penn State 21 7 211463

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information

At Illinois

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Penn State at Illinois – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 10 Penn State 7 14 73563
Illinois 7 10 7024

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

Game information

No. 4 Ohio State

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Ohio State at Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 4 Ohio State 0 7 71327
No. 9 Penn State 3 10 01326

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information

Michigan State

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Michigan State at Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Michigan State 0 7 7721
No. 8 Penn State 7 7 0317

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information

At Indiana

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Penn State at Indiana – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 18 Penn State 7 10 9733
Indiana 14 0 7728

at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana

Game information

No. 18 Iowa

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Iowa at Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 18 Iowa 12 5 0724
No. 17 Penn State 7 10 10330

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information

At No. 5 Michigan

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Penn State at Michigan – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 14 Penn State 0 0 077
No. 5 Michigan 7 7 141442

at Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Game information

Wisconsin

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Wisconsin at Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Wisconsin 7 0 3010
No. 21 Penn State 10 6 3322

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information

At Rutgers

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Penn State at Rutgers – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 16 Penn State 3 10 0720
Rutgers 0 0 077

at HighPoint.com Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey

Game information

Maryland

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Maryland at Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Maryland 3 0 003
No. 15 Penn State 14 3 71438

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information

Vs. No. 16 Kentucky (Citrus Bowl)

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Penn State vs. Kentucky – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 13 Penn State 0 7 01724
No. 16 Kentucky 10 0 17027

at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida

Game information

Rankings

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Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
т = Tied with team above or below
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP10131110–T9118181714211615141317
Coaches9101099118161613201514121217
CFPNot released142014121212Not released

Awards and honors

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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

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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

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  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.
  3. ^ 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.
  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.
  6. ^ a b 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.
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