2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

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2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Penn State text logo.svg
Alamo Bowl champion
Alamo Bowl, W 24–17 vs. Texas A&M
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 25
2007 record9–4 (4–4 Big Ten)
Head coach
  • Joe Paterno (42nd season)
Offensive coordinatorGalen Hall
Defensive coordinatorTom Bradley
Home stadiumBeaver Stadium
(Capacity: 107,282)
Seasons
← 2006
2008 →
2007 Big Ten Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
 Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 5 Ohio State $   7 – 1     11 – 2  
No. 18 Michigan   6 – 2     9 – 4  
No. 20 Illinois %   6 – 2     9 – 4  
No. 24 Wisconsin   5 – 3     9 – 4  
Penn State   4 – 4     9 – 4  
Iowa   4 – 4     6 – 6  
Purdue   3 – 5     8 – 5  
Indiana   3 – 5     7 – 6  
Michigan State   3 – 5     7 – 6  
Northwestern   3 – 5     6 – 6  
Minnesota   0 – 8     1 – 11  
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

The 2006 season began with the Nittany Lions ranked #19 in the AP and Coaches preseason polls. The team dropped out of the rankings with losses to Notre Dame and Ohio State, but finished the season ranked #25 in the Coaches Poll and #24 in the AP Poll with a final record of 9–4.

Preseason[]

Shortly after the end of the 2006 season, junior linebacker and 2006 Bednarik Award finalist Dan Connor announced he would remain at Penn State for his senior year.[1]

Redshirt junior offensive lineman Elijah Robinson was forced to give up football after being diagnosed with a tight spinal canal, a condition that could lead to paralysis if Robinson ever sustained a head impact that pinches the spinal cord.[2] Redshirt junior safety Spencer Ridenhour chose to transfer from Penn State, after being unable to win a starting position with returning safety Anthony Scirrotto and converted cornerback Tony Davis ahead of him on the depth charts.[3]

Seniors Dan Connor, Terrell Golden, and Anthony Morelli were elected tri-captains by their teammates prior to the season.[4]

Penn State was ranked #17 in the AP and #18 in the Coaches college football preseason polls.

Recruiting class[]

The Nittany Lions received 21 letters of intent on National Signing Day, February 7, 2007.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date
Drew Astorino
DB 		Edinboro, Pennsylvania General McLane HS 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 4.44 Jan 31, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Quinn Barham
OG 		Durham, North Carolina Hillside HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 265 lb (120 kg) 5.20 Aug 11, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 74
Ryan Breen
P 		Clarkston, Michigan Clarkston HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 4.75 Jun 24, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:2/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 76
Chris Colasanti
LB 		Bloomfield, Michigan Brother Rice HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 4.60 Apr 26, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Andrew Dailey
LB 		Massillon, Ohio Washington HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 215 lb (98 kg) 4.60 Jun 28, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Jon Ditto
TE 		Monroeville, Pennsylvania Gateway SHS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 221 lb (100 kg) 4.60 Jun 8, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Stephfon Green
CB 		Bronx, New York John F. Kennedy HS 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 4.30 Jul 17, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Kevion Latham
DE 		Greensboro, North Carolina Page HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 240 lb (110 kg) 4.60 Jul 12, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 77
Josh Marks
OT 		Catawissa, Pennsylvania Southern Columbia Area HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 285 lb (129 kg) 5.30 May 19, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Nerraw McCormack
OT 		Bronx, New York John F Kennedy HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 290 lb (130 kg) 5.15 Jan 4, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: NA
Derek Moye
WR 		Rochester, Pennsylvania Rochester Area HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 178 lb (81 kg) 4.65 Jan 25, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Chimaeze Okoli
DT 		Virginia Beach, Virginia Salem HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 275 lb (125 kg) 5.00 Feb 2, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Ako Poti
OT 		San Francisco, California CC of San Francisco 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 300 lb (140 kg) NA Dec 15, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: NA
Chaz Powell
CB 		Glen Rock, Pennsylvania Susquehannock HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 4.44 Jun 24, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 74
Devon Still
DT 		Wilmington, Delaware Howard HS of Technology 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 250 lb (110 kg) 4.90 Jan 24, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Nathan Stupar
LB 		State College, Pennsylvania State College Area HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 4.61 May 24, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Joe Suhey
S 		Wilmette, Illinois Loyola Academy 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 4.60 Dec 12, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:2/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Nick Sukay
S 		Greensburg, Pennsylvania Greensburg Central Catholic HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 205 lb (93 kg) 4.49 Jun 26, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Andrew Szczerba
TE 		Wilmington, Delaware Salesianum School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 250 lb (110 kg) 4.90 Aug 13, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
J.B. Walton
OG 		New Berlin, New York Milford Academy 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 275 lb (125 kg) 4.90 Jan 17, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 86
Stefen Wisniewski
OG 		Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Central Catholic HS 6 ft 3.5 in (1.92 m) 275 lb (125 kg) 5.10 Dec 2, 2006 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 18   Rivals: 23
  • ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time.
  • In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale.

Sources:

  • "Penn State Commit List for 2007". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
  • "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Penn State". Scout.com. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
  • "RecruitTracker 2007: Penn State". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 7, 2007.
  • "2007 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 7, 2007.

Spring practice[]

Blue-White game with the VT block in the background

The public got their first look at the 2007 squad during the annual Blue-White Game at Beaver Stadium on April 21, a 70-degree sun-splashed day. A record crowd of 71,000 turned out for the scrimmage, the third highest in the nation for a spring football game, and surpassing the previous record of 62,000 set in 1996.[5]

Thousands of fans in the huge crowd wore maroon and orange shirts, in tribute to the victims of the previous week's events at Virginia Tech, including a section of 800 fans that formed a large "VT" block.

The White team defeated the Blue team 30–6, led by junior quarterback Paul Cianciolo who ran for one touchdown and passed for two more, finishing 8-of-9 for 126 yards passing, and sophomore receiver Chris Bell who led all receivers with 116 yards receiving and two touchdowns, including a 74-yard touchdown reception from quarterback Daryll Clark.[6]

Criminal charges[]

On April 27, 2007, State College police announced that six members of the squad were charged with a range of criminal charges related to an altercation that occurred in an apartment in downtown State College earlier that month. The charges include burglary, criminal trespass, simple assault, and harassment, and players charged include junior safety Anthony Scirrotto, who led the Big Ten in 2006 with six interceptions and was named 2006 first-team All-Big Ten, and junior cornerback Justin King, named second-team All-Big Ten in 2006.[7] Charges against King were withdrawn before the preliminary hearing on May 4, 2007. After the hearing, charges against Jerome Hayes, Tyrell Sales and Lydell Sargeant were dismissed, citing weak evidence. However, Scirrotto and Chris Baker still face a possible trial in county court.[8]

Coach Paterno announced that, because of the incident, the entire football team will clean Beaver Stadium on Sundays after home games, a task usually handled by members of Penn State's club sports teams.[9] The team began serving this punishment following their 59–0 victory over Florida International. The players arrived at the stadium just prior to 8:00 a.m. and cleaned eight sections of the stadium. They were joined by members of various sports clubs and teams. The football team and other organizations worked together to clean the entire stadium.[10]

Penn State's Office of Judicial Affairs expelled Scirrotto, Baker, Sargeant and Hayes for the second summer semester, but all four players were allowed to return to campus on August 6 for preseason workouts. Sargeant and his family requested formal Judicial Affairs hearings to appeal the decision.[11]

Charges of burglary, simple assault and criminal solicitation against Scirrotto were subsequently dismissed by Centre County Presiding Judge, Charles C. Brown, Jr., but a felony charge of criminal trespass and a summary offense of harassment are still pending.[12] Trials for Scirrotto and Baker are scheduled for December.[13]

Preseason awards[]

Schedule[]

Penn State did not play Big Ten teams Northwestern and Minnesota this year.

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 112:00 p.m.Florida International*No. 17
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
BTNW 59–0107,678
September 86:00 p.m.Notre Dame*No. 14
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ESPNW 31–10110,078
September 1512:00 p.m.Buffalo*No. 12
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
BTNW 45–24107,506
September 223:30 p.m.at MichiganNo. 10
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
ABCL 9–14111,310
September 2912:00 p.m.at IllinoisNo. 21
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
BTNL 20–2757,078
October 63:30 p.m.Iowa
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ABCW 27–7108,951
October 133:30 p.m.No. 19 Wisconsindagger
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ABCW 38–7109,574
October 2012:00 p.m.at Indiana
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Bloomington, IN
ESPNW 36–3141,251
October 278:00 p.m.No. 1 Ohio StateNo. 24
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry) (College GameDay)
ABCL 17–37110,134
November 312:00 p.m.Purdue
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ESPNW 26–19108,318
November 1012:00 p.m.at Temple*
  • Lincoln Financial Field
  • Philadelphia, PA (rivalry)
ESPNUW 31–069,029
November 173:30 p.m.at Michigan State
  • Spartan Stadium
  • East Lansing, MI (Land Grant Trophy)
ABCL 31–3572,251
December 298:00 p.m.vs. Texas A&M*
ESPNW 24–1766,166
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

Personnel[]

Roster[]

2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 2 Derrick Williams Jr
WR 3 Deon Butler Redshirt.svg Jr
WR 4 Terrell Golden (C) Redshirt.svg Sr
WR 5 Graham Zug Redshirt.svg Fr
WR 6 Derek Moye Fr
QB 7 Pat Devlin Redshirt.svg Fr
WR 8 James McDonald Redshirt.svg So
WR 9 Kevin Cousins Redshirt.svg So
TE 10 Andrew Quarless So
QB 13 Kevin Suhey Redshirt.svg So
QB 14 Anthony Morelli (C) Sr
QB 15 Paul Cianciolo Redshirt.svg Jr
TE 16 Francis Claude Redshirt.svg So
QB 17 Daryll Clark Jr
WR 18 Patrick Mauti Redshirt.svg So
WR 19 Chris Bell So
RB 20 Rodney Kinlaw Redshirt.svg Sr
WR 22 Tyler Ahrenhold Fr
RB 22 Evan Royster Redshirt.svg Fr
WR 24 Jordan Norwood Jr
RB 25 Stephfon Green Fr
RB 32 Brent Carter Redshirt.svg Fr
RB 33 Austin Scott Sr
RB 34 Matt Hahn Sr
WR 35 Jesse Alfreno Redshirt.svg Fr
RB 37 Joe Suhey Fr
FB 38 Dan Lawlor Redshirt.svg Jr
RB 39 Nick Pinchek Sr
FB 44 Larry Federoff Redshirt.svg So
G 50 Mike Lucian Redshirt.svg Jr
T 56 Austin Hinton Redshirt.svg Jr
C 57 A.Q. Shipley Jr
C 60 Patick Weber Redshirt.svg Sr
OL 61 Stefen Wisniewski Fr
G 62 Ross Muir Redshirt.svg Jr
T 63 Joe Toriello Redshirt.svg Jr
G 64 Rich Ohrnberger Jr
G 65 J.B. Walton Fr
OL 66 Josh Marks Fr
OL 67 Quinn Barham Fr
C 68 Doug Klopacz Redshirt.svg Fr
T 72 Kyle Stout Redshirt.svg Fr
T 73 Dennis Landolt Redshirt.svg So
T 74 Johnnie Troutman Fr
T 75 Nerraw McCormack Jr
T 76 Gerald Cadogan Redshirt.svg Jr
G 77 Lou Eliades Redshirt.svg Fr
T 78 John Shaw Sr
T 79 Ako Poti Jr
TE 80 Andrew Szczerba Fr
TE 81 Brennan Coakley Redshirt.svg So
TE 82 Mickey Shuler So
WR 83 Brett Brackett Fr
WR 84 Ben Woodward Redshirt.svg Fr
WR 86 Mark Wedderburn Fr
TE 87 Greg Miskinis Redshirt.svg Jr
TE 88 Jon Ditto Fr
TE 89 Jordan Lyons Redshirt.svg Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
CB 1 Justin King Jr
LB 5 Jerome Hayes Redshirt.svg So
CB 6 Willie Harriott Redshirt.svg So
S 7 Anthony Scirrotto Jr
S 9 Mark Rubin Redshirt.svg Jr
CB 10 Lydell Sargeant Jr
S 11 Tony Davis Redshirt.svg Jr
CB 12 A.J. Wallace So
LB 13 Andrew Dailey Fr
LB 15 Bani Gbadyu Redshirt.svg Fr
DB 16 Shelton McCullough Redshirt.svg Fr
LB 18 Navorro Bowman Redshirt.svg Fr
CB 20 Devin Fentress Redshirt.svg So
CB 21 Knowledge Timmons Redshirt.svg So
CB 25 Brendan Perretta Sr
S 26 Nick Sukay Fr
DB 27 Chaz Powell Fr
DB 28 Drew Astorina Fr
S 29 Cedric Jeffries Redshirt.svg Fr
LB 30 Josh Matzkin Redshirt.svg Fr
LB 34 Nathan Stupar Fr
LB 40 Dan Connor (C) Sr
S 42 Jason Ganter Sr
LB 43 Josh Hull Redshirt.svg So
DL 44 Kevion Latham Fr
LB 45 Sean Lee So
LB 46 Tyrell Sales Redshirt.svg Jr
DE 47 Josh Gaines Redshirt.svg Jr
DE 48 Maurice Evans So
LB 51 Shaine Thompson Fr
LB 52 Dontey Brown Redshirt.svg Jr
LB 53 Chris Colasanti Fr
DT 54 Jed Hill Redshirt.svg Jr
DT 55 Tom McEowen Redshirt.svg Fr
DE 56 Eric Latimore Fr
LB 57 Chris Mauriello Sr
DE 59 Aaron Maybin Redshirt.svg Fr
DL 71 Devon Still Fr
DT 85 Ollie Ogbu Redshirt.svg Fr
DE 87 Chris Rogers Redshirt.svg Jr
DT 90 Phillip Taylor So
DT 91 Jared Odrick So
DT 93 Chris Baker Redshirt.svg So
DE 94 Tom Golarz Redshirt.svg So
DT 97 Abe Koroma Redshirt.svg Fr
DT 99 Chimaeze Okoli Fr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 23 Kevin Kelly Jr
K 36 Collin Wagner Redshirt.svg Fr
P 41 Jeremy Boone Redshirt.svg So
P 49 Ryan Breen Fr
K 96 Joe Hughes Redshirt.svg Jr
Head coach
  • Joe Paterno
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster
Last update: August 24, 2007

Coaching staff[]

  • Joe Paterno – Head Coach
  • Dick Anderson – Offensive Line (Guards and Centers)
  • Tom Bradley – Defensive Coordinator and Cornerbacks
  • Galen Hall – Offensive Coordinator and Running Backs
  • Larry Johnson, Sr. – Defensive Line
  • Bill Kenney – Offensive Tackles and Tight Ends
  • Mike McQueary – Wide Receivers and Recruiting Coordinator
  • Brian Norwood – Safeties
  • Jay Paterno – Quarterbacks
  • Ron Vanderlinden – Linebackers
  • John Thomas – Strength and Conditioning

Coaching changes[]

Safeties coach Brian Norwood left the staff at the conclusion of the regular season to accept the defensive coordinator position at Baylor. Former Coordinator of Player Personnel Kermit Buggs was named his replacement and assumed coaching duties prior to the Nittany Lions' postseason appearance in the Alamo Bowl.[20]

Game summaries[]

September 1: Florida International[]

1 2 3 4 Total
FIU 0 0 0 0 0
Penn State 14 10 28 7 59
Penn State fullback Dan Lawlor hurdles a defender to score a touchdown in the 2007 season opener.

The Nittany Lions shut out the Golden Panthers in their first-ever meeting. Quarterback Anthony Morelli was 23 of 38 for 295 yards, with touchdown passes to Terrell Golden, Mickey Shuler, Jr., and Matt Hahn. The running backs scored five touchdowns, including two by Austin Scott.

Led by linebackers Dan Connor and Sean Lee, the defensive unit forced five turnovers and held FIU to −3 yards rushing.[21]

Lee was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.[22]

September 8: Notre Dame[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Notre Dame 7 0 3 0 10
Penn State 7 7 10 7 31
The first stadium-wide White-Out for the Notre Dame game

In front of a crowd of 110,078 spectators, the second-largest ever at Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions overpowered an inexperienced Fighting Irish team in a 31–10 win. Derrick Williams returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown to start Penn State's scoring, after the Irish took a 7–0 lead on an interception return for a touchdown. Austin Scott rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries. Anthony Morelli finished 12 of 21 for 131 yards, including a 51-yard strike to Chris Bell and a 10-yard touchdown to Jordan Norwood.

Led by Dan Connor, the defense sacked the Irish's highly touted freshman quarterback Jimmy Clausen six times for −50 yards. The defensive unit held the Irish to zero rushing yards and just 144 yards total. The Irish committed 14 penalties for 97 yards, partly due to the loud, mostly white-clad crowd.[23]

Recording 12 tackles, Connor was selected Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week[24] as well as Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week.[25] Derrick Williams' punt return for a touchdown was selected the week's Pontiac Game Changing Performance in a landslide vote.[26]

See also: 2007 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team

September 15: Buffalo[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Buffalo 3 0 0 21 24
Penn State 0 17 14 14 45

Backup tailback Rodney Kinlaw had his first 100-yard game, tallying a career-high 129 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown after replacing starter Austin Scott, who fumbled on each of Penn State's first two drives. Scott's first fumble at the Penn State 8-yard line allowed the Bulls to take the lead, 3–0.

After a slow start, quarterback Anthony Morelli finished 20 of 27 for 202 yards and a career-high four touchdowns, including two to tight end Andrew Quarless, who was playing in his first game this season after being suspended for an underage drinking citation. Jordan Norwood's acrobatic 5-yard touchdown catch was highlighted as the Top Play for September 15, 2007 on ESPN's SportsCenter.

On defense, Dan Connor and Sean Lee each recorded 12 tackles. Safety Anthony Scirrotto also recorded an interception and recovered a fumble forced by Tony Davis.[27]

See also: 2007 Buffalo Bulls football team

September 22: @ Michigan[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 0 3 3 3 9
Michigan 7 0 0 7 14

The Wolverines defeated the Nittany Lions 14–9, their first loss of the season. Michigan's Mike Hart carried the ball a record 44 times for 153 yards, helping the Wolverines control the clock and executed 26 more plays than Penn State.

The Nittany Lions defense permitted only three drives above 40 yards, forced two turnovers and limited Hart to 3.5 yards per carry, but the Wolverines were 10 of 18 on third down conversions. Sean Lee finished with 12 tackles, and cornerback Lydell Sargeant made a career-high 10 tackles including a tackle for loss and an interception.

Anthony Morelli was 15 of 31 for 169 yards, with no touchdowns or interceptions, but lost a fumble early in the game on the Penn State 10-yard line. Michigan needed only two plays to convert the turnover into a touchdown.[28]

See also: 2007 Michigan Wolverines football team

September 29: @ Illinois[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 10 7 3 0 20
Illinois 14 7 3 3 27

The Nittany Lions fell 27–20 to the Fighting Illini in a turnover-filled game, Illinois's first win over a ranked opponent since 2001. The Illini would take a 7–3 lead on a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, the first given up by Penn State since 1994.

Quarterback Anthony Morelli was 21 of 38 for a career-high 298 yards but was intercepted three times inside the Illinois 30-yard line. Morelli also had a crucial fumble on a fourth down scramble after appearing to have gained enough yards for the first down. The offense started five drives in Illinois territory but could only score three points on those drives.

The defense struggled early to defend the Illini's option running game, giving up 216 yards rushing. Linebacker Sean Lee recorded a career-high 17 tackles. Justin King and Tony Davis each intercepted the ball once, the second of the season for both players.[29]

See also: 2007 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

October 6: Iowa[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Iowa 0 0 0 7 7
Penn State 0 13 7 7 27

Quarterback Anthony Morelli overcame first-half boos from the Beaver Stadium crowd to finish 18 of 31 for 233 yards and a touchdown in a 27–7 win over the Hawkeyes. Rodney Kinlaw, playing in place of suspended tailback Austin Scott, ran for a career-high 168 yards and two touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Evan Royster had 86 yards on 16 carries before leaving the game in the third quarter with an injury.

Placekicker Kevin Kelly connected on 2 of 3 field goals, including a personal-best 53-yarder. Deon Butler led Nittany Lions receivers with 3 catches for 55 yards. Maurice Evans and Aaron Maybin each sacked Iowa's Jake Christensen twice, and the Hawkeyes were held scoreless until Trey Stross caught an 11-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter.[30]

See also: 2007 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

October 13: Wisconsin[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Wisconsin 7 0 0 0 7
Penn State 10 14 7 7 38

Penn State capitalized on early turnovers by the Badgers, including a P.J. Hill fumble on the first play from scrimmage, to take control of the game early.

Quarterback Anthony Morelli completed 16 of 28 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown for the Nittany Lions. Tailbacks Rodney Kinlaw and Evan Royster each scored touchdowns while rushing for 115 and 68, respectively. Wide receiver Deon Butler caught seven passes for 93 yards and a touchdown. Backup quarterback Daryll Clark, who saw playing time in mop-up duty, scored on a 1-yard run. The Penn State defense intercepted Badgers quarterback Tyler Donovan twice. Linebackers Sean Lee and Dan Connor each ended with 12 tackles.[31] The Lions were only penalized once for 10 yards, continuing their streak as the Big Ten's least-penalized team.[32]

Defensive end Jerome Hayes was lost for the season after tearing his ACL in the third quarter.[33]

See also: 2007 Wisconsin Badgers football team

October 20: @ Indiana[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 0 20 3 13 36
Indiana 7 7 3 14 31

The Penn State defense, despite giving up 386 total yards, forced four second-half Hoosiers turnovers, including two forced fumbles by defensive end Maurice Evans who scooped up one fumble and returned it 55 yards. Although the Hoosiers had the lead early on, the Nittany Lions took the lead in the final minute of the first half. Penn State held off an Indiana comeback in the fourth quarter, ensuring the continuation of their perfect record over the Hoosiers. The win also gave the Nittany Lions their first road win of the year.

On offense, Anthony Morelli finished 22 of 32 for 195 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Jordan Norwood led all receivers with 8 receptions for 65 yards.[34]

Evans was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. In addition to his two forced fumbles, he also recorded 4.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.[35]

Defensive tackle Jared Odrick left the game with a broken ankle, and fullback Matt Hahn left with a torn ACL. Both are out for the season.

October 27: Ohio State[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Ohio State 10 7 7 13 37
Penn State 7 0 3 7 17

ESPN's College GameDay aired from State College, the second time in three seasons the show originated from Happy Valley for the visit by the Buckeyes.[36] After a close first quarter, Ohio State pulled away to win 37–17. First Ohio State scored a field goal, then Penn State scored a touchdown. Ohio State then scored another touchdown to end the quarter 10–7. After another Ohio State touchdown to put the Buckeyes up 17-7, Penn State linebacker Dan Connor intercepted a Todd Boeckman pass, Ohio State's only meaningful possession to not end in a score, to give the Nittany Lions a chance to close the gap before halftime. However, Penn State ended up punting, and the Buckeyes dominated the second half, allowing only a field goal and a late kickoff return touchdown. Ohio State never punted in the game.

See also: 2007 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

November 3: Purdue[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Purdue 10 0 6 3 19
Penn State 3 10 0 13 26

In his final Beaver Stadium performance, linebacker Dan Connor made 11 tackles against the Boilermakers to give him 379 career stops and became Penn State's all-time tackler, passing Paul Posluszny (372).

Senior Anthony Morelli was 22 of 35 for 210 yards and a touchdown, giving him 2,060 yards passing for the season. With 2,424 passing yards last season, Morelli became the first Nittany Lion quarterback with at least 2,000 passing yards in multiple seasons.

Redshirt freshman tailback Evan Royster recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game, finishing with 126 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown. Derrick Williams also made a career-high 10 receptions for 95 yards and rushed for 12 yards and a touchdown, finishing with a career-high 151 all-purpose yards.[37]

Linebacker Sean Lee was named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Lee finished with 12 tackles and two forced fumbles, including a game-changing play late in the first quarter. On third-and-goal from the one yard line, Lee stripped and recovered the football to halt a potential Purdue scoring drive.[38]

See also: 2007 Purdue Boilermakers football team

November 10: @ Temple[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 14 3 0 14 31
Temple 0 0 0 0 0

Senior tailback Rodney Kinlaw eclipsed the 1,000 yard mark as the Nittany Lions shut out the Owls for the second consecutive year. Kinlaw tied his career-high 168 yards and also caught a career-high five passes for 27 yards.

Anthony Morelli was 22 of 33 for 260 yards with three touchdowns, two of them to Jordan Norwood. Derrick Williams had a game-high seven receptions for a career-high 104 yards, and teammate Deon Butler made five receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown.

The Nittany Lions defense posted its fourth shut-out in 17 games, and its second road shutout in 17 games, dating back to the 12–0 win over Purdue in Ross–Ade Stadium in 2006. The defense was led by Dan Connor who tied his career-high of 18 tackles and Sean Lee who had 10 tackles and a fumble recovery.[39]

For the second time this season, Connor was selected the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week[40] as well as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week.[41]

November 17: @ Michigan State[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 7 10 7 7 31
Michigan State 7 0 14 14 35

The Nittany Lions took a 24–7 lead in the third quarter on kicker Kevin Kelly's 5-yard touchdown run on a fake field goal. However, the Spartans outscored Penn State 28–7 the remainder of the game to take possession of the Land Grant Trophy. Penn State was awarded a 4th timeout in the final minute of the game.

The Nittany Lions defense forced three turnovers and limited the Spartans to 145 rushing yards, but Spartans quarterback Brian Hoyer was 16 of 21 for 257 yards, with four touchdowns and two interceptions. The Spartans had eight pass plays of 20 yards or more, with seven coming in the second half.

Anthony Morelli was 16 of 35 for 188 yards, with one touchdown and no interceptions. However, down 35–31 in the game's final minutes, Morelli threw four consecutive incompletions to end Penn State's last drive.[42]

See also: 2007 Michigan State Spartans football team and Land Grant Trophy

December 29: 2007 Alamo Bowl – Texas A&M[]

1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 0 17 7 0 24
Texas A&M 14 0 3 0 17
Main article: 2007 Alamo Bowl

Penn State rallied from a 14–0 first quarter deficit to win 24–17 on the strength of the running game provided by the offensive line and Rodney Kinlaw, Daryll Clark and Evan Royster. The defense came up with a key goal line stand in the fourth quarter stopping an option play on fourth and goal from inside the five yard line. The comeback from 14–0 has been compared to the 1981 Penn State vs Pittsburgh game where Penn State fell into an early 14–0 hole after one, but came back to win in a 48–14 blowout. In this game, Penn State went on a 24–3 run in the second and third quarters.

See also: 2007 Texas A&M Aggies football team

Rankings[]

See also: 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movments
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
— = Not ranked.
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP1714121021——24————————
Coaches1815121019——2522—2522———25
HarrisNot released19———22——25———Not released
BCSNot released—25—23————Not released

Awards[]

Watchlists[]

Players[]

  • Jeremy Boone
    First-team All-Big Ten[60]
    ESPN All-Big Ten Team[61]
  • Gerald Cadogan
    ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District[62]
    First-team ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-American[63]
  • Dan Connor
    2007 Bednarik Award winner[64]
    First-team Walter Camp All-American[64]
    First-team Associated Press All-American[65]
    First-team ESPN All-American[66]
    Second-team Sporting News All-American[67]
    First-team Rivals.com All-American[68]
    College Football News All-American[69]
    First-team Scout.com All-American[70]
    Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week (September 8)[25]
    Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (September 8)[24]
    Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week (November 10)[40]
    Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (November 10)[41]
    First-team All-Big Ten[60]
    ESPN All-Big Ten Team[61]
    Second-team Sports Illustrated mid-season All American[71]
    Under Armour Award (Most Valuable Player, 2008 Senior Bowl North team)[72]
  • Maurice Evans
    Third-team Scout.com All-American[70]
    Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (October 20)[35]
    First-team All-Big Ten[60]
  • Justin King
    First-team All-Big Ten[60]
  • Sean Lee
    First-team Pro Football Weekly All-American[73]
    Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (September 1)[22]
    Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (November 3)[38]
    ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District[62]
    Second-team All-Big Ten[60]
    ESPN.com All-Bowl Team[74]
  • Aaron Maybin
    Sporting News Freshman All-Big Ten[75]
  • Anthony Morelli
    Big Ten Sportsmanship Award[60]
  • Jordan Norwood
    ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District[62]
  • Rich Ohrnberger
    Second-team All-Big Ten[60]
  • Evan Royster
    Sporting News Freshman All-Big Ten[75]
  • Mark Rubin
    ESPN The Magazine CoSIDA Academic All-District[62]
  • A. Q. Shipley
    First-team All-Big Ten (conference coaches selection)[60]
    ESPN All-Big Ten Team[61]
    ESPN.com All-Bowl Team[74]
  • Derrick Williams
    Pontiac Game Changing Performance (Sep. 8)[26]
  • Stefen Wisniewski
    Sporting News Freshman All-Big Ten[75]

Post season[]

Penn State finished the season ranked #25 in the final USA Today college football poll, earning Penn State its 33rd Top 25 finish under Joe Paterno.[76]

Penn State finished second in football attendance for the fifth time this decade and in the top four for the 17th consecutive year, averaging 108,917 for seven home games, including two primetime crowds of 110,134 on October 27 to watch Penn State host Ohio State, the second-largest in Beaver Stadium history, and 110,078 on September 8 to watch Penn State beat Notre Dame, the third-largest in Beaver Stadium history. Penn State finished the season with a sellout crowd of 66,166 at the Alamo Bowl.[77]

In January, junior cornerback Justin King announced that he was going to declare for the 2008 NFL Draft, skipping his final year of eligibility. King had graduated the previous semester with a degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in sports management. According to King's stepfather and high school coach, "He wanted to get an education and a degree from Penn State, which he did. He wanted to help turn Penn State around, and he did that, too."[78]

Three players were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine, held February 20–26 in Indianapolis, Indiana: Dan Connor, Justin King, and Anthony Morelli.[79]

NFL draft[]

Two Penn State players were selected in the 2008 NFL Draft.[80]

Round Pick Overall Name Position Team
3rd 11 74 Dan Connor Linebacker Carolina Panthers
4th 2 101 Justin King Cornerback St. Louis Rams

All-star games[]

Game Date Site Players
83rd East–West Shrine Game January 19, 2008 Robertson Stadium, Houston, Texas Anthony Morelli[81]
59th Senior Bowl January 26, 2008 Ladd–Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama Dan Connor[82]
2nd Texas vs. The Nation Game February 2, 2008 Sun Bowl Stadium, El Paso, Texas Rodney Kinlaw[83]

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