2018 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

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2018 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Penn State Athletics wordmark.svg
Citrus Bowl, L 24–27 vs. Kentucky
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionEast Division
Ranking
CoachesNo. 17
APNo. 17
2018 record9–4 (6–3 Big Ten)
Head coach
  • James Franklin (5th season)
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
(Capacity: 106,572)
Seasons
← 2017
2019 →
2018 Big Ten Conference football standings
  • v
  • t
 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

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.

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, McSorely 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]

Previous season[]

In 2017, the Nittany Lions finished with an 11–2 overall record and finished tied for second in the Big Ten East Division, with a 7–2 conference record.[4] They finished ranked eighth nationally in the AP and Coaches Poll after a 35–28 win over Washington in the Fiesta Bowl.[5] This marked the school's first time finishing in the top eight in back-to-back seasons since 1993 and 1994.[6]

On December 31, 2017, a day after the Fiesta Bowl victory, Junior running back Saquon Barkley announced his intentions to enter the NFL draft.[7]

Offseason[]

Staff Changes[]

On November 29, 2017, it was announced that offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Joe Moorhead was hired to be the head coach for the Mississippi State Bulldogs.[8] 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.[9] On December 1, 2017, James Franklin announced that tight ends coach Ricky Rahne would replace Moorhead as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.[10] 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.[10] On January 12, 2018, former Army wide receivers coach David Corley Jr. was hired to the staff as the running backs coach.[11] Corley was hired as the 10th assistant coach because of a new rule change by the NCAA, that expanded staff sizes by one.[12] 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.[13] 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.[14] 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.[15]

Recruiting[]

The Nittany Lions signed 23 recruits.[16][17]

2018 NFL Draft[]

See also: 2018 NFL Draft
Player Position Round Pick Team
Saquon Barkley Running back 1 2 New York Giants
Mike Gesicki Tight end 2 42 Miami Dolphins
Troy Apke Safety 4 109 Washington Redskins
DaeSean Hamilton Wide receiver 4 113 Denver Broncos
Marcus Allen Safety 5 148 Pittsburgh Steelers
Christian Campbell Cornerback 6 182 Arizona Cardinals
Jason Cabinda Linebacker UFA Oakland Raiders
Saeed Blacknall Wide receiver UFA Oakland Raiders
Grant Haley Cornerback UFA New York Giants
Brendan Mahon Guard UFA Carolina Panthers
Curtis Cothran Defensive tackle UFA Minnesota Vikings
Parker Cothren Defensive lineman UFA Pittsburgh Steelers
Tyler Davis Kicker UFA Buffalo Bills

Offseason departures[]

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

Returning starters[]

Position key[]

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

Preseason[]

Award watch lists[]

Award Player Position Year
Rimington Trophy[19] Connor McGovern C JR
Chuck Bednarik Award[20] Shareef Miller DE JR
Maxwell Award[21] Trace McSorley QB SR
Davey O'Brien Award[22] Trace McSorley QB SR
Doak Walker Award[23] Miles Sanders RB JR
John Mackey Award[24] Jonathan Holland TE JR
Butkus Award[25] Koa Farmer LB SR
Bronko Nagurski Trophy[26] Amani Oruwariye CB SR
Outland Trophy[27] Ryan Bates OL SR
Connor McGovern C JR
Ray Guy Award[28] Blake Gillikin P/K JR
Wuerffel Trophy[29] Trace McSorley QB SR
Walter Camp Award[30] Trace McSorley QB SR
Ted Hendricks Award[31] Shareef Miller DE JR
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award[32] Trace McSorley QB SR
Manning Award[33] Trace McSorley QB SR

Personnel[]

Roster[]

Seniors Trace McSorley and Nick Scott, and junior Blake Gillikin were elected by their teammates as captains.[34] Running Back C. J. Holmes is a transfer from Notre Dame.[35] On August 4, 2018, Linebacker Manny Bowen returned to the program after being dismissed near the end of the 2017 season.[36]

2018 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 1 K. J. Hamler Redshirt.svg Fr
QB 2 Tommy Stevens Redshirt.svg Jr
WR 3 DeAndre Thompkins Redshirt.svg Sr
RB 4 Ricky Slade Fr
WR 5 Jahan Dotson Fr
WR 6 Justin Shorter Fr
QB 7 Jake Zembiec Injured Redshirt.svg So
RB 8 Mark Allen Redshirt.svg Sr
QB 9 Trace McSorley (C) Redshirt.svg Sr
WR 10 Brandon Polk Redshirt.svg Jr
WR 12 Mac Hippenhammer Redshirt.svg Fr
QB 13 Grayson Kline Fr
QB 14 Sean Clifford Redshirt.svg Fr
QB 15 Michael Shuster Redshirt.svg So
QB 17 Will Levis Fr
TE 18 Jonathan Holland Redshirt.svg Jr
RB 20 Johnathan Thomas Redshirt.svg Sr
RB 24 Miles Sanders Jr
WR 29 Henry Fessler Fr
RB 32 Journey Brown Redshirt.svg Fr
RB 33 C. J. Holmes So
RB 40 Nick Eury Redshirt.svg So
TE 41 Joe Arcangelo Redshirt.svg Jr
OL 50 Will Knutsson Fr
OL 51 Alex Gellerstedt Redshirt.svg So
OL 52 Ryan Bates Redshirt.svg Jr
OL 53 Rasheed Walker Fr
OL 54 Nana Asiedu Injured Fr
OL 62 Michal Menet Redshirt.svg So
OL 63 Collin DeBoef Fr
OL 64 Zach Simpson Redshirt.svg Jr
OL 66 Connor McGovern Jr
OL 68 Hunter Kelly Redshirt.svg So
OL 69 C. J. Thorpe Redshirt.svg Fr
OL 70 Juice Scruggs Fr
OL 71 Will Fries Redshirt.svg So
OL 72 Bryce Effner Fr
OL 73 Mike Miranda Redshirt.svg Fr
OL 74 Steven Gonzalez Redshirt.svg Jr
OL 75 Des Holmes Redshirt.svg Fr
OL 76 Sterling Jenkins Redshirt.svg Jr
OL 77 Chasz Wright Redshirt.svg Sr
OL 79 Charlie Shuman Redshirt.svg Sr
WR 80 Justin Weller Redshirt.svg Fr
TE 80 Danny Dalton Redshirt.svg So
WR 81 Cam Sullivan-Brown Redshirt.svg Fr
TE 82 Zack Kuntz Fr
WR 82 Tyler Shoop Redshirt.svg Jr
TE 83 Nick Bowers Redshirt.svg Jr
WR 83 Alex Hoenstine Redshirt.svg Fr
WR 84 Juwan Johnson Redshirt.svg Jr
WR 85 Isaac Lutz Redshirt.svg So
WR 86 Daniel George Fr
TE 87 Pat Freiermuth Fr
WR 88 Dan Chisena Redshirt.svg Jr
WR 89 Brandon Clark Fr
WR 89 Colton Maxwell Redshirt.svg So
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
S 2 Isaiah Humphries Fr
CB 2 Donovan Johnson Redshirt.svg Fr
S 4 Nick Scott (C) Redshirt.svg Sr
CB 5 Tariq Castro-Fields So
LB 6 Cam Brown Jr
LB 7 Koa Farmer Redshirt.svg Sr
CB 8 Jordan Miner Injured Fr
LB 9 Jarvis Miller Redshirt.svg Jr
LB 11 Micah Parsons Fr
LB 13 Ellis Brooks Redshirt.svg Fr
CB 14 Zech McPhearson Redshirt.svg So
S 16 John Petrishen Redshirt.svg Jr
S 17 Garrett Taylor Redshirt.svg Jr
DE 18 Shaka Toney Redshirt.svg So
DE 19 Torrence Brown Injured Redshirt.svg Sr
CB 19 Trent Gordon Fr
CB 20 Jabari Butler Redshirt.svg Jr
CB 21 Amani Oruwariye Redshirt.svg Sr
S 23 Ayron Monroe Redshirt.svg Jr
CB 24 D. J. Brown Redshirt.svg Fr
LB 25 Brelin Faison-Walden Redshirt.svg Fr
S 26 Jonathan Sutherland Redshirt.svg Fr
DT 27 Aeneas Hawkins Fr
S 27 Cody Romano Fr
DE 28 Odafe Oweh Fr
CB 29 John Reid Redshirt.svg Jr
DT 30 Kevin Givens Redshirt.svg Jr
CB 31 Christopher Welde Redshirt.svg Jr
LB 33 Jake Cooper Sr
DE 34 Shane Simmons Redshirt.svg So
S 35 Justin Neff Redshirt.svg Fr
LB 36 Jan Johnson Redshirt.svg Jr
S 37 Drew Hartlaub Redshirt.svg Fr
S 38 Lamont Wade So
LB 39 Frank Di Leo Redshirt.svg Jr
LB 40 Jesse Luketa Fr
LB 41 Dae'Lun Darien Redshirt.svg So
DT 42 Ellison Jordan Redshirt.svg So
LB 43 Manny Bowen Sr
DE 45 Joe DuMond Redshirt.svg So
LB 45 Charlie Katshir Fr
DE 46 Nick Tarburton Fr
LB 47 Will Blair Redshirt.svg So
DE 48 Shareef Miller Redshirt.svg Jr
DE 49 Daniel Joseph Redshirt.svg So
LB 50 Max Chizmar Redshirt.svg Fr
LB 51 Jason Vranic Redshirt.svg Sr
DT 53 Fred Hansard Redshirt.svg Fr
DT 54 Robert Windsor Redshirt.svg Jr
DT 55 Antonio Shelton Redshirt.svg So
DT 58 Evan Presta Redshirt.svg Fr
DT 88 Judge Culpepper Fr
DT 90 Damion Barber Redshirt.svg Fr
DT 93 P.J. Mustipher Fr
DE 95 Donnell Dix Sr
DT 96 Immanuel Iyke Redshirt.svg Jr
DE 97 Ryan Buchholz Injured Redshirt.svg 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 Redshirt.svg Fr
K 92 Jake Pinegar Fr
P, K 93 Blake Gillikin (C) Jr
LS 94 Joe Calcagno Redshirt.svg Fr
K 95 Vlad Hilling Fr
LS 96 Matt Aloni Fr
LS 96 Kyle Vasey Redshirt.svg Sr
K, P 97 Carson Landis Redshirt.svg Fr
LS 98 Kevin Cahill Fr
LS 98 Mike Curry Redshirt.svg Jr
LS 98 Dan Vasey Redshirt.svg Fr
K 99 Justin Tobin Redshirt.svg So
Head coach
  • James Franklin
Coordinators/assistant coaches
  • Brent Pry (Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers)
  • Ricky Rahne (Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks)
  • Ja'Juan Seider (Running backs)
  • Phil Galiano (Special Teams Coordinator/Assistant Defensive Line)
  • Tim Banks (Safeties/Co-Defensive Coordinator)
  • David Corley Jr. (Wide Receivers Coach)
  • Matt Limegrover (Offensive Line/Run Game Coordinator)
  • Tyler Bowen (Tight ends/Offensive Recruiting Coordinator)
  • Terry Smith (Cornerbacks/Defensive Recruiting Coordinator/Assistant Head Coach)
  • Sean Spencer (Defensive Line/Run Game Coordinator/Associate head coach)
  • Dwight Galt (Assistant Athletics Director for Performance Enhancement)
  • Sean Cascarano (Graduate Assistant)
  • Mark Dupuis (Graduate Assistant)
  • Matt Fleischacker (Graduate Assistant)
  • Kevin Smith (Graduate Assistant)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster

Depth chart[]

As of August 28, 2018

Coaching staff[]

Position Name Alma mater
Head Coach James Franklin[37] East Stroudsburg (1994)
Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers Brent Pry Buffalo (1993)
Offensive Coordinator/ Quarterbacks Ricky Rahne[38] 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[38] Clarion (1995)
Offensive Line Matt Limegrover University of Chicago (1990)
Cornerbacks/Defensive Recruiting Coordinator Terry Smith[38] 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[38] Maryland (1981)
Graduate Assistant Sean Cascarano University of Virginia (2013)
Graduate Assistant Mark Dupuis University of Connecticut (2011)
Graduate Assistant Matt Fleischacker Penn State (2016)
Graduate Assistant Kevin Smith Urbana University (2014)

Schedule[]

Spring game[]

Date Time Spring Game Site TV Result Attendance
April 21 3:00 p.m. Blue vs. White Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA BTN[39] Blue 21–10 71,000[40]

Regular season[]

The team hosted two of the three non-conference games against the Appalachian State Mountaineers (first ever meeting) from the Sun Belt Conference and the Kent State Golden Flashes from the Mid-American Conference (MAC).[41] They traveled to the Pittsburgh Panthers from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).[42]

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.[43] The 2018 regular season schedule consisted of 7 home games and 5 away.[44][45]

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 13:30 p.m.Appalachian State*No. 10
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
BTNW 45–38 OT105,232
September 88:00 p.m.at Pittsburgh*No. 13
  • Heinz Field
  • Pittsburgh, PA (rivalry)
ABCW 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. 10
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Champaign, IL
FS1W 63–2434,704
September 297:30 p.m.No. 4 Ohio StateNo. 9
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry) (College GameDay)
ABCL 26–27110,889
October 133:30 p.m.Michigan StatedaggerNo. 8
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
BTNL 17–21106,685
October 203:30 p.m.at IndianaNo. 18
  • Memorial Stadium
  • Bloomington, IN
ABCW 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. 14
  • Michigan Stadium
  • Ann Arbor, MI
ESPNL 7–42111,747
November 1012:00 p.m.WisconsinNo. 21
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ABCW 22–10105,396
November 1712:00 p.m.at RutgersNo. 16
  • HighPoint.com Stadium
  • Piscataway, NJ
BTNW 20–744,840
November 243:30 p.m.MarylandNo. 15
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
ABCW 38–398,422
January 1, 20191:00 p.m.vs. No. 16 Kentucky*No. 13
  • Camping World Stadium
  • Orlando, FL (Citrus Bowl / SEC Nation)
ABCL 24–27 59,167
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time
Schedule Source:[46]

Game summaries[]

Appalachian State[]

See also: 2018 Appalachian State Mountaineers football team
Appalachian State at Penn State – Game summary
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[]

See also: 2018 Pittsburgh Panthers football team and Penn State–Pittsburgh football rivalry
Penn State at Pittsburgh – Game summary
1 2 34Total
No. 13 Penn State 7 7 162151
Pittsburgh 6 0 006

at Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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

Kent State[]

See also: 2018 Kent State Golden Flashes football team
Kent State at Penn State – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Kent State 7 3 0010
No. 11 Penn State 21 7 211463

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

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

at Illinois[]

See also: 2018 Illinois Fighting Illini football team
Penn State at Illinois – Game summary
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[]

See also: 2018 Ohio State Buckeyes football team and Ohio State–Penn State football rivalry
Ohio State at Penn State – Game summary
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[]

See also: 2018 Michigan State Spartans football team and Michigan State–Penn State football rivalry
Michigan State at Penn State – Game summary
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[]

See also: 2018 Indiana Hoosiers football team
Penn State at Indiana – Game summary
1 2 34Total
No. 18 Penn State 7 10 9733
Indiana 14 0 7728

at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana

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

No. 18 Iowa[]

See also: 2018 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
Iowa at Penn State – Game summary
1 2 34Total
No. 18 Iowa 12 5 0724
No. 17 Penn State 7 10 10330

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

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

at No. 5 Michigan[]

See also: 2018 Michigan Wolverines football team
Penn State at Michigan – Game summary
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[]

See also: 2018 Wisconsin Badgers football team
Wisconsin at Penn State – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Wisconsin 7 0 3010
No. 21 Penn State 10 6 3322

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

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

at Rutgers[]

See also: 2018 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
Penn State at Rutgers – Game summary
1 2 34Total
No. 16 Penn State 3 10 0720
Rutgers 0 0 077

at HighPoint.com Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey

Game information

Maryland[]

See also: 2018 Maryland Terrapins football team and Maryland–Penn State football rivalry
Maryland at Penn State – Game summary
1 2 34Total
Maryland 3 0 003
No. 15 Penn State 14 3 71438

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

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

vs. No. 16 Kentucky (Citrus Bowl)[]

See also: 2018 Kentucky Wildcats football team and 2019 Citrus Bowl
Penn State vs. Kentucky – Game summary
1 2 34Total
No. 13 Penn State 0 7 01724
No. 16 Kentucky 10 0 17027

at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Florida

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

Rankings[]

Further information: 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
NR = Not ranked. RV = Received votes. т = Tied with team above or below. ( ) = First place votes.
Week
Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Final 
AP 10 13 11 10–T 9 11 8 18 17 14 21 16 15 14 13 17 
Coaches 9 10 10 9 9 11 8 16 16 13 20 15 14 12 12 17 
CFP Not released 14 20 14 12 12 12 Not released

Awards and honors[]

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

Players drafted into the NFL[]

See also: 2019 NFL Draft
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[]

  1. ^ Juliano, Joe (December 31, 2018). "Trace McSorley's memorable Penn State career will end Tuesday. His legacy is more than just statistics". 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. Retrieved November 28, 2018.
  4. ^ Dienhart, Tom."2017 football season review: Penn State Nittany Lions", BTN.com, December 19, 2017, retrieved February 24, 2018.
  5. ^ Martell, Matt."No. 9 Penn State football avoids collapse, hangs on against Washington in Fiesta Bowl", The Daily Collegian, December 31, 2017, retrieved February 24, 2018.
  6. ^ Levarse, Derek."PSU notebook: Lions finish No. 8 in polls, listed among favorites for 2018 title", Times Leader, January 9, 2018, retrieved February 24, 2018.
  7. ^ Rubin, Andrew."DECISION MADE: Saquon Barkley declares for NFL Draft following Penn State football's Fiesta Bowl win ", The Daily Collegian, December 30, 2017, retrieved February 24, 2018.
  8. ^ Sammon, Will."Mississippi State hires Joe Moorhead as its next football coach", The Clarion-Ledger, November 29, 2017, retrieved March 22, 2018.
  9. ^ Sammon, Will."How Joe Moorhead assembled his first staff at Mississippi State", The Clarion-Ledger, January 17, 2018, retrieved March 22, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Juliano, Joe."Penn State hires two football assistants, promotes a third", The Philadelphia Inquirer, December 1, 2017, retrieved March 22, 2018.
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