2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

2020 Big Ten Conference football standings
	East Division
	West Division
	Championship: Ohio State 22, Northwestern 10
	^ – College Football Playoff participant; $ – Conference champion; x – Division champion/co-champions; y – Championship game participant; Note: Due to COVID-19, the Big Ten suspended the season on August 11, but later decided to begin play on October 24. In addition to the title game that was played on December 19, the conference seeded all remaining teams for "championship week" games.; Rankings from AP Poll.

2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football
2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
	East Division
2020 record	4–5 (4–5 Big Ten)
Head coach	James Franklin (7th season);
Offensive coordinator	Kirk Ciarrocca (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Tyler Bowen (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Brent Pry (5th as DC; 7th overall season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Tim Banks (5th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Beaver Stadium; (Capacity: 106,572)
	Seasons ← 2019 2021 →

The 2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The team was led by seventh-year head coach James Franklin.

On August 11, 2020, the Big Ten Conference canceled all fall sports competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2] On September 16, the Big Ten reinstated the football season, announcing an eight-game season beginning on October 24.^[3]

On November 21, after losing to Iowa, Penn State's record dropped to 0–5, the worst start in the program's history, dating to 1887.^[4] The team went on to win its final four games, finishing the regular season at 4–5. On December 19, the program announced that it was removing itself from consideration for a bowl game.^[5]

Previous season[]

The Nittany Lions finished the 2019 season 11–2, and had a conference record of 7–2. They received an invitation to the 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic where they defeated the No.17 Memphis Tigers 53–39. Penn State finished the 2019 season ranked No. 9 in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll.

Offseason[]

Staff changes[]

2020 NFL Draft[]


Round	Pick	Player	Team
2	38	Yetur Gross-Matos	Carolina Panthers
2	46	K. J. Hamler	Denver Broncos
4	141	John Reid	Houston Texans
6	183	Cam Brown	New York Giants
6	193	Robert Windsor	Indianapolis Colts
Undrafted		Steven Gonzalez	Arizona Cardinals
		Nick Bowers	Las Vegas Raiders
		Garrett Taylor	Buffalo Bills
		Jan Johnson	Houston Texans
		Blake Gillikin	New Orleans Saints
		Dan Chisena	Minnesota Vikings

Recruiting[]

The Nittany Lions signed 27 recruits during the 2020 signing cycle, securing the 15th ranked recruiting class in the country. This was Penn State's fourth consecutive top 15 recruiting class. 11 of the 27 signings in the 2020 class enrolled early.

Transfers[]

Returning starters[]

Offensive returning starters (8)
Player	Year	Position	2019 Games Started
Sean Clifford	Senior	QB	13
Journey Brown	Senior	RB	13
Rasheed Walker	Junior	OL	13
Mike Miranda	Senior	OL	8
Michal Menet	5th-Sr	OL	13
C.J. Thorpe	Senior	OL	5
Will Fries	Graduate student	OL	13
Pat Freiermuth	Junior	TE	13

Personnel[]

Coaching staff[]

Penn State football current coaching staff^[6]
Name	Position	Alma Mater	Years at Penn State
James Franklin	Head Coach	East Stroudsburg University (1995)	7th
Brent Pry	Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers	University at Buffalo (1993)	7th
Kirk Ciarrocca	Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach	Temple University (1990)	1st
Tim Banks	Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties	Central Michigan University (1995)	5th
Tyler Bowen	Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends	University of Maryland (2010)	3rd
Phil Trautwein	Offensive Line	University of Florida (2007)	1st
John Scott	Defensive Line	Western Carolina University (2000)	1st
Taylor Stubblefield	Wide Receivers	Purdue University (2004)	1st
Ja'Juan Seider	Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs	West Virginia University (2000)	3rd
Terry Smith	Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Recruiting Coordinator/Cornerbacks	Penn State University (1991)	7th
Joe Lorig	Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebacker	Western Oregon University (1995)	2nd
Dwight Galt III	Assistant AD, Performance Enhancement	University of Maryland (1981)	7th
V'Angelo Bentley	Graduate Assistant	University of Illinois (2015)	2nd
Jeff Carpenter	Graduate Assistant	Penn State University (2015)	1st
Deion Barnes	Graduate Assistant	Penn State University (2014)	1st
Wendy Laurent	Graduate Assistant	Penn State University (2016)	1st
Ty Howle	Offensive Assistant	Penn State University (2013)	1st

Roster[]

2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football roster

Quarterback

2 Micah Bowens – Freshman (5'11, 196)
7 Will Levis – Sophomore (6'3, 222)
9 Ta'Quan Roberson – Freshman (5'11, 195)
14 Sean Clifford – Junior (6'2, 217)
17 Mason Stahl – Freshman (6'0, 204)

Running Back

4 Journey Brown – Junior (5'11, 217)
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)
30 Joseph Bruno – Freshman (6'0, 202)
38 Tank Smith – Freshman (5'7, 227)

Wide Receiver

3 Parker Washington – Freshman (5'10, 205)
5 Jahan Dotson – Junior (5'11, 182)
6 Cam Sullivan-Brown – Junior (6'0, 191)
10 TJ Jones – Freshman (6'1, 202)
11 Daniel George – Sophomore (6'2, 210)
13 KeAndre Lambert-Smith – Freshman (6'1, 185)
19 Jaden Dottin – Freshman (6'2, 190)
29 Henry Fessler – Sophomore (5'10, 182)
80 Malick Meiga – Freshman (6'4, 198)
80 Justin Weller – Junior (6'0, 194)
83 Johnny Crise – Freshman (6'5, 201)
84 Benjamin Wilson – Senior (6'2, 212)
85 Isaac Lutz – Senior (5'11, 197)
88 Norval Black – Junior (6'1, 178)

Tight End

43 Trevor Baker – Junior (6'3, 246)
44 Tyler Warren – Freshman (6'6, 244)
47 Tommy Friberg – Freshman (6'3, 210)
82 Zack Kuntz – Sophomore (6'7, 258)
84 Theo Johnson – Freshman (6'6, 254)
86 Brenton Strange – Freshman (6'3, 252)
87 Pat Freiermuth – Junior (6'5, 258)
89 Grayson Kline – Sophomore (6'5, 261)

Placekicker

90 Rafael Checa – Sophomore (6'2, 203)
92 Jake Pinegar – Junior (6'2, 192)
95 Vlad Hilling – Sophomore (5'10, 213)
96 Anthony DaSilva – Freshman (5'11, 157)

Offensive Lineman

50 Will Knutsson – Sophomore (6'2, 319)
51 Jimmy Christ – Freshman (6'7, 298)
52 Blake Zalar – Freshman (6'1, 289)
53 Rasheed Walker – Sophomore (6'6, 310)
54 George French II – Freshman (6'8, 320)
55 Anthony Whigan – Junior (6'4, 315)
57 Ibrahim Traore – Freshman (6'5, 325)
59 Kaleb Konigus – Sophomore (6'2, 291)
62 Michal Menet – Senior (6'4, 306)
63 Collin De Boef – Sophomore (6'5, 264)
66 Nick Dawkins – Freshman (6'4, 310)
69 C.J. Thorpe – Junior (6'3, 313)
70 Juice Scruggs – Sophomore (6'3, 302)
71 Will Fries – Senior (6'6, 306)
72 Bryce Effner – Sophomore (6'5, 301)
73 Mike Miranda – Junior (6'3, 301)
74 Olu Fashanu – Freshman (6'6, 300)
75 Des Holmes – Junior (6'5, 312)
76 Justin Kopko – Freshman (6'3, 318)
77 Sal Wormley – Freshman (6'3, 317)
78 Golden Israel-Achumba – Freshman (6'4, 345)
79 Caedan Wallace – Freshman (6'5, 313)

Defensive Lineman

18 Shaka Toney – DE – Senior (6'3, 252)
20 Adisa Isaac – DE – Sophomore (6'4, 251)
27 Aeneas Hawkins – DT – Sophomore (6'2, 288)
28 Odafe Oweh – DE – Sophomore (6'5, 252)
33 Bryce Mostella – DE – Freshman (6'6, 248)
34 Shane Simmons – DE – Senior (6'3, 257)
42 Ellison Jordan – DT – Junior (6'0, 320)
44 Joseph Darkwa – DT – Freshman (6'5, 293)
46 Nick Tarburton – DE – Sophomore (6'3, 252)
51 Hakeem Beamon – DE – Freshman (6'3, 292)
53 Fred Hansard – DT – Junior (6'3, 324)
54 Fatorma Mulbah – DT – Freshman (6'3, 289)
55 Antonio Shelton – DT – Senior (6'2, 327)
56 Amin Vanover – DT – Freshman (6'4, 279)
77 Judge Culpepper – DT – Sophomore (6'4, 295)
91 Dvon Ellies – DT – Freshman (6'1, 296)
92 Smith Vilbert – DE – Freshman (6'6, 251)
94 Jake Wilson – DE – Freshman (6'3, 241)
95 Cole Brevard – DT – Freshman (6'3, 312)
97 PJ Mustipher – DT – Junior (6'4, 300)
98 Dan Vasey – DE – Junior (6'4, 251)
99 Coziah Izzard – DT – Freshman (6'3, 290)

Punter

93 Levi Forrest – Freshman(6'5, 184)
93 Bradley King – Junior (6'2, 214)
97 Carson Landis – Junior (6'2, 206)
98 Jordan Stout – Junior (6'3, 208)

Linebacker

10 Lance Dixon – Freshman (6'2, 225)
12 Brandon Smith – Sophomore (6'3, 244)
13 Ellis Brooks – Junior (6'1, 233)
23 Curtis Jacobs – Freshman (6'1, 226)
36 Zuriah Fisher – Freshman (6'3, 244)
39 Robbie Dwyer – Freshman(6'1, 247)
40 Jesse Luketa – Junior (6'3, 242)
43 Tyler Elsdon – Freshman (6'2, 230)
45 Charlie Katshir – Sophomore (6'3, 231)
47 Alex Furmanek – Freshman(6'2, 265)
50 Max Chizmar – Junior (6'2, 229)

Defensive Back

0 Jonathan Sutherland – S – Junior (5'11, 202)
1 Jaquan Brisker – S – Senior (6'1, 210)
2 Keaton Ellis – CB – Sophomore (5'11, 186)
3 Donovan Johnson – CB – Junior (5'9, 180)
5 Tariq Castro-Fields – CB – Senior (6'0, 191)
8 Marquis Wilson – CB – Sophomore (5'11, 181)
9 Joey Porter Jr. – CB – 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)
19 Trent Gordon – S – Sophomore (5'11, 199)
21 Tyler Rudolph – S – Freshman (6'0, 203)
25 Daequan Hardy – CB – Freshman (5'9, 180)
27 Jaden Seider – S – Freshman (5'10, 174)
29 Sebastian Costantini – CB – Freshman (5'11, 185)
32 Dylan Farronato – S – Freshman (5'11, 187)
36 Makai Self – CB – Freshman (5'9, 170)
37 Drew Hartlaub – S – Junior (5'11, 177)
38 Lamont Wade – S – Senior (5'9, 191)
48 Cody Romano – S – Sophomore (6'2, 207)

Long Snappers

49 Michael Wright – Freshman (6'1, 197)
91 Chris Stoll – Junior (6'2, 242)

Source:^[7]

Depth chart[]

Schedule[]

Spring game[]

Date	Time	Network	Spring Game	Site	Result	Attendance
April 18	1:30pm	FS1	Blue vs. White	Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA	Canceled

Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State, like other institutions, switched to distance-learning during the spring semester and canceled all sporting events.

Regular season[]

The Nittany Lions are a member of the Big Ten East Division, and will play all of the division's other six members. Cross-divisional opponents include the Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and Illinois Fighting Illini.

Three out-of-conference opponents were originally scheduled: a road game at Virginia Tech, and home games versus Kent State and San Jose State.^[8] However, these non-conference games were canceled on July 9 as a result of ongoing concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.^[9]^[10] In early August, the 9-game conference schedule increased to 10 games, adding cross-divisional opponent Illinois.^[11]

A week later, the season was promptly postponed. On August 11, in the wake of multiple Group of Five conferences deciding to do so,^[12] the council of the Big Ten voted 11–3 to postpone fall athletics for the 2020–21 season (with all but Iowa, Nebraska, and Ohio State voting in favor). Commissioner Kevin Warren cited negative trends and uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 as a factor in the decision. The conference stated that it would evaluate options, including possibly playing in spring 2021 instead.^[13]^[14]^[15] After the decision to postpone the season, the Big Ten formed a taskforce to investigate options for a return to play.^[15] President Donald Trump criticized the Big Ten's decision to postpone fall football, as part of his general criticism of U.S. colleges and universities that have not resumed on-campus activities. All other Power Five conferences besides the Pac-12 (which also postponed its season shortly after the Big Ten's decision) were still planning to play in the fall.^[16]^[17]

On September 14, it was reported that the Big Ten was considering the possibility of reversing its decision and playing a shortened conference football season as early as mid-to-late October.^[18] On September 16, the Big Ten approved an eight-game conference season that would begin October 24, and conclude on December 19 (with the top seeds in each division playing for the conference championship, and all other seeds playing similar cross-division matchups). The conference is instituting a daily antigen testing protocol beginning September 30; PCR tests will be used to confirm positives found via antigen testing. Players who test positive on both tests will be removed from play for at least 21 days and undergo cardiac tests during this period, and will have to be cleared by a cardiologist before they can return to play. Positivity rates among participating teams and the local population will also be a factor: teams with a positivity rate above 5% or a population positivity rate above 7% will be required to halt all activity for seven days.^[15]

Penn State and Rutgers were the only 2 Big Ten teams to compete in all 9 regular season games. Following their victory over Illinois on December 19, Penn State opted out of a college bowl game appearance.^[19]

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
October 24	3:30 p.m.	at Indiana	No. 8	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN	FS1	L 35–36 ^OT	995
October 31	7:30 p.m.	No. 3 Ohio State	No. 18	Beaver Stadium State College, PA (College GameDay / rivalry)	ABC	L 25–38	1,500
November 7	3:30 p.m.	Maryland		Beaver Stadium State College, PA (rivalry)	BTN	L 19–35	1,500
November 14	12:00 p.m.	at Nebraska		Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE	FS1	L 23–30	0
November 21	3:30 p.m.	Iowa		Beaver Stadium State College, PA	BTN	L 21–41	1,500
November 28	12:00 p.m.	at Michigan		Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI	ABC	W 27–17	0
December 5	12:00 p.m.	at Rutgers		SHI Stadium Piscataway, NJ	FS1	W 23–7	0
December 12	12:00 p.m.	Michigan State		Beaver Stadium State College, PA (Land Grant Trophy)	ABC	W 39–24	0
December 19	5:30 p.m.	Illinois		Beaver Stadium State College, PA (Big Ten Champions Week)	FS1	W 56–21	0
Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Schedule Source:^[20]

Game summaries[]

at Indiana[]

No. 8 Penn State at Indiana – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
No. 8 Penn State	7	0	7	14	7	35
Indiana	0	17	0	11	8	36

at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana

Date: October 24
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); sunny
Game attendance: 995
Referee: Ron Snodgrass
TV announcers (FS1): Aaron Goldsmith, Mark Helfrich
ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – Pat Freiermuth, 2-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jake Pinegar kick good, 7:59 (PSU 7–0)

Second quarter

IU – Charles Campbell, 34-yard field goal, 12:24 (PSU 7–3)
IU – Stevie Scott III, 14-yard TD run, Campbell kick good, 8:12 (IU 10–7)
IU – Scott, 2-yard TD run, Campbell kick good, 6:36 (IU 17–7)

Third quarter

PSU – Clifford, 35-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 0:00 (IU 17–14)

Fourth quarter

IU – Campbell, 49-yard field goal, 13:18 (IU 20–14)
PSU – Jahan Dotson, 60-yard TD pass from Clifford, Pinegar kick good, 2:30 (PSU 21–20)
PSU – Devyn Ford, 14-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 1:42 (PSU 28–20)
IU – Michael Penix Jr., 1-yard TD run, Penix run for 2-point conversion, 0:22 (TIE 28–28)

Overtime

PSU – Parker Washington, 3-yard TD pass from Clifford, Pinegar kick good (PSU 35–28)
IU – Whop Philyor, 9-yard TD pass from Penix, Penix run for 2-point converstion (IU 36–35)

Top passers

PSU – Sean Clifford – 24/35, 238 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
IU – Michael Penix Jr. – 19/36, 170 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

PSU – Clifford – 17 carries, 119 yards, TD
PSU – Devyn Ford – 20 carries, 69 yards, TD
IU – Stevie Scott III – 20 carries, 57 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

PSU – Jahan Dotson – 4 receptions, 94 yards, TD
PSU – Pat Freiermuth – 7 receptions, 60 yards, TD
IU – Miles Marshall – 4 receptions 46 yards
IU – Whop Philyor – 5 receptions, 36 yards, TD

Top defenders

PSU – Shaka Toney – 7 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 2 sacks
IU – Micah McFadden – 11 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL)

No. 3 Ohio State[]

No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 18 Penn State – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 3 Ohio State	14	7	10	7	38
No. 18 Penn State	3	3	7	12	25

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Date: October 31
Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C); mostly clear
Game attendance: 1,500
Referee: Jerry McGinn
TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor
ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter

OSU – Master Teague III, 4-yard TD run, Blake Haubeil kick good, 13:43 (OSU 7–0)
OSU – Chris Olave, 26-yard TD pass from Justin Fields, Haubeil kick good, 8:39 (OSU 14–0)
PSU – Jake Pinegar, 31-yard field goal, 2:57 (OSU 14–3)

Second quarter

OSU – Jeremy Ruckert, 10-yard TD pass from Fields, Dominic DiMaccio kick good, 2:23 (OSU 21–3)
PSU – Jordan Stout, 50-yard field goal, 0:00 (OSU 21–6)

Third quarter

PSU – Jahan Dotson, 14-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Pinegar kick good, 11:14 (OSU 21–13)
OSU – Olave, 49-yard TD pass from Fields, DiMaccio kick good, 8:41 (OSU 28–13)
OSU – DiMaccio, 22-yard field goal, 1:02 (OSU 31–13)

Fourth quarter

PSU – Dotson, 21-yard TD pass from Clifford, 2-point conversion run failed, 14:30 (OSU 31–19)
OSU – Ruckert , 1-yard TD pass from Fields, DiMaccio kick good, 9:14 (OSU 38–19)
PSU – Dotson, 20-yard TD pass from Clifford, 2-point conversion pass failed, 6:27 (OSU 38–25)

Top passers

OSU – Justin Fields – 28/34, 318 yards, 4 TD
PSU – Sean Clifford – 18/30, 281 yards, 3 TD, INT

Top rushers

OSU – Master Teague III – 23 carries, 110 yards, TD
PSU – Devyn Ford – 8 carries, 36 yards

Top receivers

OSU – Chris Olave – 7 receptions, 120 yards, 2 TD
OSU – Garrett Wilson – 11 receptions, 111 yards
PSU – Jahan Dotson – 8 receptions, 144 yards, 3 TD

Top defenders

OSU – Tommy Togaia – 7 tackles, 3 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 3 sacks
PSU – Ellis Brooks – 11 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL)

Maryland[]

Maryland vs. Penn State – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Maryland	14	14	7	0	35
Penn State	0	7	0	12	19

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Date: November 7
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C); mostly sunny
Game attendance: 1,500
Referee: Reggie Smith
TV announcers (BTN): Lisa Byington, Matt Millen, Coley Harvey, Dean Blandino
ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter

UM – Rakim Jarrett, 42-yard TD pass from Taulia Tagovailoa, Joseph Petrino kick good, 12:27 (UM 7–0)
UM – Jarrett, 62-yard TD pass from Tagovailoa, Petrino kick good, 0:19 (UM 14–0)

Second quarter

UM – Jake Funk, 38-yard TD run, Petrino kick good, 11:49 (UM 21–0)
PSU – Jahan Dotson, 20-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jake Pinegar kick good, 6:32 (UM 21–7)
UM – Dontay Demus Jr., 34-yard TD pass from Tagovailoa, Petrino kick good, 0:45 (UM 28–7)

Third quarter

UM – Chance Campbell, 29-yard fumble return for TD, Petrino kick good, 12:55 (UM 35–7)

Fourth quarter

PSU – Parker Washington, 23-yard TD pass from Clifford, 2-point conversion failed, 10:16 (UM 35–13)
PSU – Washington, 1-yard TD pass from Clifford, 2-point conversion pass incomplete, 0:11 (UM 35–19)

Top passers

UM – Taulia Tagovailoa – 18/26, 282 yards, 3 TD
PSU – Sean Clifford – 27/57, 340 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT

Top rushers

UM – Jake Funk – 16 carries, 80 yards, TD
PSU – Devyn Ford – 9 carries, 36 yards

Top receivers

UM – Rakim Jarrett – 5 receptions, 144 yards, 2 TD
UM – Dontay Demus Jr. – 6 receptions, 86 yards, TD
PSU – Jahan Dotson – 9 receptions, 123 yards, TD

Top defenders

UM – Nick Cross – 8 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL), 1 sack
PSU – Odafe Oweh – 10 tackles, 2 tackles-for-loss (TFL)

at Nebraska[]

Penn State at Nebraska – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Penn State	0	6	10	7	23
Nebraska	10	17	0	3	30

at Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska

Date: November 14
Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C); mostly sunny
Game attendance: 0
Referee: Larry Smith
TV announcers (FS1): Brian Custer, Robert Smith
ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter

UN – Luke McCaffrey, 1-yard TD run, Connor Culp kick good, 11:25 (UN 7–0)
UN – Culp, 22-yard field goal, 6:14 (UN 10–0)

Second quarter

PSU – Jake Pinegar, 33-yard field goal, 14:50 (UN 10–3)
UN – Zavier Betts, 45-yard TD pass from McCaffrey, Culp kick good, 14:01 (UN 17–3)
UN – Deontai Williams, 26-yard fumble recovery, Culp kick good, 11:29 (UN 24–3)
PSU – Pinegar, 40-yard field goal, 5:48 (UN 24–6)
UN – Culp, 25-yard field goal, 0:00 (UN 27–6)

Third quarter

PSU – Keyvone Lee, 31-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 7:51 (UN 27–13)
PSU – Pinegar, 27-yard field goal, 1:01 (UN 27–16)

Fourth quarter

UN – Culp, 30-yard field goal, 10:34 (UN 30–16)
PSU – Devyn Ford, 5-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 9:20 (UN 30–23)

Top passers

PSU – Will Levis – 14/31, 219 yards
UN – Luke McCaffrey – 13/21, 152 yards, TD, INT

Top rushers

PSU – Devyn Ford – 16 carries, 66 yards, TD
PSU – Levis – 18 carries, 61 yards
UN – McCaffrey – 13 carries, 67 yards, TD
UN – Wan'Dale Robinson – 16 carries, 60 yards

Top receivers

PSU – Pat Freiermuth – 7 receptions, 113 yards
UN – Zavier Betts – 2 receptions, 54 yards, TD
UN – Austin Allen – 3 receptions, 39 yards

Top defenders

PSU – Odafe Oweh – 9 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
PSU – Jesse Luketa – 9 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL)
UN – Marquel Dismuke – 15 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL)

Iowa[]

Iowa vs. Penn State – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Iowa	3	21	7	10	41
Penn State	7	0	14	0	21

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Date: November 21
Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); cloudy, rain
Game attendance: 1,500
Referee: Mark Kluczynski
TV announcers (BTN): Joe Beninati, Matt Millen, Rick Pizzo
ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter

UI – Keith Duncan, 40-yard field goal, 8:23 (UI 3–0)
PSU – Keyvone Lee, 6-yard TD run, Jake Pinegar kick good, 2:12 (PSU 7–3)

Second quarter

UI – Tyler Goodson, 10-yard TD run, Duncan kick good, 14:35 (UI 10–7)
UI – Mekhi Sargent, 1-yard TD run, Duncan kick good, 6:34 (UI 17–7)
UI – Sargent, 1-yard TD run, Duncan kick good, 0:11 (UI 24–7)

Third quarter

UI – Spencer Petras, 3-yard TD run, Duncan kick good, 6:45 (UI 31–7)
PSU – Brenton Strange, 28-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Pinegar kick blocked, 4:01 (UI 31–13)
PSU – Jahan Dotson, 68-yard TD pass from Clifford, 2-point conversion pass to Lee, 0:07 (UI 31–21)

Fourth quarter

UI – Duncan, 24-yard field goal, 7:14 (UI 34–21)
UI – Daviyon Nixon, 71-yard interception return, Duncan kick good, 1:58 (UI 41–21)

Top passers

UI – Spencer Petras – 18/28, 186 yards
PSU – Sean Clifford – 13/22, 174 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
PSU – Will Levis – 13/16, 106 yards

Top rushers

UI – Mekhi Sargent – 15 carries, 101 yards, 2 TD
UI – Tyler Goodson – 20 carries, 78 yards, TD
PSU – Levis – 15 carries, 34 yards

Top receivers

UI – Nico Ragaini – 4 receptions, 46 yards
PSU – Jahan Dotson – 8 receptions, 139 yards, TD

Top defenders

UI – Nick Niemann – 17 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL)
PSU – Lamont Wade – 10 tackles

at Michigan[]

Penn State at Michigan – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Penn State	7	10	3	7	27
Michigan	7	0	3	7	17

at Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan

Date: November 28
Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C); sunny
Game attendance: 0
Referee: Larry Smith
TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch, Mike Golic, Paul Carcaterra
ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – Keyvone Lee, 6-yard TD run, Jake Pinegar kick good, 10:50 (PSU 7–0)
UM – Hassan Haskins, 2-yard TD run, Jake Moody kick good, 0:30 (TIE 7–7)

Second quarter

PSU – Sean Clifford, 28-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 3:32 (PSU 14–7)
PSU – Pinegar, 22-yard field goal, 0:15 (PSU 17–7)

Third quarter

UM – Moody, 40-yard field goal, 9:10 (PSU 17–10)
PSU – Pinegar, 33-yard field goal, 0:40 (PSU 20–10)

Fourth quarter

UM – Haskins, 2-yard TD run, Moody kick good, 13:12 (PSU 20–17)
PSU – Will Levis, 2-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 8:12 (PSU 27–17)

Top passers

PSU – Sean Clifford – 17/28, 163 yards
UM – Cade McNamara – 12/25, 91 yards

Top rushers

PSU – Keyvone Lee – 22 carries, 134 yards, TD
UM – Hassan Haskins – 17 carries, 101 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

PSU – Parker Washington – 9 receptions, 93 yards
UM – Ronnie Bell – 4 receptions, 40 yards

Top defenders

PSU – Ellis Brooks – 6 tackles
UM – Josh Ross – 12 tackles

at Rutgers[]

Penn State at Rutgers – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Penn State	7	10	3	3	23
Rutgers	0	0	7	0	7

at SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey

Date: December 5
Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C); rain, partly cloudy
Game attendance: 0
Referee: John O'Neill
TV announcers (FS1): Mark Followill, Matt Millen, Olivia Dekker
ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – Parker Washington, 29-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jake Pinegar kick good, 3:32 (PSU 7–0)

Second quarter

PSU – Pinegar, 30-yard field goal, 11:37 (PSU 10–0)
PSU – Devyn Ford, 7-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 6:21 (PSU 17–0)

Third quarter

PSU – Jordan Stout, 47-yard field goal, 11:38 (PSU 20–0)
RU – Bo Melton, 3-yard TD pass from Noah Vedral, Valentino Ambrosio kick good, 4:56 (PSU 20–7)

Fourth quarter

PSU – Pinegar, 27-yard field goal, 7:27 (PSU 23–7)

Top passers

PSU – Sean Clifford – 15/22, 133 yards, TD, INT
RU – Noah Vedral – 17/30, 133 yards, TD

Top rushers

PSU – Keyvone Lee – 17 carries, 95 yards
PSU – Will Levis – 17 carries, 65 yards
PSU – Devyn Ford – 11 carries, 65 yards, TD
RU – Vedral – 14 carries, 56 yards

Top receivers

PSU – Jahan Dotson – 4 receptions, 30 yards
PSU – Parker Washington – 1 reception, 29 yards, TD
RU – Bo Melton – 7 receptions, 38 yards, TD

Top defenders

PSU – Jesse Luketa – 10 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL)
RU – Olakunle Fatukasi – 17 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL)

Michigan State[]

Michigan State vs. Penn State – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Michigan State	0	21	3	0	24
Penn State	3	7	15	14	39

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Date: December 12
Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C); partly cloudy
Game attendance: 0
Referee: Ron Snodgrass
TV announcers (ABC): Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore, Paul Carcaterra
ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – Jake Pinegar, 24-yard field goal, 6:06 (PSU 3–0)

Second quarter

MSU – Jalen Nailor, 45-yard TD pass from Payton Thorne, Matt Coghlin kick good, 13:50 (MSU 7–3)
PSU – Sean Clifford, 31-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 10:00 (PSU 10–7)
MSU – Tre'Von Morgan, 26-yard TD pass from Thorne, Coghlin kick good, 6:24 (MSU 14–10)
MSU – Nailor, 7-yard TD pass from Thorne, Coghlin kick good, 1:26 (MSU 21–10)

Third quarter

PSU – Parker Washington, 8-yard TD pass from Clifford, Jahan Dotson 2-point conversion pass from Clifford, 10:07 (MSU 21–18)
MSU – Coghlin, 23-yard field goal, 1:59 (MSU 24–18)
PSU – Will Levis, 1-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 0:02 (PSU 25–24)

Fourth quarter

PSU – Washington, 49-yard TD pass from Clifford, Pinegar kick good, 12:18 (PSU 32–24)
PSU – Dotson, 81-yard punt return for TD, Pinegar kick good, 11:24 (PSU 39–24)

Top passers

MSU – Payton Thorne – 22/39, 325 yards, 3 TD, INT
PSU – Sean Clifford – 17/27, 232 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

MSU – Jordon Simmons – 14 carries, 72 yards
PSU – Clifford – 9 carries, 48 yards, TD
PSU – Will Levis – 15 carries, 36 yards, TD
PSU – Keyvone Lee – 12 carries, 31 yards

Top receivers

MSU – Jalen Nailor – 6 receptions, 100 yards, 2 TD
MSU – Jayden Reed – 6 receptions, 76 yards
PSU – Jahan Dotson – 8 receptions, 106 yards

Top defenders

MSU – Antjuan Simmons – 10 tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
PSU – Jaquan Brisker – 9 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL), INT

Illinois[]

Illinois at Pennn State – Game summary

	1	2	3	4	Total
Illinois	21	0	0	0	21
Penn State	21	21	7	7	56

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Date: December 19
Game time: 5:30 p.m. EST
Game weather: 30 °F (−1 °C); cloudy
Game attendance: 0
Referee: John O'Neill
TV announcers (FS1): Cory Provus, Robert Smith
ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter

PSU – Jahan Dotson, 75-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jake Pinegar kick good, 14:48 (PSU 7–0)
UI – Brian Hightower, 5-yard TD pass from Isaiah Williams, James McCourt kick good, 11:06 (TIE 7–7)
PSU – Lamont Wade, 100-yard kickoff return for TD, Pinegar kick good, 10:51 (PSU 14–7)
UI – Chase Brown, 12-yard TD run, McCourt kick good, 9:50 (TIE 14–14)
UI – Daniel Barker, 38-yard TD pass from Williams, McCourt kick good, 6:10 (UI 21–14)
PSU – Will Levis, 4-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 1:13 (TIE 21–21)

Second quarter

PSU – Caziah Holmes, 3-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 14:04 (PSU 28–21)
PSU – Keyvone Lee, 1-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 5:32 (PSU 35–21)
PSU – Dotson, 70-yard TD pass from Clifford, Pinegar kick good, 3:49 (PSU 42–21)

Third quarter

PSU – Brenton Strange, 7-yard TD pass from Levis, Pinegar kick good, 0:20 (PSU 49–21)

Fourth quarter

PSU – Holmes, 1-yard TD run, Pinegar kick good, 3:32 (PSU 56–21)

Top passers

UI – Isaiah Williams – 8/18, 120 yards, 2 TD, INT
PSU – Sean Clifford – 16/22, 285 yards, 2 TD

Top rushers

UI – Williams – 15 carries, 102 yards
PSU – Keyvone Lee – 19 carries, 85 yards, TD
PSU – Caziah Holmes – 12 carries, 77 yards, 2 TD

Top receivers

UI – Daniel Barker – 3 receptions, 54 yards, TD
PSU – Jahan Dotson – 6 receptions, 189 yards, 2 TD

Top defenders

UI – Jartavius Martin – 12 tackles
PSU – Brandon Smith – 8 tackles, 3 tackles-for-loss (TFL)

Statistics[]

Scores by quarter (Big Ten opponents)[]

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Big Ten opponents	69	97	37	38	8	249
Penn State	55	64	66	76	7	268

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	15	16	Final
AP	7	7*	NR	NR	10	9	9	8	18	RV	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
Coaches	7	7*	NR	13	10	8	8	7	17	RV	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	NR
CFP	Not released												NR	NR	NR	NR	NR	Not released

Players drafted into the NFL[]

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
1	12	Micah Parsons	LB	Dallas Cowboys
1	31	Odafe Oweh	DE	Baltimore Ravens
2	55	Pat Freiermuth	TE	Pittsburgh Steelers
7	246	Shaka Toney	DE	Washington Football Team
7	247	Michal Menet	C	Arizona Cardinals
7	248	Will Fries	OG	Indianapolis Colts

Undrafted players[]

Player	Position	NFL Club
	S	Pittsburgh Steelers

Source:^[21]

References[]

^ Stevens, Matthew. "Big Ten To Play A "Championship Weekend" 9th Game Of 2020 Season". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
^ "Big Ten Statement on 2020–21 Fall Season". bigten.org. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
^ "The Big Ten Conference Adopts Stringent Medical Protocols; Football Season to Resume October 23–24, 2020". bigten.org. September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
^ Ryan, Jack (November 22, 2020). "Penn State's 0–5 Makes History: Worst Start Since 1887!". fastphillysports.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
^ Pickel, Greg (December 20, 2020). "Penn State announces that it won't go to a bowl game in 2020". pennlive.com. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
^ "Football Coaching Staff". GoPSUsports.com. Penn State Nittany Lions. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
^ "2020 Football Roster". GoPSUSports.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
^ "2020 Penn State Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com.
^ Myerberg, Paul (July 9, 2020). "Big Ten football reduces season schedule to only conference games, maybe setting stage for others to follow". USA Today. usatoday.com. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
^ Dinich, Heather; Schlabach, Mark (July 9, 2020). "Big Ten moving to conference-only model for all sports this fall". espn.com. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
^ Pickel, Greg (August 5, 2020). "Penn State's 2020 college football schedule is out; here is who the Lions will face this fall". Penn Live. pennlive.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
^ "Mountain West postpones football, fall sports". ESPN.com. August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
^ "Big Ten Statement on Fall Season". BigTen.org. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
^ "Big Ten nixes fall football season, eyes spring". ESPN.com. August 11, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Big Ten football to resume weekend of Oct. 24". ESPN.com. September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
^ Blinder, Alan; Martin, Jonathan (September 12, 2020). "Trump and Biden Seek an Electoral Edge From an Unlikely Source: College Football". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ Klar, Rebecca (September 10, 2020). "Trump pushes for schools to stay open, Big Ten to play football". TheHill. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ Kim, Allen. "Big Ten officials to vote on whether to reverse course and hold an abbreviated fall college sports season". CNN. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ "2020 Football Season Concludes". GoPSUsports.com. December 19, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
^ "2020 Football Schedule". Penn State University Athletics.
^ Bible, The NFL Draft. "2021 NFL Draft undrafted free agent tracker: Rookie UDFA signings from all 32 teams". The NFL Draft Bible on Sports Illustrated: The Leading Authority on the NFL Draft. Retrieved May 12, 2021.

[1] Stevens, Matthew. "Big Ten To Play A "Championship Weekend" 9th Game Of 2020 Season". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 17, 2020.

[2] "Big Ten Statement on 2020–21 Fall Season". bigten.org. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.

[3] "The Big Ten Conference Adopts Stringent Medical Protocols; Football Season to Resume October 23–24, 2020". bigten.org. September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

[4] Ryan, Jack (November 22, 2020). "Penn State's 0–5 Makes History: Worst Start Since 1887!". fastphillysports.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.

[5] Pickel, Greg (December 20, 2020). "Penn State announces that it won't go to a bowl game in 2020". pennlive.com. Retrieved December 19, 2020.

[roster-6] "Football Coaching Staff". GoPSUsports.com. Penn State Nittany Lions. Retrieved January 12, 2019.

[7] "2020 Football Roster". GoPSUSports.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2021. Retrieved February 7, 2021.

[8] "2020 Penn State Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com.

[9] Myerberg, Paul (July 9, 2020). "Big Ten football reduces season schedule to only conference games, maybe setting stage for others to follow". USA Today. usatoday.com. Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[10] Dinich, Heather; Schlabach, Mark (July 9, 2020). "Big Ten moving to conference-only model for all sports this fall". espn.com. Retrieved July 9, 2020.

[11] Pickel, Greg (August 5, 2020). "Penn State's 2020 college football schedule is out; here is who the Lions will face this fall". Penn Live. pennlive.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.

[12] "Mountain West postpones football, fall sports". ESPN.com. August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.

[postpone-13] "Big Ten Statement on Fall Season". BigTen.org. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.

[14] "Big Ten nixes fall football season, eyes spring". ESPN.com. August 11, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

[espn-bigtenoct-15] "Big Ten football to resume weekend of Oct. 24". ESPN.com. September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

[16] Blinder, Alan; Martin, Jonathan (September 12, 2020). "Trump and Biden Seek an Electoral Edge From an Unlikely Source: College Football". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[17] Klar, Rebecca (September 10, 2020). "Trump pushes for schools to stay open, Big Ten to play football". TheHill. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[18] Kim, Allen. "Big Ten officials to vote on whether to reverse course and hold an abbreviated fall college sports season". CNN. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[19] "2020 Football Season Concludes". GoPSUsports.com. December 19, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.

[20] "2020 Football Schedule". Penn State University Athletics.

[21] Bible, The NFL Draft. "2021 NFL Draft undrafted free agent tracker: Rookie UDFA signings from all 32 teams". The NFL Draft Bible on Sports Illustrated: The Leading Authority on the NFL Draft. Retrieved May 12, 2021.

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[2]

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[4]

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[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

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[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

v t Penn State Nittany Lions football
Venues	Old Main lawn (until 1891) Beaver Field (1892–1908) New Beaver Field (1909–1959) Beaver Stadium (1960–present)
Bowls & rivalries	Bowl games Alabama Maryland Michigan State Minnesota Ohio State Pittsburgh Syracuse Temple West Virginia
Culture & lore	Nittany Lion "Fight On, State" Penn State Blue Band Uplifting Athletes Joe Paterno statue Something for Joey 1982 Nebraska game Penn State child sex abuse scandal 2016 Ohio State game Paterno White Out 2021 Illinois game
People	Head coaches All-Americans Statistical leaders NFL draftees
Seasons	1881 1882 1883 1884 1885 1886 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
National championship seasons in bold

2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football

Conference	Big Ten Conference
Division	East Division
2020 record	4–5 (4–5 Big Ten)
Head coach	James Franklin (7th season)
Offensive coordinator	Kirk Ciarrocca (1st season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Tyler Bowen (1st season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Brent Pry (5th as DC; 7th overall season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Tim Banks (5th season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Beaver Stadium (Capacity: 106,572)
Seasons ← 2019 2021 →

2020 Big Ten Conference football standings
v t	Conf				Overall
Team		W		L		W		L
East Division
No. 2 Ohio State xy$^		5	–	0		7	–	1
No. 12 Indiana		6	–	1		6	–	2
Penn State		4	–	5		4	–	5
Maryland		2	–	3		2	–	3
Rutgers		3	–	6		3	–	6
Michigan		2	–	4		2	–	4
Michigan State		2	–	5		2	–	5
West Division
No. 10 Northwestern xy		6	–	1		7	–	2
No. 16 Iowa		6	–	2		6	–	2
Wisconsin		3	–	3		4	–	3
Minnesota		3	–	4		3	–	4
Nebraska		3	–	5		3	–	5
Purdue		2	–	4		2	–	4
Illinois		2	–	6		2	–	6
Championship: Ohio State 22, Northwestern 10
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Note: Due to COVID-19, the Big Ten suspended the season on August 11, but later decided to begin play on October 24. In addition to the title game that was played on December 19, the conference seeded all remaining teams for "championship week" games.^[1] Rankings from AP Poll.