Penn State Football – Post-game Notes vs. No. 10 Michigan State, November 29, 2014 TEAM -The Penn State and Michigan State series is tied 14-14-1. The teams met for the first time since 2010 an will next meet Nov. 28, 2015 in Spartan Stadium. The teams are meeting in the regular season finale from 2014-16. -Penn State held Michigan State to just 298 yards of total offense, which was 216.5 yards below the Spartans season average of 514.5 yards and 9.9 point below their season scoring average of 43.9 ppg. The Spartans became the 11th Penn State opponent held under its scoring and total offense averages entering the game. - Penn State’s Top 5 defense has held 11 of 12 opponents under 300 yards of total offense. Northwestern had 361 yards on Sept. 27. - For the season, Penn State’s top 5 defense held the opposition to an average of 14.4 points and 141 yards below their season averages entering the game. -The game marked the third-latest home game in Penn State football history, and the latest home matchup since 1979. The Nittany Lions hosted Pittsburgh on December 1, 1979 and Syracuse on December 7, 1968. - Penn State had 60 recruited scholarship players available to play vs. Michigan State (minus 16 true freshmen who will likely redshirt); for a total of 44 recruited scholarship players who were available to play on Saturday. PLAYERS DEFENSE - Junior DT Anthony Zettel tied his career-high with 3.0 TFL (minus-10) and made his team-high eighth sack. He also grabbed his third interception of the season, returning it seven yards, and made five tackles (four solo). -DT Anthony Zettels sack in the second quarter give him 16 for his career, moving him into a tie with Shane Conlan for 15th place at Penn State. -Zettels interception late in the second quarter was his third of the season, and ties him for the team lead this year with safety Adrian Amos. He is the first Penn State defensive lineman to have at least three interceptions since at least 1982. - Anthony Zettel has 15.0 TFL (14 solo). He is No. 4 in the Big Ten in sacks (8.0) and TFL (15.0). - Senior LB Mike Hull leads the Big Ten in overall tackles (134, 11.2 tpg) by at least 1.9 tpg over all other conference players. He also led in conference games only at 12.0 tpg. - LB Mike Hull had 13 tackles and a 1.5 TFL vs. MSU, giving him 134 stops this season and moving him into sixth place on the single-season tackle list at Penn State. He passed Andre Collins (130 tackles, 1989), Ed ONeil (126, 1072) and Brian Gelzheiser (126, 1994). Sean Lee is in fifth place (138 tackles, 2007). -Hulls 13 tackles give him 288 for his career, moving him ahead of Dennis Onkotz (287 tackles) and into sixth place at Penn State for career tackles. Brian Gelzheizer (315 tackles) is in fifth place. - Hull made 10 or more tackles for the seventh time this season. He also had three games with nine tackles. He has led the Nittany Lions in tackles in 11 games this season. -MLB Gary Wooten made his first career start, the 16th different Nittany Lion to make his first start this season (11 offense, 5 defense). - DE Deion Barnes had a TFL vs. Michigan State, giving him 11.5 TFL for the season, second on the team. Barnes is in the Top 12 in the Big in TFL and sacks. - True freshman safety Marcus Allen had 9 tackles. A starter in the last 6 games, he has risen to third on the team with 52 tackles (33 solo). - Junior CB Jordan Lucas wore No. 23 in honor of senior safety Ryan Keiser, who suffered a season-ending injury the week of the Ohio State game. - MSU RB Jeremy Langford became just the second runner to gain 100 yards this season on Penn State’s FBS No. 1 ranked rushing defense. Langford gained 118 yards on 30 carries (3.9). OFFENSE -Freshman WR DaeSean Hamilton made a game-high six catches, giving him 75 for the season. He is just the second Penn State player to have at least 70 catches in a season. All-American Allen Robinson did it twice (97 in 2013, and 77 in 2012). The top three school season receptions totals have all occurred in the past three seasons. - DaeSean Hamilton has led the Big Ten in receptions since Week 1. He has a Big Ten best 75 catches (6.2 rpg) for 848 yards. - DaeSean Hamilton is the only FBS freshman averaging more than 5.8 receptions per game. -QB Christian Hackenberg threw for 195 yards, giving him 5,561 for his career, and moving him into fifth place at Penn State. He passed Chuck Fusina (5,382 yards). Daryll Clark (5,742) is in fourth place. -Hackenberg moved into sixth place for school single season passing yardage with a Penn State sophomore record 2,606 yards. The previous sophomore mark was 2,417 yards by Zack Mills in 2002. -Hackenbergs 45 pass attempts give him 434 this season, which is the second highest season total at Penn State. Matt McGloin’s 446 attempts (2012) are first. -Hackenbergs 45 attempts give him a career total of 826, which moves him into third place past Anthony Morelli (821) and Tony Sacca (824) for third place. He trails Matt McGloin (894 attempts) for second place in the Penn State annals. -Hackenbergs 21 completions give him 467 for his career, and move him into third place for career completions at Penn State. He passed Anthony Morelli (460 completions). Matt McGloin (513) is in second place. -Hackenbergs 21 completions give him 236 for the season, moving him into second place at Penn State for a single season. He passed his own mark of 231 from last season, Daryll Clarks 232 in 2009 and Anthony Morellis 234 in 2007. Matt McGloin (270 completions, 2012) has the top mark in a single season at Penn State. -Hackenberg had 178 yards of total offense, giving him 5,399 for his career, which moves him into fifth place at Penn State in the career total offense chart. Hackenberg passed Kerry Collins (5,300 yards). Matt McGloin (5,745) is in fourth place. - Junior TE Jesse James has caught at least one pass in 17 consecutive games. - RB Bill Belton wore No. 28 in honor of fellow senior RB Zach Zwinak, who suffered a season-ending injury vs. Ohio State. SPECIAL TEAMS -Senior PK Sam Ficken leads the Big Ten in FG made per game (1.92 pg) -PK Sam Ficken made his 23rd field goal of the season (41 yards), giving him the Penn State season field goal record. He broke a tie with Matt Bahr (1978) and Kevin Kelly (2006). For the season, Ficken is 23 of 28 on field goal attempts. -Fickens missed field goal attempt in the first quarter (51 yards) was his first miss this season that was not blocked. -P Danny Pasquariello booted a career-long 63-yard punt in the fourth quarter. His previous long were two 49-yard punts against Temple and Illinois. The 63-yard punt is also the longest by Penn State this season and the longest since Alex Butterworth had a 66-yard punt last season against Michigan. -The last time that Penn State allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown on the game’s opening kickoff was to Dorien Bryant of Purdue in 2007. Bryants return was 98 yards. NEXT GAME Penn State is bowl eligible and will have an opportunity to play in its 45th bowl game all-time. Bowl selections will be announced on Sunday, Dec. 7.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Dec 2014 22:31:55 +0000
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