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{{seealso|2008 Ohio State Buckeyes football team}}
{{seealso|2008 Ohio State Buckeyes football team}}
[[ESPN]]'s [[College GameDay]] broadcasted from Columbus, Ohio.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/512368.html?nav=742|title=PSU vs. OSU countdown|date=2008-10-21|accessdate=2008-10-21|publisher=Altoona Mirror}}</ref>
For the fourth straight year, [[ESPN]]'s [[College GameDay]] crew broadcast from the site of the Penn State–Ohio State match-up.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/512368.html?nav=742|title=PSU vs. OSU countdown|date=2008-10-21|accessdate=2008-10-21|publisher=Altoona Mirror}}</ref><ref name="gameday4times">{{cite web|url=http://www.imakenews.com/footballletter/e_article001243360.cfm?x=bdBCSFS,b2VyWl7g|title=The Football Letter: Notes from the Cuff|date=2008-10-27|accessdate=2008-10-27|publisher=The Penn State Alumni Association}}</ref>


In front of an [[Ohio Stadium]]-record crowd of 105,711, the Nittany Lions got their first win at Ohio Stadium since 1978 by defeating the Buckeyes 13-6 in a game where both offenses were held below their season averages. The turning point of the game occurred early in the fourth quarter with Ohio State holding a three-point lead and facing a third-and-1. Safety [[Mark Rubin]] tackled Buckeyes quarterback [[Terrelle Pryor]] and forced a fumble recovered by linebacker [[Navorro Bowman]]. Backup quarterback [[Pat Devlin (American football)|Pat Devlin]], in for an injured [[Daryll Clark]], scored on a quarterback sneak for the only touchdown of the game. After [[Kevin Kelly (American football)|Kevin Kelly]]'s second field goal, the Buckeyes last drive was ended with an interception by cornerback [[Lydell Sargeant]] at the goal line, Pryor's second turnover of the game. The Buckeyes were limited to their lowest point total in Ohio Stadium since 1982, and the Nittany Lions were charged with zero penalties.
In front of an [[Ohio Stadium]]-record crowd of 105,711, the Nittany Lions got their first win at Ohio Stadium since 1978 by defeating the Buckeyes 13-6 in a game where both offenses were held below their season averages. The turning point of the game occurred early in the fourth quarter with Ohio State holding a three-point lead and facing a third-and-1. Safety [[Mark Rubin]] tackled Buckeyes quarterback [[Terrelle Pryor]] and forced a fumble recovered by linebacker [[Navorro Bowman]]. Backup quarterback [[Pat Devlin (American football)|Pat Devlin]], in for an injured [[Daryll Clark]], scored on a quarterback sneak for the only touchdown of the game. After [[Kevin Kelly (American football)|Kevin Kelly]]'s second field goal, the Buckeyes last drive was ended with an interception by cornerback [[Lydell Sargeant]] at the goal line, Pryor's second turnover of the game. The Buckeyes were limited to their lowest point total in Ohio Stadium since 1982, and the Nittany Lions were charged with zero penalties.

Revision as of 20:39, 27 October 2008

{{{year}}} [[{{{team}}} football]]
Ranking
BCSNo. 3
CoachesNo. 3
APNo. 3
2008 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 8 Penn State $+   7 – 1     11 – 2  
No. 9 Ohio State %+   7 – 1     10 – 3  
No. 24 Michigan State   6 – 2     9 – 4  
Northwestern   5 – 3     9 – 4  
No. 20 Iowa   5 – 3     9 – 4  
Wisconsin   3 – 5     7 – 6  
Minnesota   3 – 5     7 – 6  
Illinois   3 – 5     5 – 7  
Purdue   2 – 6     4 – 8  
Michigan   2 – 6     3 – 9  
Indiana   1 – 7     3 – 9  
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2008 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents the Pennsylvania State University in the 2008 college football season. The team is coached by Joe Paterno and plays its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

Previous season

The 2007 season began with the Nittany Lions ranked #17 in the AP and #18 in the Coaches' preseason polls, ranked as high as #10 at one point. The team dropped out of the rankings with back to back losses to Michigan and Illinois, regained a poll ranking after consecutive blowouts, then dropped out of the polls again after losing to Ohio State, but finished the season ranked #25 in the Coaches Poll with a final record of 9-4, including a victory over the Texas A&M Aggies in the 2007 Alamo Bowl.

Preseason

Prior to the end of the previous season, linebacker Sean Lee announced his plans to return for his senior season.[1] However, Lee tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during practice. He is sidelined for the whole season, but had a redshirt available. He used it and plans to come back in 2009.

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."[2]

Despite the injury, Lee was named one of the team's captains for 2008.[3] Also elected captains by their teammates were center A. Q. Shipley, receiver Derrick Williams, safety Anthony Scirrotto and defensive end Josh Gaines. All five are seniors.[4]

Suspensions

Five players were suspended prior to spring drills for their involvement in an October 7 fight at the HUB-Robeson Center during the previous season, including defensive tackle Chris Baker, linebacker Navorro Bowman, defensive back Knowledge Timmons, defensive tackle Phil Taylor, and receiver Chris Bell.[5] Tight end Andrew Quarless became the sixth player suspended after a DUI incident in March.[6] Bell was later kicked off the team after brandishing a knife at a teammate.[7]

Following spring practice, Baker, Bowman, Quarless, Timmons and Taylor were allowed to rejoin and work out with the team.[8] Baker was sentenced to two years probation.[9]

ESPN's Outside the Lines aired a story on the legal troubles of the Penn State football team on July 27, 2008.[10] The story detailed the increased number of PSU football players that have been arrested during the past few years. Among the statistics presented in the story was that 46 different players since 2002 have been charged with a combined 163 counts that have resulted in 27 players pleading guilty to 45 crimes.[11] Three days after the story aired, Paterno dismissed Baker and Taylor, apparently after another off-campus incident.[12]

Recruiting class

The Nittany Lions received 14 letters of intent on National Signing Day, February 6, 2008.

US college sports recruiting information for recruits
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date
Brandon Beachum
RB 		Youngstown, OH Cardinal Mooney HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 4.65 Jul 29, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Jack Crawford
DE 		Richland, NJ St. Augustine Prep 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 250 lb (110 kg) 4.55 Aug 26, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 68
Mike Farrell
OT 		Pittsburgh, PA Shady Side Academy Senior School 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 272 lb (123 kg) 5.45 Jan 22, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:2/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 75
D'Anton Lynn
S 		Celina, TX Celina HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 177 lb (80 kg) 4.50 Nov 10, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Pete Massaro
DE 		Newtown Square, PA Marple Newtown SHS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 4.75 Aug 20, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 77
Michael Mauti
MLB 		Mandeville, LA Mandeville HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 4.60 Jun 23, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 82
Deon'tae Pannell
OT 		Beverly Hills, MI Wylie E. Groves HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 305 lb (138 kg) 5.4 Aug 10, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
A.J. Price
WR 		Reston, VA South Lakes HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 175 lb (79 kg) 4.50 Jan 21, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Matt Stankiewitch
OG 		Schuylkill Haven, PA Blue Mountain HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 290 lb (130 kg) 5.2 Apr 14, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
James Terry
DT 		Wilmington, DE Brandywine HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 294 lb (133 kg) 5.2 Jul 28, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:2/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 74
Brandon Ware
DT 		Harrisburg, PA Harrisburg HS 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) 340 lb (150 kg) 5.44 Jan 27, 2008 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:1/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 40
Mark Wedderburn
TE 		Springfield, PA Cardinal O'Hara HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 235 lb (107 kg) 4.60 Nov 27, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Mike Yancich
WLB 		Washington, PA Trinity SHS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 219 lb (99 kg) 4.50 Jun 26, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 78
Michael Zordich
MLB 		Youngstown, OH Cardinal Mooney HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 210 lb (95 kg) 4.7 Jun 1, 2007 
Recruiting star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A    ESPN grade: 79
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 41   Rivals: 42
  • ‡ 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 2008". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  • "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Penn State". Scout.com. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  • "RecruitTracker 2008: Penn State". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved 2008-02-07.
  • "2008 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved 2008-02-07.

Spring practice

A record crowd of 73,000 fans attended the annual Blue-White scrimmage at Beaver Stadium on April 19, surpassing the previous year's record of 71,000. The Blue squad won 27–14.[13] Redshirt freshman running back Stephfon Green opened up the scoring for White, taking his first handoff 57 yards for a touchdown. Green finished the game with 87 yards on 12 carries, a 7.2 yard per carry average. Tight end Andrew Szczerba was the game's leading receiver, catching five passes for 65 yards in the first half alone, mostly over the middle.

In the quarterback competition, both Daryll Clark and Pat Devlin rotated between the first, second and third teams. Overall, Clark finished 9 of 16 for 106 yards and two scores, including a 33-yard touchdown pass to Derrick Williams. Devlin was 12 of 18 for 122 yards and a 22-yard touchdown pass to backup receiver Graham Zug.

On defense, sophomore Aaron Maybin tied for a game-high six tackles, including 3.5 sacks for the White team. Sophomore Ollie Ogbu led the Blue with six tackles and two sacks. Redshirt freshman linebacker Nate Stupar also had six tackles. Sophomore linebacker Chris Colasanti had four stops and forced and recovered a fumble.[14]

Award watchlists

Template:Multicol

Fred Biletnikoff Award watchlist[15]
Outland Trophy watchlist[16]
Draddy Trophy semifinalist[17]
Maxwell Award watchlist[18]
Lombardi Award watchlist[19]
Bronko Nagurski Trophy watchlist[20]
Chuck Bednarik Award watchlist[21][18]
Ted Hendricks Award watchlist[21]

Template:Multicol-break

Lou Groza Award watchlist[22]
Maxwell Award watchlist[18]
Lombardi Award watchlist[19]
Outland Trophy watchlist[16]
Rimington Trophy watchlist[23]
Maxwell Award watchlist[21][18]
Fred Biletnikoff Award watchlist[21][15]

Template:Multicol-end

Pre-season awards

Template:Multicol

First-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-Big Ten[24]
Third-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-Big Ten[24]
First-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-American[24]
Third-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-Big Ten[24]
Second-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-Big Ten[24]
First-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-Big Ten[24]

Template:Multicol-break

Second-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-Big Ten[24]
Second-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-Big Ten[24]
First-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-Big Ten[24]
First-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-Big Ten (kick returner)[24]
Third-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-Big Ten (cornerback)[24]
Third-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-Big Ten[24]

Template:Multicol-end

Schedule

08/30/200812:00 p.m.[25]Coastal Carolina*No. 22

BTN[25]W 66–10 106,577 09/06/20083:30 p.m.[26]Oregon State[27]*No. 19

  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA

ABC Regional
(ESPN2 in other markets)[26]W 45–14 108,159 09/13/20083:30 p.m.[28]at Syracuse*No. 17

ABC Regional[28]W 55–13 45,795 09/20/200812:00 p.m.[25]Temple[29]*No. 15

  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA

BTN[25]W 45–3 105,106 09/27/20088:00 p.m.[30]No. 21 IllinoisNo. 12

  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA

ABC Regional[31]W 38–24 109,626 10/04/200812:00 p.m.[32]at PurdueNo. 6

ESPN[33]W 20–6 57,215 10/11/20088:00 p.m.[30]at No. 24 WisconsinNo. 6

ESPN[34]W 48–7 81,524 10/18/20084:30 p.m.[30]MichigandaggerNo. 3

  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA

ESPN[35]W 46–17 110,017 10/25/20088:00 p.m.[30]at No. 10 Ohio StateNo. 3

ABC[36]W 13–6 105,711 11/08/20083:30 p.m.[37]at Iowa

ABC
(ESPN in other markets)[37]   11/15/2008Indiana

  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA

  11/22/2008Michigan State

  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA

 

Template:CFB Schedule End

Game notes

August 30: Coastal Carolina

1 2 3 4 Total
Coastal Carolina 0 7 0 3 10
Penn State 14 24 21 7 66
The Penn State defense tackles Coastal Carolina running back Arthur Sitton.

Sophomore tailback Evan Royster ran for three touchdowns and 64 yards on eight carries, and redshirt freshman Stephfon Green gained 89 yards on 10 carries including two scores to help the Nittany Lions defeat the Chanticleers of Coastal Carolina 66-10. Penn State has won seven straight season openers. After Trent Usher provided the Chanticleers' lone touchdown on a 33-yard reception to cut Penn State's lead to 14-7 early in the second quarter, Derrick Williams scored on an 89-yard kickoff return en route to a 38-7 halftime lead.

Many reserves saw action in the second half, including Chaz Powell's 55 yard touchdown run, and freshman Brandon Beachum's 1-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter for the Nittany Lions' final touchdown. Coastal Carolina kicked a field goal as time expired for the final score.

Defensively for Penn State, Tyrell Sales led the defense with seven tackles, while Aaron Maybin had two sacks. Bani Gbadyu snagged his first career interception. Twenty-eight Nittany Lions recorded at least one tackle.

The win tied Joe Paterno with Florida State's Bobby Bowden atop the career wins list among major college coaches with his 373rd win.[38]

September 6: Oregon State

1 2 3 4 Total
Oregon State 0 7 0 7 14
Penn State 14 21 10 0 45
See also: 2008 Oregon State Beavers football team

In the week leading up to the game, a campus police search turned up a small amount of marijuana in an on-campus apartment home to defensive end Maurice Evans, defensive tackle Abe Koroma, tight end Andrew Quarless and cornerback A. J. Wallace. Coach Paterno later announced that Evans, Koroma and Quarless would not play against Oregon State. Wallace was allowed to return to practice, according to Paterno, "Wallace was not part of that." In an unrelated incident, cornerback Willie Harriott was dismissed from the team.[39]

Despite the off-field distractions, the Nittany Lions rolled to a 35-7 halftime lead en route to a 45-14 win in their first ever meeting with the Beavers. Sophomore tailback Evan Royster ran for a career-high 141 yards on 17 carries and three touchdowns. Daryll Clark's 276 total yards of offense (215 yards passing, 61 yards rushing) helped Penn State total 454 yards of offense.

Linebackers Tyrell Sales and Navarro Bowman both recorded 10 tackles each, both career-highs. Linebacker Josh Hull and safety Mark Rubin both made their first career interceptions.[40] Junior defensive end Jerome Hayes, making his first career start in place of the suspended Evans, was lost for the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in his left knee. Hayes missed the latter half of the 2007 season with a torn ACL in his right knee.[41]

For his performance, Royster was named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week.[42]

September 13: Syracuse

1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 21 17 10 7 55
Syracuse 0 6 7 0 13
See also: 2008 Syracuse Orange football team

The Nittany Lions defeated their old rivals 55-13 in their first meeting since the series was last played in 1990. Each of Penn State's three quarterbacks threw touchdown passes. Daryll Clark finished 10 of 21 for 163 yards and two touchdowns, Pat Devlin was 8 of 13 for 130 yards and two touchdowns, and Paul Cianciolo was 2 of 4 for 51 yards and a score. Receivers Jordan Norwood and Deon Butler both had over 100 yards receiving and two touchdowns apiece. Kevin Kelly kicked a 52-yard field goal just before halftime, the second-longest of his career, and backup kicker Collin Wagner kicked a 43-yard field goal late in the third quarter, his first career field goal.

The Nittany Lion defense held the Orange offense without a first down until early in the second quarter.[43]

September 20: Temple

1 2 3 4 Total
Temple 0 0 3 0 3
Penn State 0 31 7 7 45

After a scoreless first quarter, the Nittany Lions scored three touchdowns in the first six minutes of the second quarter en route to a 31-0 halftime lead. The Penn State defense held the Owls to only 138 yards of total offense, including only 16 yards on the ground. In contrast, the Nittany Lions totaled 546 of offense, highlighted by Stephfon Green's 132 rushing yards including a 69-yard touchdown.[44]

Sophomore linebacker Navorro Bowman, in his first start, recorded 11 tackles, including five tackles for loss and three sacks, a forced fumble and an interception. Bowman was named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week.[45]

The win, combined with Florida State's loss to Wake Forest, gave Paterno sole possession of the career record for most wins by a Division I FBS coach.[46]

September 27: Illinois

1 2 3 4 Total
Illinois 14 0 3 7 24
Penn State 14 7 3 14 38
See also: 2008 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

The Nittany Lions defeated the Fighting Illini 38-24 in a nationally-televised, prime time, "White Out" game, earning their first win over a ranked opponent this season and their first victory over a ranked opponent in a conference opener since joining the Big Ten. Illinois jumped out to a 14-7 lead, becoming the first team to take a lead on the Nittany Lions and the first to score points against them in the first quarter this season. However, the Nittany Lions responded with two touchdowns en route to a 21-14 halftime lead. The Illini wouldn't score again until kicking a field goal on the final play of the third quarter after recovering a Stephfon Green fumble, but Derrick Williams returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown. Penn State was 4 of 4 in the red zone and was penalized only once for 10 yards.

The Illini's 24 points were the most allowed by Penn State this season as were their 189 total rushing yards.[47]

Derrick Williams is the first player under Paterno to score a rushing, receiving, and a kick return touchdown in the same game.[47][48] His career-high 241 all-purpose yards (33 rushing, 75 receiving and 133 on kick returns) are the most by a Nittany Lion since Larry Johnson gained 289 yards versus Michigan State in 2002.[49] Williams was selected the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week.[50]

October 4: Purdue

See also: 2008 Purdue Boilermakers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 0 10 7 3 20
Purdue 0 0 0 6 6

Penn State defeated the Boilermakers 20-6 in their last matchup against Purdue coach Joe Tiller, who is retiring after this season. The Nittany Lions outgained Purdue 422 to 241 in total offense.

Daryll Clark completed 18 of 26 passes for 226 yards and a ran for a touchdown—a quarterback sneak on 4th-and-goal in the second quarter for the first points of the game. Running back Evan Royster ran for 141 yards and a touchdown and also caught four balls for 53 yards.

Purdue quarterback Curtis Painter finished 13-for-22 for 112 yards but was replaced by backup Joey Elliott after throwing an interception to Nittany Lion safety Drew Astorino. Purdue kicker Chris Summers missed all three of his kick attempts—two field goal attempts and an extra point attempt. Running back Kory Sheets' fourth quarter touchdown was Purdue's first offensive touchdown against Penn State since 2005.[51]

October 11: Wisconsin

See also: 2008 Wisconsin Badgers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 3 21 17 7 48
Wisconsin 0 7 0 0 7

Daryll Clark ran for two touchdowns and threw for one to Deon Butler in Penn State's 48-7 win over the Badgers in Camp Randall Stadium, handing them their worst home loss since 1989. Derrick Williams returned a punt for a touchdown, Evan Royster and backup quarterback Pat Devlin scored touchdowns on short runs, and Kevin Kelly kicked two field goals for the Nittany Lions.[52][53] Penn State was penalized only once for 10 yards.

Clark was 16-of-25 passing for a career-high 244 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for a pair of scores for the first time in his career. He was named Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week.[54]

Defensive end Aaron Maybin, making only his fifth career start, was named Big Ten's Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Maybin recorded six tackles, a career-high 3.5 tackles-for-loss, a sack, two forced fumbles and a pass break-up. Maybin also stripped Badgers quarterback Allen Evridge late in the first half deep in Badgers territory, which was recovered by linebacker Josh Hull.[54] Lydell Sargeant intercepted two passes, his first interceptions of the season.[55]

October 18: Michigan

1 2 3 4 Total
Michigan 10 7 0 0 17
Penn State 7 7 12 20 46
See also: 2008 Michigan Wolverines football team

In the fourth-largest crowd in Beaver Stadium history, the Nittany Lions ended a nine game losing streak to the Wolverines, dating back to 1997. Michigan tallied 204 yards of offense and scored on their first three possessions to take a 17-7 lead early in the second quarter. Daryll Clark's touchdown pass to Jordan Norwood late in the first half cut Michigan's lead to 17-14. Despite trailing at halftime for the first time this season, the Nittany Lion offense would outscore the Wolverines 32-0 in the second half and the defense made key halftime adjustments to limit the Wolverines to only 87 yards the remainder of the game.

Clark finished 18 of 31 for 171 yards and a touchdown and also ran for 45 yards and two one-yard touchdowns, but lost a fumble on Penn State's second drive which led to a Wolverine field goal. Evan Royster ran for a career-high 174 yards on 18 carries for a 9.7 yard per carry average, including a 44-yard touchdown for Penn State's first points. Deon Butler had a season-high eight receptions for 105 yards, his fourth-career 100-yard game. Stephfon Green took a screen pass from Pat Devlin and outran the Wolverines defense 80 yards for the Nittany Lions' final score.

Linebacker Navorro Bowman led the defense with 11 tackles. Defensive tackle Jared Odrick made a career-high six stops, with 2.5 tackles for loss, but his biggest play occurred with 4:39 remaining in the third quarter when he sacked Michigan quarterback Nick Sheridan, who was playing in place of the injured Steven Threet, in the end zone for a safety and Penn State's first lead of the game, 19-17. Aaron Maybin finished with four tackles, including a sack of Threet that forced a fumble, which was recovered by Abe Koroma and led to a Penn State touchdown.[56]

Kicker Kevin Kelly made three field goals and five extra points to become the Big Ten's career leader in kicking points (376 career points) and was named the Big Ten's Special Teams Player of the Week.[57] Odrick's sack for a safety was named the Pontiac Game Changing Performance of the week.[58]

October 25: Ohio State

1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 0 3 0 10 13
Ohio State 0 3 3 0 6
See also: 2008 Ohio State Buckeyes football team

For the fourth straight year, ESPN's College GameDay crew broadcast from the site of the Penn State–Ohio State match-up.[59][60]

In front of an Ohio Stadium-record crowd of 105,711, the Nittany Lions got their first win at Ohio Stadium since 1978 by defeating the Buckeyes 13-6 in a game where both offenses were held below their season averages. The turning point of the game occurred early in the fourth quarter with Ohio State holding a three-point lead and facing a third-and-1. Safety Mark Rubin tackled Buckeyes quarterback Terrelle Pryor and forced a fumble recovered by linebacker Navorro Bowman. Backup quarterback Pat Devlin, in for an injured Daryll Clark, scored on a quarterback sneak for the only touchdown of the game. After Kevin Kelly's second field goal, the Buckeyes last drive was ended with an interception by cornerback Lydell Sargeant at the goal line, Pryor's second turnover of the game. The Buckeyes were limited to their lowest point total in Ohio Stadium since 1982, and the Nittany Lions were charged with zero penalties.

Clark completed 12 of 20 passes for 121 yards before leaving. Devlin only attempted one pass, which drew a pass interference flag. Evan Royster had 77 yards on 19 carries. The Nittany Lions defense held the Buckeyes running game in check, holding Pryor to six yards on nine attempts, and Chris "Beanie" Wells to 55 yards on 22 carries. Rubin led the defense with a career-high 11 tackles and the forced fumble, and Bowman had 10 tackles and the fumble recovery.[61][62]

Rubin was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation Defensive Player of the Week[63] and the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Week.[64]

November 8: Iowa

1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 0
Iowa 0
See also: 2008 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

November 15: Indiana

See also: 2008 Indiana Hoosiers football team
1 2 3 4 Total
Indiana 0
Penn State 0

November 22: Michigan State

1 2 3 4 Total
Michigan State 0
Penn State 0
See also: 2008 Michigan State Spartans football team and Land Grant Trophy

Rankings

See also: 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking Movement
Poll Pre Wk 1 Wk 2 Wk 3 Wk 4 Wk 5 Wk 6 Wk 7 Wk 8 Wk 9 Wk 10 Wk 11 Wk 12 Wk 13 Wk 14 Final
AP 22 19 17 16 12 6 6 3 3 3
Coaches 22 19 17 15 12 6 6 3 3 3
Harris Not released 6 6 3 3 3 Not released
BCS Not released 3 3

Awards

Template:Multicol

Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Sep. 20)[45]
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (Oct. 11)[54]
Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (Oct. 18)[57]
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 11)[54]
Mid-season All-American (Sports Illustrated, College Football News, CBS Sports)[65]
ESPN/Pontiac Game Changing Performance (Oct. 18)[58]

Template:Multicol-break

Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (Sep. 6)[42]
Walter Camp Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 25)[63]
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 25)[64]
Mid-season All-American (Sports Illustrated, College Football News)[65]
Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (Sep. 27)[50]
Mid-season All-American (Sports Illustrated, College Football News, CBS Sports)[65]

Template:Multicol-end

See also

References

  1. ^ Musselman, Ron (2007-11-05). "PSU Football: Lee says NFL can wait for now". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-01-15.
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  46. ^ Harrington, Mark (2008-09-20). "JoePa is Back On Top". Fight On State. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
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  54. ^ a b c d "Penn State Earns Offensive and Defensive Laurels in Football". Big Ten Conference. 2008-10-13. Retrieved 2008-10-14.
  55. ^ Wible, Andrew (2008-10-14). "Lions use 2005 for motivation". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved 2008-10-14. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  56. ^ "Nittany Lions Go to 8-0 With 46-17 Thumping of Michigan". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. 2008-10-18. Retrieved 2008-10-19.
  57. ^ a b "Iowa Sweeps Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week in Football". Big Ten Conference. 2008-10-20. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  58. ^ a b "Odrick sack is landslide winner of Pontiac Game Changing Performance". The Pennsylvania State University. 2008-10-24. Retrieved 2008-10-24.
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  60. ^ "The Football Letter: Notes from the Cuff". The Penn State Alumni Association. 2008-10-27. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
  61. ^ Musselman, Ron (2008-10-26). "PSU Football: Ends jinx in Columbus with 13-6 win". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2008-10-26. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  62. ^ "No. 3 Nittany Lions Top No. 10 Buckeyes, 13-6". 2008-10-25. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
  63. ^ a b "Rubin Earns Walter Camp Defensive Honors; Fumble Hit Up For Pontiac Game Changing Performance". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. 2008-10-26. Retrieved 2008-10-26.
  64. ^ a b "Michigan State, Penn State and Wisconsin Earn Football Weekly Laurels". Big Ten Conference. 2008-10-27. Retrieved 2008-10-27.
  65. ^ a b c "Trio of Nittany Lions honored on mid-season All-America teams". The Pennsylvania State University. 2008-10-17. Retrieved 2008-10-18.
Preceded by Penn State Nittany Lions football team
2008 season 		Succeeded by
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