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2002 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

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2002 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Capital One Bowl, L 9–13 vs. Auburn
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
Ranking
CoachesNo. 15
APNo. 16
Record9–4 (5–3 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorFran Ganter (19th season)
Offensive schemePro-style
Defensive coordinatorTom Bradley (3rd season)
Base defense4–3
Home stadiumBeaver Stadium
Seasons
← 2001
2003 →
2002 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
No. 1 Ohio State $#+   8 – 0     14 – 0  
No. 8 Iowa %+   8 – 0     11 – 2  
No. 9 Michigan   6 – 2     10 – 3  
No. 16 Penn State   5 – 3     9 – 4  
Purdue   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Illinois   4 – 4     5 – 7  
Minnesota   3 – 5     8 – 5  
Wisconsin   2 – 6     8 – 6  
Michigan State   2 – 6     4 – 8  
Northwestern   1 – 7     3 – 9  
Indiana   1 – 7     3 – 9  
  • # – BCS National Champion
  • $ – BCS representative as conference champion
  • % – BCS at-large representative
  • + – Conference co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll[1]

The 2002 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season.[2] The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

Preseason

[edit]

The Nittany Lions returned 16 starters from the previous season, who won five of its final seven games. Six starters returned on defense, led by defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy, who returned for his fifth year despite speculations he would enter the NFL Draft.[3]

The offensive unit averted a possible quarterback controversy when last year's starter Matt Senneca announced that he would not be returning for his final year of eligibility.[4] Redshirt sophomore Zack Mills would lead the offense, with expectations high after showing flashes of brilliance coming off the bench in 2001. Larry Johnson would also become the featured back, after spending three seasons playing in a tailback-by-committee that had inconsistent production. Johnson will have the luxury of running behind an offensive line that returned all five starters.

Penn State was ranked number 24 in both the AP and Coaches college football preseason polls.

Recruiting class

[edit]
College recruiting information
Name Hometown High school / college Height Weight 40‡ Commit date
Jay Alford
DT 		Orange, NJ Orange HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 270 lb (120 kg) 4.80 NA 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Chris Auletta
OL 		Melville, NY St. Anthony's HS 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 300 lb (140 kg) 5.30 NA 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Brian Borgoyn
OL 		Pittsburgh, PA Woodland Hills SHS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 290 lb (130 kg) NA NA 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Levi Brown
DT 		Norfolk, VA Granby HS 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 290 lb (130 kg) 5.00 Dec 19, 2001 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Mark Farris
OL 		Pittsburgh, PA North Hills SHS 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 285 lb (129 kg) 5.00 Jan 23, 2002 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Vince Gliatta
DB 		Canton, OH Canton Central Catholic HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 4.50 NA 
Star ratings: Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Tamba Hali
DE 		Teaneck, NJ Teaneck HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 240 lb (110 kg) 4.70 Jan 27, 2002 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Patrick Hall
RB 		Canton, GA Sequoyah HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 230 lb (100 kg) NA Jan 13, 2002 
Star ratings: Scout:1/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Josh Hannum
WR 		Wallingford, PA Strath Haven HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 170 lb (77 kg) 4.20 NA 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Maurice Humphrey
CB 		Berlin, CT Berlin HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 4.40 Nov 26, 2001 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Donnie Johnson
RB 		Cincinnati, OH North College Hill HS 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) 195 lb (88 kg) 4.40 Dec 21, 2001 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Ed Johnson
DE 		Detroit, MI Crockett Vocational Tech 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 255 lb (116 kg) 4.70 NA 
Star ratings: Scout:1/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Jim Kanuch
S 		Johnstown, PA Westmont Hilltop HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 190 lb (86 kg) 4.43 NA 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Jeremy Kapinos
P 		Springfield, VA West Springfield HS 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 4.90 Dec 11, 2001 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Lee Lispi
OL 		Pittston, PA Pittston Area SHS 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 295 lb (134 kg) 5.10 NA 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Calvin Lowry
CB 		Fayetteville, NC Douglas Byrd HS 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) 185 lb (84 kg) 4.40 NA 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Robert Price
OL 		Shaker Heights, OH Shaker Heights HS 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 295 lb (134 kg) 5.20 NA 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Steve Roach
OL 		Martinsburg, WV Martinsburg Senior HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 305 lb (138 kg) 5.20 NA 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:2/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Tim Shaw
RB 		Livonia, MI Clarenceville HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 217 lb (98 kg) 4.44 Jan 28, 2002 
Star ratings: Scout:2/5 stars   Rivals:3/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
BranDon Snow
LB 		Newark, DE Newark HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 225 lb (102 kg) 4.47 Feb 6, 2002 
Star ratings: Scout:4/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Chris Wilson
RB 		Baltimore, MD Catonsville HS 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) 245 lb (111 kg) 4.60 NA 
Star ratings: Scout:1/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
J.R. Zwierzynski
RB 		Joliet, IL Joliet Catholic Academy 6 ft 2.5 in (1.89 m) 220 lb (100 kg) 4.50 Jan 18, 2002 
Star ratings: Scout:3/5 stars   Rivals:4/5 stars   247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 16   Rivals: 21
  • ‡ 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 2002". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 9, 2007.
  • "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Penn State". Scout.com. Retrieved February 9, 2007.
  • "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 9, 2007.
  • "2002 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 9, 2007.

Pre-season awards

[edit]
Playboy pre-season All-American[5]
Second-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-American[6]
Second-team Lindy's pre-season All-American[6]
Lindy's pre-season Big Ten Most Valuable Player[6]

Schedule

[edit]
DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
August 3112:00 p.m.[7]UCF*No. 24
ESPN[7]W 27–24103,029
September 148:00 p.m.[8]No. 8 Nebraska*
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ABC[8]W 40–7110,753
September 2112:00 p.m.[9]Louisiana Tech*No. 15
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ESPN Plus[9]W 49–17103,987
September 2812:00 p.m.[10]IowaNo. 12
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ESPN[10]L 35–42 OT108,247
October 53:30 p.m.[11]at No. 19 WisconsinNo. 20
ABC[11]W 34–3179,403
October 123:30 p.m.[12]at No. 13 MichiganNo. 15
ABC[12]L 24–27 OT111,502
October 1912:00 p.m.[13]NorthwesterndaggerNo. 20
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ESPN2[14]W 49–0108,853
October 263:30 p.m.[15]at No. 4 Ohio StateNo. 18
ABC[15]L 7–13105,103
November 23:30 p.m.[16]IllinoisNo. 20
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ESPN[16]W 18–7105,589
November 93:30 p.m.[17]Virginia*No. 19
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ABC[17]W 35–14108,698
November 163:30 p.m.[18]at IndianaNo. 16
ESPN2[19]W 58–2527,454
November 233:30 p.m.[19]Michigan StateNo. 15
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
ABC[19]W 61–7108,755
January 1, 20031:00 p.m.vs. No. 19 Auburn*No. 10
ABC[20]L 9–1366,334
  • *Non-conference game
  • daggerHomecoming
  • Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
  • All times are in Eastern time

Roster

[edit]
2002 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster
Players Coaches
Offense
Pos. # Name Class
WR 2 Josh Hannum Fr
QB 3 Chris Ganter  Fr
RB 5 Larry Johnson  Sr
WR 6 Donnie Johnson Fr
QB 7 Zack Mills So
WR 9 Terrance Phillips  Fr
WR 11 Tony Johnson Jr
QB 12 Michael Robinson Fr
WR 13 Kinta Palmer  Fr
RB 13 Reginald Walker So
QB 14 Andy Kubic Fr
WR 15 Kevin Darling Fr
QB 16 Dan Corrado Fr
QB 17 Greg Hennigar Fr
QB 19 Tom Lundquist  Fr
WR 19 Gerald Smith  So
RB 20 Tim Shaw Fr
WR 22 Pete Gilmore  So
RB 23 Aric Heffelfinger Fr
WR 24 Bryant Johnson Sr
RB 26 Mike Gasparato  So
RB 30 BranDon Snow Fr
WR 31 Ernie Terrell  Fr
RB 32 Chris Wilson Fr
TE 33 Mike Lukac  Jr
FB 36 Brian Fairchild  Fr
FB 39 Paul Jefferson  Jr
FB 42 Sean McHugh  Jr
RB 44 Ricky Upton  Jr
FB 45 Adam Senk  Fr
WR 46 Zachery Moran Fr
G 50 Tyler Lenda Sr
OL 52 Blase Iorio Fr
G 54 Scott Davis  So
OL 56 Tommy McHugh Fr
OL 59 Eric Rickenbach Sr
C 60 Robert Price Fr
C 61 David Costlow  Jr
OL 62 Nick Daise Fr
C 63 Joe Iorio Sr
OT 64 Matt Schmitt Sr
OL 66 Lance Antolick  Fr
G 67 Jonathan Nabavi  Jr
OT 68 John Wilson  Fr
C 70 Nick Marmo  So
G 71 Mark Farris Fr
OT 72 Gus Felder Sr
G 74 Tyler Reed  Fr
OT 75 Chris McKelvy Jr
OT 76 Damone Jones Jr
G 77 E.Z. Smith Fr
OL 78 Brian Borgoyn Fr
OL 79 Shawn Campbell Sr
WR 80 Scott Shirley  Jr
WR 81 Jason Stryker  So
WR 82 Vic Surma Fr
WR 83 Ryan Scott  So
WR 84 Steve Delich  Sr
TE 85 Isaac Smolko  Fr
TE 88 Matt Kranchick  Jr
TE 89 Andrew Richardson  Fr
TE 91 Mike Pawlikowski  So
TE 93 Casey Williams  Jr
Defense
Pos. # Name Class
CB 1 Anwar Phillips  Fr
LB 2 Deryck Toles Jr
S 8 Jesse Neumeyer Fr
DB 9 Jim Kanuch Fr
DB 10 Calvin Lowry  Fr
S 15 Yaacov Yisrael Jr
LB 16 Andy Ryland Jr
DE 17 Lavon Chisley  Fr
S 18 Andrew Guman  So
DB 20 Marcus Mills  Fr
CB 21 Alan Zemaitis Fr
DB 22 Maurice Humphrey Fr
S 23 Shawn Mayer Sr
CB 25 Rich Gardner Jr
DB 26 Nolan McCready Fr
S 27 Chris Harrell So
CB 28 James Millon Sr
S 29 Paul Cronin  Fr
LB 29 Ryan Pinckney Sr
CB 30 Eric Dare Jr
CB 32 Bryan Scott Sr
DB 34 Gio Vendemia  Fr
DB 35 John Royse  Fr
LB 35 J.R. Zwierzynski Fr
LB 37 LaMar Stewart So
LB 38 Jimi Mitchell So
LB 40 T.C. Cosby So
LB 41 Scott Paxson  Fr
DB 43 Adam Taliaferro Jr
LB 44 Patrick Hall Fr
LB 45 Pat Bedics Fr
DB 46 Curt Reese  So
LB 47 Gino Capone Jr
DB 48 Ben Lego  Jr
LB 48 Zack Pierce Fr
LB 51 Tim Johnson  So
DL 53 Steve Roach Fr
DE 55 Matthew Rice  Fr
DT 57 Charles Rush  Fr
LB 58 Dethrell Garcia Fr
DT 60 Tyler Valoczki Sr
DT 62 Randy Buck Sr
LB 65 Sam Ruhe Jr
DT 69 Jason Robinson  So
DT 73 Jimmy Kennedy Sr
DE 81 Michael Haynes Sr
DE 86 Jeremiah Davis So
DE 87 John Bronson  So
DT 90 Levi Brown Fr
DT 91 Tamba Hali  Fr
DL 92 Ed Johnson Fr
LB 94 Derek Wake  So
DL 95 Mike Sothern Fr
DL 96 Jay Alford Fr
DE 97 Greg Bauer Fr
DT 98 Anthony Adams Sr
DT 99 Tim Falls Sr
Special teams
Pos. # Name Class
K 4 Robbie Gould  So
P 14 David Royer Sr
K 25 Matt Huet So
P 36 Jeremy Kapinos Fr
K 95 David Kimball Jr
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • Injured Injured
  • Redshirt Redshirt

Roster
Last update: October 12, 2002

Game summaries

[edit]

UCF

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
UCF 3 6 0 15 24
Penn State 10 0 10 7 27

After a sloppy first half, Penn State scored 17 unanswered points in the second half and then withstood a late charge to hold off the Golden Knights for a 27–24 win. Zack Mills was 13 of 20 for 194 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. On defense, Anthony Adams recovered a fumbled snap to set up a field goal, and Derek Wake blocked a field goal attempt. Trailing 27–9 in the fourth quarter, UCF got within three points with 24 seconds remaining but failed to recover the onside kick, and Penn State ran out the clock.[21]

Nebraska

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Nebraska 0 7 0 0 7
Penn State 0 13 20 7 40

In front of a crowd of 110,753, a new Beaver Stadium attendance record that stood intact for 15 years, (110,823 VS Michigan 2017) Penn State routed the Cornhuskers 40–7, as Larry Johnson and backup quarterback Michael Robinson each had two touchdown runs. Cornerback Rich Gardner had his first career interception and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. It was Penn State's first victory over a top 10 team since 1999.[22]

Louisiana Tech

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Louisiana Tech 10 0 7 0 17
Penn State 14 7 28 0 49

Penn State beat the Bulldogs 49–17, despite Tech's quarterback Luke McCown throwing for more than 400 yards but also threw three interceptions and had a fumble lost. Larry Johnson ran for 147 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns and also had a touchdown reception. Michael Robinson also had three rushing touchdowns.[23]

Iowa

[edit]
1 2 3 4OT Total
Iowa 17 9 9 07 42
Penn State 0 7 6 220 35
See also: 2002 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

After trailing the Hawkeyes by 22 points in the fourth quarter, Zack Mills threw for three touchdowns in the final 7:13 to tie the game 35–35 and force overtime, but the Nittany Lions were unable to score in overtime and lost 42–35. For the game, Mills completed 23 of 44 passes for a school record 399 yards and four touchdowns. The team finished with only 54 yards rushing, and Michael Robinson, who had five touchdowns in twelve carries in the past two games, was held to minus-2 yards on four carries.[24]

But the play that was most shown repeatedly on sports highlights shows throughout the rest of the season happened after the game. Following a couple questionable calls by the line judge in overtime, Joe Paterno sprinted down the field to catch up with referee Dick Honig as he approached the tunnel and grabbed Honig by the back of the shirt to voice his displeasure with the way the game ended. Paterno was angered that Penn State wide receiver Tony Johnson caught a pass with both feet in bounds according to the stadium's video replay board, but the play was ruled an incompletion.[25]

Wisconsin

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 10 11 7 6 34
Wisconsin 0 14 6 11 31

Penn State scored on four of its first five possessions as the Lions beat the Badgers 34–31. Penn State scored on touchdowns from Zack Mills, Larry Johnson, and Sean McHugh and got four Robbie Gould field goals. Defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy and defensive end Michael Haynes each had three sacks, as the Lions sacked Wisconsin quarterback Brooks Bollinger seven times. Wisconsin scored to close it to three points with 1:17 remaining, but Bryan Scott covered up the onside kick to seal the game.[26]

Michigan

[edit]
1 2 3 4OT Total
Penn State 7 0 6 83 24
Michigan 0 7 0 146 27

The Wolverines beat Penn State 27–24 in overtime. A slow first half gave way to a shootout in the second half. The game was tied 7–7 at halftime, and the teams combined for only 240 yards. Penn State led 13–7 late in the third quarter and looked to seize control of the game after forcing a Michigan punt at their own 20, but a roughing the punter penalty kept the drive alive, and Michigan found the end zone eight plays later. Zack Mills finished the day 19 of 31 for 264 yards and two touchdowns.[27]

Joe Paterno expressed his displeasure with the officials for the second time this season as he yelled at referee David Witvoet after regulation. There were a number of odd and questionable actions by the officials during the game, as pointed out by the TV commentators, including the roughing the punter penalty and the referee refusing to ask for measurements when it appeared Michigan had been stopped short of first down. Each time he glanced at the sideline and signaled first down. It was most noticeable in the third quarter when he signaled first down even as Michigan was lining up in short-yardage formation, thinking it was third-and-1.

But Paterno and the coaching staff were most livid about a blown call with 40 seconds remaining in regulation and the score tied at 21–21. Receiver Tony Johnson had just made a leaping catch of a Mills pass at the Michigan 22. The side judge ruled Johnson out of bounds despite replays showing he had both feet at least a yard inbounds. Numerous replays on TV showed the large divot in the field where Johnson's feet had landed. Instead of a field goal opportunity to win the game in regulation, the game was forced into overtime.

Northwestern

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Northwestern 0 0 0 0 0
Penn State 7 28 7 7 49

Larry Johnson set Penn State's single-game rushing record as the Nittany Lions shut out the Wildcats 49–0. Johnson rushed for 257 yards on 23 carries and scored twice before sitting out the final 28 minutes. In all, twelve Penn State players carried the ball for a total of 423 yards. The defense recorded its first shutout since the 1999 Alamo Bowl, holding the Wildcats to 9 yards rushing and 202 total yards.[28]

Ohio State

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 7 0 0 0 7
Ohio State 0 3 10 0 13

The Buckeyes defense held Zack Mills to only 98 yards passing and intercepted three passes, including one by Chris Gamble returned for a touchdown, to beat the Nittany Lions 13–7. Penn State was held to only 179 yards of offense and eight first downs, fewest under Joe Paterno.[29] Despite this, Penn State led 7–3 at halftime and very nearly won the game at the end.

Illinois

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Illinois 0 0 0 7 7
Penn State 9 9 0 0 18

Larry Johnson set the school record for rushing yards in a game, beating his own record from two weeks prior, as the Nittany Lions beat the Fighting Illini 18–7. Johnson rushed for 279 yards on 31 carries, including an 84-yard touchdown run. The Penn State defense went 11-plus quarters without allowing a touchdown before Illinois scored with 5:22 remaining.[30]

Virginia

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Virginia 7 0 0 7 14
Penn State 7 3 10 15 35

The defense held the Cavaliers to only 30 yards rushing as Penn State won 35–14. Zack Mills was 19 of 30 for 227 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions had 289 yards on the ground, including 118 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown by Larry Johnson. Backup quarterback and holder Chris Ganter also scored on a 30-yard run off of a fake field goal.[31]

Indiana

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Penn State 14 14 10 20 58
Indiana 12 6 0 7 25

Larry Johnson broke two school records as Penn State beat the Hoosiers 58–25. For the third time in five weeks, Johnson set the school's single-game rushing record with 327 yards on 28 carries. Johnson also broke Penn State's single-season rushing record with a total of 1,736 yards with two games left to play.[32]

Michigan State

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Michigan State 0 0 7 0 7
Penn State 14 34 7 6 61
See also: Land Grant Trophy

Larry Johnson became the ninth player in NCAA history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season[33] as Penn State blew out the Spartans 61–7. Johnson finished the day with 279 yards and four touchdowns, all in the first half. Bryant Johnson also scored on an 81-yard punt return and a 41-yard touchdown reception. Penn State had 400 yards of offense at halftime and finished with 536 total yards, including 422 yards rushing.[34]

2003 Capital One Bowl – Auburn

[edit]
1 2 3 4 Total
Auburn 0 0 7 6 13
Penn State 3 3 0 3 9
See also: 2002 Auburn Tigers football team

The Auburn Tigers rushed for 200 yards, controlled the clock, and outscored the Lions 13–3 in the second half to upset the Nittany Lions 13–9 in the Capital One Bowl. Larry Johnson finished with only 72 yards on 20 carries. Zack Mills was also ineffective, going 8 of 24 for 67 yards and an interception. He was pulled for a couple drives in the third quarter, and backup quarterback Michael Robinson led to the Lions for a field goal to go up 9–7.[35]

Rankings

[edit]
See also: 2002 NCAA Division I-A football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked
Week
PollPre12345678910111213141516Final
AP2424——1512201520182019161511101016
Coaches242325251512211721172119161612101015
BCSNot released———1515141312Not released

Awards

[edit]

Watchlists

[edit]

Players

[edit]

Post season

[edit]

Penn State finished the season ranked #16 in the final AP college football poll and #15 in the final Coaches college football poll, earning Penn State its 25th Top 15 finish under Joe Paterno.[72]

Tailback Larry Johnson would finish the season as the first Nittany Lion to lead the nation in rushing and all-purpose yardage. Johnson become the ninth player in Division I-A history to gain 2,000 yards rushing in the regular season, finishing third in Heisman Trophy balloting.[73]

Penn State claimed second place in football attendance for the second consecutive season, averaging 107,239 through eight home games, ranking in the top four for the 12th consecutive year. The Nittany Lions also broke the NCAA record for total season attendance with 1,247,707 during the 13-game schedule, including a Beaver Stadium record of 110,753 for the Nebraska game.[74]

NFL draft

[edit]

A school record six seniors would be drafted in the first two rounds of the 2003 NFL draft, including another school record four players in the first round.[75]

Round Pick Overall Name Position Team
1st 12 12 Jimmy Kennedy Defensive tackle St. Louis Rams
1st 14 14 Michael Haynes Defensive end Chicago Bears
1st 17 17 Bryant Johnson Wide receiver Arizona Cardinals
1st 27 27 Larry Johnson Running back Kansas City Chiefs
2nd 23 55 Bryan Scott Free safety Atlanta Falcons
2nd 25 57 Anthony Adams Defensive tackle San Francisco 49ers

All-star games

[edit]
Game Date Site Players
57th Hula Bowl February 1, 2003 War Memorial Stadium, Wailuku, Hawaii Gus Felder, Joe Iorio, Shawn Mayer
54th Senior Bowl January 18, 2003 Ladd–Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama Anthony Adams, Michael Haynes, Bryant Johnson, Larry Johnson, Bryan Scott

Instant replay

[edit]

A few other conference coaches had lobbied for instant replay before, but they had fallen on deaf ears until Joe Paterno, who had been against instant replay citing the length of games as a factor, changed his opinion after a number of questionable officiating calls in the Iowa and Michigan games. Paterno and Penn State athletic director Tim Curley called for a comprehensive review of Big Ten officiating. At the news conference after the Michigan game, Paterno went further and said that the conference should change the way that officials are assigned, referring to the assignment of the officiating crew that worked the Michigan game, three of whom live in the state of Michigan.[76]

After the Big Ten concluded its comprehensive review of its officiating, the conference implemented a pilot program during the 2003 season to evaluate the use of instant replay. The pilot was used to gather data and did not interfere with games or overturn any missed calls.[77]

For the 2004 season, the Big Ten introduced college football's first instant replay system. A technical advisor in the press box with access to the television feeds will be able to stop a game for a replay review and potentially overturn a play, with no limit on the number of plays that can be reviewed.[78]

Notes

[edit]
  • Penn State set a new single season attendance record of 857,911 fans.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "2002 NCAA Football Rankings - AP Top 25 Postseason (Jan. 5)". ESPN. Retrieved November 29, 2010.
  2. ^ "Penn State Yearly Results (2000-2004)". College Football Data Warehouse. David DeLassus. Archived from the original on August 5, 2015. Retrieved July 26, 2015.
  3. ^ "Kennedy To Return For Senior Season". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. January 10, 2002. Retrieved January 23, 2007.
  4. ^ "Matt Senneca Not Returning for Senior Season". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. January 16, 2002. Retrieved January 23, 2007.[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ "Kennedy Named To Playboy All-America Team". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. April 24, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  6. ^ a b c d "Kennedy Named to Lindy's & Athlon Pre-Season All-America Teams". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. June 18, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  7. ^ a b "Nittany Lions' Season Opener with UCF To Be Televised by ESPN". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. May 21, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  8. ^ a b "Nittany Lion Football Team To Battle Nebraska in Primetime Clash in Beaver Stadium". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. April 8, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ a b "Nittany Lions' Clash With Louisiana Tech To Be Televised by ESPN Regional". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. June 13, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  10. ^ a b "Penn State-Iowa Football Game Selected As ESPN Telecast". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. September 16, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  11. ^ a b "Penn State-Wisconsin Clash Selected As ABC Telecast". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. September 23, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  12. ^ a b "Penn State-Michigan Clash Selected As ABC Telecast". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. September 30, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
  13. ^ "Penn State-Northwestern Homecoming Football Game Set For 12:10 p.m. Kickoff". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. June 19, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  14. ^ "Penn State-Northwestern Homecoming Clash To Air on ESPN2". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. October 7, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
  15. ^ a b "Penn State-Ohio State Clash To Air on ABC". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. October 13, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2008.[permanent dead link‍]
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  20. ^ "Penn State To Tangle With Auburn In Capital One Bowl on January 1". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. December 8, 2002. Retrieved October 28, 2008.
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  39. ^ "Tailback Larry Johnson Named A Doak Walker Award Candidate". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. August 21, 2002. Retrieved January 23, 2007.
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  44. ^ "Kennedy Named To Watch List For Bronko Nagurski Trophy". Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. April 11, 2002. Retrieved January 23, 2007.
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