# 2023 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

The 2023 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The team was led by James Franklin in his tenth year as Penn State's head coach. The Penn State Nittany Lions football team drew an average home attendance of 108,409 in 2023, the second highest in college football.

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 7:30 p.m. | West Virginia* | No. 7 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry) | NBC | W 38–15 | 110,747 |
| September 9 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 19 (FCS) Delaware* | No. 7 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | Peacock | W 63–7 | 108,575 |
| September 16 | 12:00 p.m. | at Illinois | No. 7 | Memorial StadiumChampaign, IL | FOX | W 30–13 | 49,099 |
| September 23 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 24 Iowa | No. 7 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (White Out) | CBS | W 31–0 | 110,830 |
| September 30 | 12:00 p.m. | at Northwestern | No. 6 | Ryan FieldEvanston, IL | BTN | W 41–13 | 25,064 |
| October 14 | 3:30 p.m. | UMass* | No. 6 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | BTN | W 63–0 | 105,533 |
| October 21 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 3 Ohio State | No. 7 | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH (College GameDay, Big Noon Kickoff, rivalry) | FOX | L 12–20 | 105,506 |
| October 28 | 12:00 p.m. | Indiana | No. 10 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | CBS | W 33–24 | 107,209 |
| November 4 | 3:30 p.m. | at Maryland | No. 11 | SECU StadiumCollege Park, MD (rivalry) | FOX | W 51–15 | 51,802 |
| November 11 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 3 Michigan | No. 10 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry) | FOX | L 15–24 | 110,856 |
| November 18 | 12:00 p.m. | Rutgers | No. 12 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | FS1 | W 27–6 | 105,114 |
| November 24 | 7:30 p.m. | vs. Michigan State | No. 11 | Ford FieldDetroit, MI (Land Grant Trophy) | NBC | W 42–0 | 51,927 |
| December 30 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. No. 11 Ole Miss | No. 10 | Mercedes-Benz StadiumAtlanta, GA (Peach Bowl) | ESPN | L 25–38 | 71,230 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after October 31) - Released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### West Virginia

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| West Virginia | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 15 |
| No. 7 Penn State | 7 | 7 | 7 | 17 | 38 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: September 2
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), mostly sunny
* Game attendance: 110,747
* Referee: Mark Kluczynski
* TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, and Kathryn Tappen
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | WVU | PSU |
| First downs | 17 | 27 |
| Plays–yards | 67–308 | 65–478 |
| Rushes–yards | 40–146 | 35–146 |
| Passing yards | 162 | 332 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 16–27–0 | 22–30–0 |
| Time of possession | 31:16 | 28:44 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| West Virginia | Passing | Garrett Greene | 16/27, 162 yards |
| West Virginia | Rushing | CJ Donaldson Jr. | 18 carries, 81 yards, TD |
| West Virginia | Receiving | Devin Carter | 6 receptions, 90 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 21/29, 325 yards, 3 TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Nicholas Singleton | 13 carries, 70 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | KeAndre Lambert-Smith | 4 receptions, 123 yards, 2 TD |

### No. 19 Delaware (FCS)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 19 Delaware (FCS) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 7 Penn State | 14 | 21 | 21 | 7 | 63 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C); cloudy
* Game attendance: 108,575
* Referee: Bryan Banks
* TV announcers (Peacock): Brendan Burke, Michael Robinson, and Zora Stephenson
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | UD | PSU |
| First downs | 5 | 34 |
| Plays–yards | 41–140 | 91–541 |
| Rushes–yards | 24–82 | 60–315 |
| Passing yards | 58 | 226 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 6–17–1 | 25–31–0 |
| Time of possession | 17:38 | 42:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Delaware | Passing | Zach Marker | 3/7, 37 yards, INT |
| Delaware | Rushing | Marcus Yarns | 6 carries, 86 yards, TD |
| Delaware | Receiving | Jojo Bermudez | 2 receptions, 32 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 22/26, 204 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 19 carries, 103 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | KeAndre Lambert-Smith | 6 receptions, 74 yards |

### At Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 7 Penn State | 6 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 30 |
| Illinois | 0 | 7 | 0 | 6 | 13 |
at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C); mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 49,099
* Referee: Jerry McGinn
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | PSU | UI |
| First downs | 20 | 20 |
| Plays–yards | 77–383 | 73–354 |
| Rushes–yards | 40–164 | 29–62 |
| Passing yards | 219 | 292 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 17–37–0 | 25–44–4 |
| Time of possession | 31:52 | 28:08 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 16/33, 208 yards |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 13 carries, 54 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | Nicholas Singleton | 3 receptions, 49 yards |
| Illinois | Passing | Luke Altmyer | 15/28, 163 yards, 4 INT |
| Illinois | Rushing | Reggie Love III | 12 carries, 55 yards, TD |
| Illinois | Receiving | Isaiah Williams | 5 receptions, 63 yards |

### No. 24 Iowa

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 24 Iowa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 7 Penn State | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); rain
* Game attendance: 110,830
* Referee: Chris Coyle
* TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, and Jenny Dell
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | UI | PSU |
| First downs | 4 | 28 |
| Plays–yards | 33–76 | 97–397 |
| Rushes–yards | 17–20 | 57–215 |
| Passing yards | 56 | 182 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 6–16–0 | 26–40–0 |
| Time of possession | 14:33 | 45:27 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Iowa | Passing | Cade McNamara | 5/14, 42 yards |
| Iowa | Rushing | Kamari Moulton | 6 carries, 18 yards |
| Iowa | Receiving | Erick All | 3 receptions, 35 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 25/37, 166 yards, 4 TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 21 carries, 72 yards |
| Penn State | Receiving | KeAndre Lambert-Smith | 8 receptions, 66 yards, TD |

### At Northwestern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 6 Penn State | 3 | 7 | 17 | 14 | 41 |
| Northwestern | 3 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 13 |
at Ryan Field, Evanston, Illinois
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C); sunny
* Game attendance: 25,064
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill, Jake Butt, and Brooke Fletcher
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports box score
| Statistics | PSU | NU |
| First downs | 19 | 12 |
| Plays–yards | 73–353 | 63–175 |
| Rushes–yards | 39–134 | 32–45 |
| Passing yards | 219 | 130 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 19–34–0 | 16–31–1 |
| Time of possession | 32:08 | 27:52 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 18/33, 189 yards TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Nicholas Singleton | 21 carries, 80 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | KeAndre Lambert-Smith | 4 receptions, 86 yards |
| Northwestern | Passing | Ben Bryant | 14/25, 122 yards |
| Northwestern | Rushing | Brendan Sullivan | 7 carries, 25 yards |
| Northwestern | Receiving | Cam Johnson | 6 receptions, 81 yards |

### UMass

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| UMass | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 6 Penn State | 7 | 21 | 21 | 14 | 63 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: October 14
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C), rain
* Game attendance: 105,533
* Referee: Jeffrey Servinski
* TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill, Jake Butt, and Brooke Fletcher
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | UM | PSU |
| First downs | 9 | 28 |
| Plays–yards | 62–109 | 60–408 |
| Rushes–yards | 39–64 | 37–246 |
| Passing yards | 45 | 162 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 9–23–1 | 16–23–0 |
| Time of possession | 32:58 | 27:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Massachusetts | Passing | Taisun Phommachanh | 6/14, 25 yards |
| Massachusetts | Rushing | Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams | 14 carries, 31 yards |
| Massachusetts | Receiving | George Johnson III | 2 receptions, 24 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 16/23, 162 yards, 3 TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Nicholas Singleton | 15 carries, 79 yards |
| Penn State | Receiving | Theo Johnson | 4 receptions, 66 yards, 2 TD |

### At No. 3 Ohio State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 7 Penn State | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
| No. 3 Ohio State | 3 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 20 |
at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 105,506
* Referee: Jerry McGinn
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | PSU | OSU |
| First downs | 15 | 22 |
| Plays–yards | 68–240 | 76–365 |
| Rushes–yards | 26–49 | 41–79 |
| Passing yards | 191 | 286 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 18–42–0 | 22–35–0 |
| Time of possession | 25:36 | 34:24 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 18/42, 191 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Nicholas Singleton | 9 carries, 48 yards |
| Penn State | Receiving | KeAndre Lambert-Smith | 6 receptions, 52 yards |
| Ohio State | Passing | Kyle McCord | 22/35, 286 yards, TD |
| Ohio State | Rushing | Miyan Williams | 24 carries, 62 yards, TD |
| Ohio State | Receiving | Marvin Harrison Jr. | 11 receptions, 162 yards, TD |

### Indiana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Indiana | 7 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 24 |
| No. 10 Penn State | 7 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 33 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: October 28
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 107,209
* Referee: Kole Knueppel
* TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy, Devin McCourty, and Tiffany Blackmon
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | IU | PSU |
| First downs | 14 | 19 |
| Plays–yards | 53–349 | 74–342 |
| Rushes–yards | 34–80 | 43–132 |
| Passing yards | 269 | 210 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 13–19–1 | 20–31–1 |
| Time of possession | 24:35 | 35:25 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Indiana | Passing | Brendan Sorsby | 13/19, 269 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Indiana | Rushing | Josh Henderson | 12 carries, 57 yards |
| Indiana | Receiving | DeQuece Carter | 3 receptions, 104 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 20/31, 210 yards, 3 TD, INT |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 18 carries, 81 yards |
| Penn State | Receiving | KeAndre Lambert-Smith | 6 receptions, 96 yards, TD |

### At Maryland

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 11$^{CFP}$/9$^{AP}$ Penn State | 14 | 7 | 3 | 27 | 51 |
| Maryland | 0 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 15 |
at SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), clear
* Game attendance: 51,802
* Referee: Jeffrey Servinski
* TV announcers (FOX): Jason Benetti, Brock Huard, and Allison Williams
* ESPN box score, GoPSU.com box score
| Statistics | PSU | UM |
| First downs | 25 | 15 |
| Plays–yards | 76–404 | 58–234 |
| Rushes–yards | 37–158 | 16–(-49) |
| Passing yards | 246 | 283 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 26–39–0 | 31–42–2 |
| Time of possession | 37:14 | 22:46 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 25/34, 240 yards, 4 TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 14 carries, 91 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | KeAndre Lambert-Smith | 8 receptions, 95 yards |
| Maryland | Passing | Taulia Tagovailoa | 29/39, 286 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Maryland | Rushing | Billy Edwards Jr. | 1 carry, 4 yards |
| Maryland | Receiving | Tai Felton | 4 receptions, 75 yards |

### No. 3$^{CFP}$/2$^{AP}$ Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 3$^{CFP}$/2$^{AP}$ Michigan | 0 | 14 | 3 | 7 | 24 |
| No. 10$^{CFP}$/9$^{AP}$ Penn State | 3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 15 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 110,856
* Referee: Gregory Blum
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
Penn State hosted Michigan on November 11. As the Michigan team and coaching staff flew to Pennsylvania on Friday afternoon, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti suspended head coach Jim Harbaugh from game-day coaching for the remainder of the regular season as punishment for the Michigan Wolverines football sign-stealing scandal.
Michigan defeated Penn State, 24–15, before a crowd of 110,856 at Beaver Stadium. The first three drives of the game ended with punts. Penn State then drove 66 yards on 13 plays and became the first team to run a play inside Michigan's 10-yard line during the 2023 season. Facing a first-and-goal from the three-yard line, Michigan's defense stopped the Nittany Lions who settled for a 20-yard field goal by Alex Felkins. After Penn State's field goal, Michigan drove 75 yards on nine plays, including a 22-yard run by Donovan Edwards, a pass from J. J. McCarthy to Semaj Morgan for 19 yards and ending with a three-yard touchdown run by Blake Corum. After holding Penn State to a three-and-out, Michigan drove 78 yards on six plays, including a 44-yard run by Corum and a 22-yard touchdown run by Edwards. Late in the second quarter, Penn State drove 75 yards and scored on an 11-yard touchdown run by Drew Allar, though its attempt at a two-point conversion failed. Michigan led, 14–9 at halftime.
On the opening drive of the second half, Allar fumbled after being hit by Rayshaun Benny, and Michigan's Makari Paige recovered the loose ball at the Penn State 49-yard line. After the turnover, Michigan drove to the Penn State four-yard line, and James Turner kicked a 22-yard field goal. The defenses then took control of the game as six consecutive drives ended with punts, With four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game, Michigan forced a turnover on downs as Allar threw an incomplete pass on fourth down. Corum ran 30 yard for a touchdown with 4:15 remaining in the game. In the closing minutes, Penn State drove 75 yards on eight plays, scoring on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Allar to Theo Johnson. Penn State again failed on an attempted two-point conversion. Penn State attempted an onside kick, but Mike Sainristil fell on the ball, and Michigan ran out the clock.
Blake Corum carried the ball 26 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns. The team totaled 227 rushing yards against a Penn State defense that had the top-ranked rushing defense in the county, having not allowed any opponent to rush for more than 100 yards in a game. Despite this, Michigan would be held to their lowest point total of the year by Penn State's defense, with Michigan having only 17 points when Penn State went for it on 4th down despite the poor field position. Following the loss to Michigan, offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich was fired.
| Statistics | UM | PSU |
| First downs | 15 | 17 |
| Plays–yards | 54–287 | 58–238 |
| Rushes–yards | 46–227 | 35–164 |
| Passing yards | 60 | 74 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 7–8–0 | 11–23–0 |
| Time of possession | 33:12 | 26:48 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Michigan | Passing | J. J. McCarthy | 7/8, 60 yards |
| Michigan | Rushing | Blake Corum | 26 carries, 145 yards, 2 TD |
| Michigan | Receiving | Cornelius Johnson | 2 receptions, 24 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 10/22, 70 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 12 carries, 72 yards |
| Penn State | Receiving | Tyler Warren | 2 receptions, 25 yards |

### Rutgers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rutgers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| No. 12$^{CFP/AP}$ Penn State | 0 | 10 | 3 | 14 | 27 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: November 18
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), mostly sunny
* Game attendance: 105,114
* Referee: Rod Snodgrass
* TV announcers (FS1): Chris Myers and Robert Smith
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
Penn State beat Rutgers decisively in a 27–6 rout where the defense really shone. Rutgers would strike first but Penn State would take control of the game in the second quarter, leading 13–6 at halftime and silencing the Scarlet Knights' offense in the second half, eventually taking a three-touchdown lead late in the game before allowing the reserves a little playing time. Despite the commanding three-touchdown victory, Penn State was criticized for the win not being even more impressive, despite the fact that Rutgers was a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten East team that year who would eventually finish 7–6. This is likely due to the reputation of Rutgers finishing last and faring poorly from 2015 through 2020. Penn State would finish the regular season 10–2 eventually losing to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl to finish 10–3 while Rutgers won their bowl game after a 6–6 finish to finish with their first winning season since 2014, their Big Ten debut season.
| Statistics | RU | PSU |
| First downs | 13 | 16 |
| Plays–yards | 58–229 | 53–322 |
| Rushes–yards | 42–99 | 39–234 |
| Passing yards | 130 | 88 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 10–16–1 | 7–14–0 |
| Time of possession | 32:00 | 28:00 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Rutgers | Passing | Gavin Wimsatt | 10/16, 130 yards, INT |
| Rutgers | Rushing | Kyle Monangai | 16 carries, 39 yards |
| Rutgers | Receiving | Isaiah Washington | 5 receptions, 55 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 6/13, 79 yards |
| Penn State | Rushing | Beau Pribula | 8 carries, 71 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | Tyler Warren | 2 receptions, 32 yards |

### At Michigan State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 11$^{CFP/AP}$ Penn State | 3 | 10 | 15 | 14 | 42 |
| Michigan State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan
* Date: November 24
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: indoor stadium
* Game attendance: 51,927
* Referee: Chris Coyte
* TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, and Kathryn Tappen
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
Penn State would commandingly handle their rivals from East Lansing in a 42–0 blowout where the outcome of the game was never in question.
| Statistics | PSU | MSU |
| First downs | 23 | 5 |
| Plays–yards | 67–586 | 47–53 |
| Rushes–yards | 39–283 | 27–(-35) |
| Passing yards | 303 | 88 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 19–28–0 | 12–20–1 |
| Time of possession | 35:50 | 24:10 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 17/26, 292 yards, 2 TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 15 carries, 137 yards |
| Penn State | Receiving | Nicholas Singleton | 2 receptions, 68 yards |
| Michigan State | Passing | Katin Houser | 11/19, 87 yards, INT |
| Michigan State | Rushing | Nathan Carter | 8 carries, 39 yards |
| Michigan State | Receiving | Montorie Foster Jr. | 2 receptions, 35 yards |

### Vs. No. 11$^{CFP/AP}$ Mississippi (Peach Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 11$^{CFP/AP}$ Mississippi | 10 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 38 |
| No. 10$^{CFP/AP}$ Penn State | 3 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 25 |
at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia
* Date: December 30
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: indoors, roof closed
* Game attendance: 71,230
* Referee: Mike McCabe
* TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones, Louis Riddick, and Quint Kessenich
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
Penn State would blow their chance at winning all of the major bowls by losing the Peach Bowl.
| Statistics | UM | PSU |
| First downs | 30 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 88–540 | 68–510 |
| Rushes–yards | 47–146 | 28–167 |
| Passing yards | 394 | 343 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 26–41–0 | 20–40–1 |
| Time of possession | 33:38 | 26:22 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Mississippi | Passing | Jaxson Dart | 25/40, 379 yards, 3 TD |
| Mississippi | Rushing | Quinshon Judkins | 34 carries, 106 yards |
| Mississippi | Receiving | Caden Prieskorn | 10 receptions, 136 yards, 2 TD |
| Penn State | Passing | Drew Allar | 19/39, 295 yards, 2 TD, INT |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 10 carries, 51 yards |
| Penn State | Receiving | Tyler Warren | 5 receptions, 127 yards |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 |
| Coaches | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 13 |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 11 | 10 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | Not released |

## Roster
### Depth chart

Defense :
* FS
* Jaylen Reed
* Keaton Ellis
* DaKaari Nelson
| MIKE | WILL | SAM |
| Abdul Carter | Curtis Jacobs | Tony Rojas |
| Kobe King | Ta'Mere Robinson | Keon Wylie |
| Kaveion Keys | Tyler Elsdon | Dominic DeLuca |
* SS
* Kevin Winston Jr.
* Zakee Wheatley
* Mekhi Flowers
* CB
* Kalen King
* Cam Miller
* Zion Tracy
| DE | DT | DT | DE |
| Chop Robinson | Zane Durant | Dvon Ellies | Adisa Isaac |
| Jameial Lyons | Coziah Izzard | Hakeem Beamon | Dani Dennis-Sutton |
| Smith Vilbert | Dvon J-Thomas | Jordan van den Berg | Amin Vanover |
* CB
* Johnny Dixon
* Daequan Hardy
* Elliot Washington Jr.
Offense :
* WR
* Keandre-Lambert Smith
* Omari Evans
* Liam Clifford
* WR
* Dante Cephas
* Malicik Meiga
* Kaden Saunders
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| Olu Fashanu | JB Nelson | Hunter Nourzad | Sal Wormley | Caedan Walalce |
| Landon Tengwall | Golden Israel-Achumba | Alex Birchmeier | Nick Dawkins | Ibrahim Traore |
| Matt Detisch | Drew Shelton | Addison Penn | Chimdy Onoh | Jim Fitzgerald |
* TE
* Theo Johnson
* Tyler Warren
* Khalil Dinkins
* WR
* Harrison Wallace III
* Malik McClain
* Tyler Johnson
* QB
* Drew Allar
* Beau Pribula
* Jaxon Smolik
* RB
* Nicholas Singleton
* Kaytron Allen
* Trey Potts
* Special teams
* PK Alex Felkins
* P Riley Thompson