# 2022 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

The 2022 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2022 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The team was led by ninth-year head coach James Franklin. The Nittany Lions entered the season unranked for the first time since 2016. Prior to the season, the team recruited the former number one quarterback Drew Allar, and the number one running back Nicholas Singleton.
The Nittany Lions sought to improve from their previous disappointing season, where after starting 5–0, went on to lose six out of their last eight games, culminating in a loss to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl. Despite losing impact players such as Jahan Dotson, Arnold Ebiketie, and Jaquan Brisker to the NFL Draft, the Nittany Lions rebounded going 10–2, only losing to top 4 ranked Michigan and Ohio State, securing them a place in the Rose Bowl, where they would beat Utah to win their first Rose Bowl since 1995, ending the season 11–2. This marked Coach James Franklin's third New Years Six win with the Nittany Lions, and his first Rose Bowl win.

## Offseason
### Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 1 | 16 | Jahan Dotson | WR | Washington Commanders |
| 2 | 38 | Arnold Ebiketie | OLB | Atlanta Falcons |
| 2 | 48 | Jaquan Brisker | S | Chicago Bears |
| 4 | 120 | Brandon Smith | LB | Carolina Panthers |
| 4 | 130 | Jordan Stout | P | Baltimore Ravens |
| 6 | 221 | Tariq Castro-Fields | CB | San Francisco 49ers |
| 7 | 249 | Rasheed Walker | OT | Green Bay Packers |
| 7 | 256 | Jesse Luketa | LB | Arizona Cardinals |

### Transfers
#### Outgoing

| Player | Position | Destination |
| Tyler Rudolph | S | UMass |
| Enzo Jennings | S | Unknown |
| Des Holmes | OL | Arizona State |
| Ta'Quan Roberson | QB | UConn |
| Norval Black | WR | Saint Francis |
| Joseph Appiah Darkwa | DL | Temple |
| Justin Weller | WR | Long Island |
| Noah Cain | RB | LSU |
| A.J. Lytton | CB | Unknown |

#### Incoming

| Player | Position | Transferred From |
| Hunter Nourzad | OL | Cornell |
| Chop Robinson | DL | Maryland |
| Mitchell Tinsley | WR | Western Kentucky |
Transfer References:

### Recruiting

Going into the 2022 season, the Nittany Lions have the #6 overall recruiting class in the country, and the #2 overall in the Big Ten.
College recruiting information (2022) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Nicholas Singleton RB | Reading, PA | Governor Mifflin High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jul 6, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Dani Dennis-Sutton DL | Owings Mills, MD | McDonogh School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 250 lb (110 kg) | Jul 22, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Drew Allar QB | Medina, OH | Medina High School | 6 ft 4.5 in (1.94 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Mar 8, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Kaden Saunders WR | Westerville, OH | Westerville South High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | Jul 22, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Drew Shelton OT | Downingtown, PA | Downingtown West High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 260 lb (120 kg) | Sep 4, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Kaytron Allen RB | Bradenton, FL | IMG Academy | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Jul 16, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Mekhi Flowers ATH | Harrisburg, PA | Central Dauphin East High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jan 1, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Anthony Ivey WR | Lancaster, PA | Manheim Township High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Oct 29, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Cristian Driver S | Argyle, TX | Liberty Christian School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | Jul 29, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jerry Cross TE | Milwaukee, WI | Rufus King High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 257 lb (117 kg) | Jul 28, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Camron Miller CB | Jacksonville, FL | Trinity Christian Academy | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jul 26, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Abdul Carter LB | Philadelphia, PA | La Salle College High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| JB Nelson OT | Scranton, PA | Lackawanna College | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 310 lb (140 kg) | Jul 2, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Zane Durant DL | Orlando, FL | Lake Nona High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 255 lb (116 kg) | Jul 4, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| KJ Winston S | Hyattsville, MD | DeMatha Catholic High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jul 31, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Keon Wylie LB | Philadelphia, PA | Imhotep Institute Charter High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jul 3, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Beau Pribula QB | York, PA | Central York High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Aug 3, 2020 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Omari Evans WR | Killeen, TX | Shoemaker High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Oct 2, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Vega Ioane IOL | Graham, WA | Graham-Kapowsin High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 320 lb (150 kg) | Feb 2, 2022 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Kaleb Artis DL | Fresh Meadows, NY | St. Francis Preparatory School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | Jul 4, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Tyrece Mills S | Scranton, PA | Lackawanna College | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | May 5, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Tyler Johnson WR | Ridgeway, VA | Magna Vista High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | Jun 21, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Maleek McNeil OT | Cortlandt Manor, NY | Walter Panas High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 340 lb (150 kg) | May 1, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Alex Bacchetta P/K | Atlanta, GA | The Westminster Schools | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | May 25, 2021 |
| Star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 7 247Sports: 8 |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2022 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved July 28, 2022. |||||||
Recruiting Reference

## Preseason
### Preseason Big Ten poll

Cleveland.com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011. For the 2022 poll, Penn State was projected to finish third in the East Division.
Media poll (East Division) :
| Predicted finish | Team | Votes (1st place) |
| 1 | Ohio State | 252 (36) |
| 2 | Michigan | 203 |
| 3 | Penn State | 169 |
| 4 | Michigan State | 162 |
| 5 | Maryland | 104 |
| 6 | Rutgers | 60 |
| 7 | Indiana | 58 |

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

Penn State football current coaching staff :
| Name | Position | Alma Mater | Years at Penn State |
| James Franklin | Head Coach | East Stroudsburg University (1995) | 9th |
| Manny Diaz | Defensive coordinator/linebackers | Florida State (1995) | 1st |
| Mike Yurcich | Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach | California University of Pennsylvania (1999) | 2nd |
| Stacy Collins | Special teams coordinator/outside linebackers/Nickels | Western Oregon University (1998) | 1st |
| Terry Smith | Assistant head coach/defensive recruiting coordinator/cornerbacks | Penn State University (1991) | 9th |
| Ty Howle | Tight ends coach | Penn State University (2013) | 3rd |
| Anthony Poindexter | Co-defensive coordinator/safeties | University of Virginia (1999) | 2nd |
| John Scott | Run game coordinator/defensive line | Western Carolina University (2000) | 3rd |
| Ja'Juan Seider | Co-offensive coordinator/running backs | West Virginia University (2000) | 5th |
| Taylor Stubblefield | Offensive recruiting coordinator/wide receivers | Purdue University (2004) | 3rd |
| Phil Trautwein | Offensive line | University of Florida (2007) | 3rd |
| David Parker | Graduate Assistant | University of Arkansas (2015) | 1st |
| Deion Barnes | Graduate Assistant | Penn State University (2014) | 2nd |

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 1 | 8:00 p.m. | at Purdue | | Ross–Ade StadiumWest Lafayette, IN (Big Noon Kickoff) | FOX | W 35–31 | 57,307 |
| September 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Ohio* | | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | ABC | W 46–10 | 107,306 |
| September 17 | 3:30 p.m. | at Auburn* | No. 22 | Jordan–Hare StadiumAuburn, AL (SEC Nation) | CBS | W 41–12 | 87,451 |
| September 24 | 12:00 p.m. | Central Michigan* | No. 14 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | BTN | W 33–14 | 106,624 |
| October 1 | 3:30 p.m. | Northwestern | No. 11 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | ESPN | W 17–7 | 105,524 |
| October 15 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 5 Michigan | No. 10 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI (rivalry, Big Noon Kickoff) | FOX | L 17–41 | 110,812 |
| October 22 | 7:30 p.m. | Minnesota | No. 16 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (White Out, Governor's Victory Bell) | ABC | W 45–17 | 109,813 |
| October 29 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 2 Ohio State | No. 13 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry, Big Noon Kickoff) | FOX | L 31–44 | 108,433 |
| November 5 | 3:30 p.m. | at Indiana | No. 15 | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | ABC | W 45–14 | 45,142 |
| November 12 | 3:30 p.m. | Maryland | No. 14 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry) | FOX | W 30–0 | 108,796 |
| November 19 | 3:30 p.m. | at Rutgers | No. 11 | SHI StadiumPiscataway, NJ | BTN | W 55–10 | 55,676 |
| November 26 | 4:00 p.m. | Michigan State | No. 11 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry) | FS1 | W 35–16 | 105,154 |
| January 2, 2023 | 5:00 p.m. | vs. No. 8 Utah* | No. 11 | Rose BowlPasadena, CA (Rose Bowl, College GameDay) | ESPN | W 35–21 | 94,873 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings (after November 1) released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## Game summaries
### At Purdue

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Penn State | 0 | 21 | 0 | 14 | 35 |
| Purdue | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
at Ross–Ade Stadium, West Lafayette, Indiana
* Date: September 1
* Game time: 8:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 79 °F (26 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 57,307
* Referee: Ron Snodgrass
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | PSU | PU |
| First downs | 24 | 26 |
| Plays–yards | 73–406 | 81–426 |
| Rushes–yards | 32–98 | 23–70 |
| Passing yards | 308 | 365 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 22–41–1 | 29–58–0 |
| Time of possession | 30:44 | 29:16 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 20/37, 282 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 8 carries, 31 yards |
| Penn State | Receiving | Mitchell Tinsley | 7 receptions, 84 yards, TD |
| Purdue | Passing | Aidan O'Connell | 29/58, 356 yards, TD |
| Purdue | Rushing | King Doerue | 15 carries, 57 yards, 2 TD |
| Purdue | Receiving | Charlie Jones | 12 receptions, 153 yards, TD |
To open the season, the Nittany Lions went on the road to West Layfette to play the Purdue Boilermakers. In recent years, Purdue has been known as "The Spoilermakers," defeating high ranked opponents including #2 Ohio State, #2 Iowa, and #3 Michigan State, costing all of them potential spots in the College Football Playoff. This game was also Purdue's "Blackout" game, similar to Penn State's "Whiteout" game, further increasing the hostility of the already tough environment. Due to these factors sport analysts thought the game would be close, with most saying Penn State would win narrowly, while some thought Purdue would upset them narrowly.
The Nittany Lions started the game slow, allowing only a field goal in the first quarter. Penn State was able to get on the board after quarterback Sean Clifford threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell Tinsley early in the second. Purdue answered with a touchdown of their own, making the score 10–7. In the last minutes of the quarter, the Nittany Lions scored another touchdown via a 2-yard rush by Clifford, then recovered a fumble by Purdue allowing Clifford to throw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Brenton Strange before halftime, making the score 21–10 at the end of the first half.
Purdue received the ball at the beginning of the third quarter, scoring another touchdown via a 2-yard run from running back King Doerue. Upon receiving the ball, backup quarterback Drew Allar, the former number 1 rated quarterback of his high school class, made his debut for the Nittany Lions after Clifford experienced leg cramps as a result of a tackle made in the last minutes of the second quarter. Clifford was able to return to the game on the following drive. Purdue was able to throw a 7-yard pass to Charlie Jones for a touchdown, giving Purdue a 24–21 lead at the end of the third quarter. The Nittany Lions quickly responded with a 29-yard touchdown pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith, giving them a 28–24 lead. The Boilermakers were forced to punt, then Clifford threw an interception to Chris Jefferson, who returned it for a 72-yard defensive touchdown, giving Purdue a 31–28 lead. The Nittany Lions were given one final chance to win the game, having 2:22 left in the fourth, and 2 timeouts, Sean Clifford was able to march them down the field and throw a 10-yard touchdown to Keyvone Lee, ending the game at 35–31.
Despite throwing an interception that was returned for a touchdown, Sean Clifford was named Big Ten co-offensive player of the week, after he completed 20-of-37 passes for 282 yards and a career-high-tying four touchdowns.

### Ohio

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ohio | 0 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 10 |
| Penn State | 14 | 12 | 14 | 6 | 46 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: September 10
* Game time: 12:00 noon EDT
* Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 107,306
* Referee: Kole Knueppel
* TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch, Dusty Dvoracek, and Tom Luginbill
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | OU | PSU |
| First downs | 16 | 27 |
| Plays–yards | 66–263 | 76–572 |
| Rushes–yards | 26–99 | 34–234 |
| Passing yards | 164 | 338 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 17–40–0 | 31–42–0 |
| Time of possession | 28:02 | 31:58 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ohio | Passing | Kurtis Rourke | 14/30, 119 yards |
| Ohio | Rushing | Kurtis Rourke | 5 carries, 29 yards |
| Ohio | Receiving | Sieh Bangura | 2 receptions, 35 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 19/27, 213 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Nicholas Singleton | 10 carries, 179 yards, 2 TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | Parker Washington | 4 receptions, 60 yards |

### At Auburn

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 22 Penn State | 7 | 7 | 17 | 10 | 41 |
| Auburn | 3 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 12 |
at Jordan–Hare Stadium, Auburn, Alabama
* Date: September 17
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 84 °F (29 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 87,451
* Referee: Michael Cannon
* TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, and Jenny Dell
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | PSU | AU |
| First downs | 19 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 62–477 | 74–415 |
| Rushes–yards | 39–245 | 36–119 |
| Passing yards | 232 | 296 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 17–23–0 | 21–38–2 |
| Time of possession | 30:22 | 29:38 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 14/19, 178 yards |
| Penn State | Rushing | Nicholas Singleton | 10 carries, 124 yards, 2 TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | Brenton Strange | 6 receptions, 80 yards |
| Auburn | Passing | T. J. Finley | 11/19, 152 yards, INT |
| Auburn | Rushing | Tank Bigsby | 9 carries, 39 yards |
| Auburn | Receiving | Shedrick Jackson | 4 receptions, 76 yards |

### Central Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Central Michigan | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| No. 14 Penn State | 14 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 33 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: September 24
* Game time: 12:00 noon EDT
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 106,624
* Referee: Ron Snodgrass
* TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill, Matt Millen, and Matt McGloin
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | CMU | PSU |
| First downs | 20 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 75–363 | 71–403 |
| Rushes–yards | 23–88 | 32–166 |
| Passing yards | 275 | 237 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 29–52–2 | 24–39–0 |
| Time of possession | 29:33 | 30:27 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Central Michigan | Passing | Daniel Richardson | 26/45, 235 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT |
| Central Michigan | Rushing | Lew Nichols III | 13 carries, 67 yards |
| Central Michigan | Receiving | Carlos Carriere | 11 receptions, 111 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 22/34, 217 yards, 3 TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 13 carries, 111 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | Parker Washington | 6 receptions, 64 yards |

### Northwestern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Northwestern | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
| No. 11 Penn State | 7 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 17 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: October 1
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), rain
* Game attendance: 105,524
* Referee: Greg Blum
* TV announcers (ESPN): Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, and Kris Budden
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | NU | PSU |
| First downs | 12 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 65–241 | 78–360 |
| Rushes–yards | 28–31 | 58–220 |
| Passing yards | 210 | 140 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 15–37–1 | 10–20–1 |
| Time of possession | 22:32 | 37:28 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Northwestern | Passing | Ryan Hilinski | 15/37, 210 yards, TD, INT |
| Northwestern | Rushing | Evan Hull | 11 carries, 45 yards |
| Northwestern | Receiving | Donny Navarro III | 4 receptions, 55 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 10/20, 140 yards, TD, INT |
| Penn State | Rushing | Nicholas Singleton | 21 carries, 87 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | Parker Washington | 4 receptions, 73 yards |

### At No. 5 Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 10 Penn State | 0 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 17 |
| No. 5 Michigan | 6 | 10 | 15 | 10 | 41 |
at Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
* Date: October 15
* Game time: 12:00 noon EDT
* Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 110,812
* Referee: Ron Snodgrass
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | PSU | UM |
| First downs | 10 | 28 |
| Plays–yards | 51–268 | 79–563 |
| Rushes–yards | 22–111 | 55–418 |
| Passing yards | 157 | 145 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 12–29–0 | 17–24–1 |
| Time of possession | 18:04 | 41:56 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 7/19, 120 yards |
| Penn State | Rushing | Sean Clifford | 6 carries, 74 yards |
| Penn State | Receiving | Mitchell Tinsley | 5 receptions, 57 yards |
| Michigan | Passing | J. J. McCarthy | 17/24, 145 yards, INT |
| Michigan | Rushing | Donovan Edwards | 16 carries, 173 yards, 2 TD |
| Michigan | Receiving | Cornelius Johnson | 3 receptions, 43 yards |

### Minnesota

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Minnesota | 3 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 17 |
| No. 16 Penn State | 0 | 17 | 21 | 7 | 45 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: October 22
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 58 °F (14 °C), partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 109,813
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore, Greg McElroy, and Katie George
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | UM | PSU |
| First downs | 16 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 68–340 | 67–479 |
| Rushes–yards | 46–165 | 34–175 |
| Passing yards | 175 | 304 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 9–22–1 | 24–33–1 |
| Time of possession | 31:30 | 28:30 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Minnesota | Passing | Athan Kaliakmanis | 9/22, 175 yards, TD, INT |
| Minnesota | Rushing | Mohamed Ibrahim | 30 carries, 102 yards, TD |
| Minnesota | Receiving | Brevyn Spann-Ford | 5 receptions, 68 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 23/31, 295 yards, 4 TD, INT |
| Penn State | Rushing | Nicholas Singleton | 13 carries, 79 yards, 2 TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | Theo Johnson | 5 receptions, 75 yards, TD |

### No. 2 Ohio State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 2 Ohio State | 10 | 3 | 3 | 28 | 44 |
| No. 13 Penn State | 0 | 14 | 0 | 17 | 31 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: October 29
* Game time: 12:00 noon EDT
* Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 108,433
* Referee: Jeffrey Servinski
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | OSU | PSU |
| First downs | 21 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 60–452 | 80–482 |
| Rushes–yards | 26–98 | 33–111 |
| Passing yards | 354 | 371 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 26–34–0 | 32–47–3 |
| Time of possession | 29:34 | 30:26 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Ohio State | Passing | C. J. Stroud | 26/33, 354 yards, TD |
| Ohio State | Rushing | TreVeyon Henderson | 16 carries, 78 yards, 2 TD |
| Ohio State | Receiving | Marvin Harrison Jr. | 10 receptions, 185 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 32/47, 371 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 12 carries, 76 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | Parker Washington | 11 receptions, 179 yards, TD |

### At Indiana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 15 Penn State | 7 | 17 | 7 | 14 | 45 |
| Indiana | 7 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
* Date: November 5
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 65 °F (18 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 45,142
* Referee: Michael Cannon
* TV announcers (ABC): Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, and Kris Budden
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | PSU | IU |
| First downs | 27 | 11 |
| Plays–yards | 84–483 | 63–196 |
| Rushes–yards | 49–179 | 34–65 |
| Passing yards | 304 | 131 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 24–35–1 | 16–29–3 |
| Time of possession | 35:53 | 24:07 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 15/23, 229 yards, INT |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 18 carries, 86 yards, 3 TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | Kaytron Allen | 2 receptions, 72 yards |
| Indiana | Passing | Jack Tuttle | 9/12, 82 yards, TD |
| Indiana | Rushing | Josh Henderson | 7 carries, 44 yards |
| Indiana | Receiving | Andison Coby | 1 receptions, 35 yards |

### Maryland

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Maryland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| No. 14 Penn State | 14 | 13 | 3 | 0 | 30 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: November 12
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 51 °F (11 °C), rain
* Game attendance: 108,796
* Referee: Mark Kluczynski
* TV announcers (FOX): Tim Brando and Spencer Tillman
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | UM | PSU |
| First downs | 11 | 21 |
| Plays–yards | 60–134 | 73–413 |
| Rushes–yards | 37–60 | 43–249 |
| Passing yards | 74 | 164 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 11–23–0 | 16–30–0 |
| Time of possession | 25:14 | 34:46 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Maryland | Passing | Taulia Tagovailoa | 11/22, 74 yards |
| Maryland | Rushing | Roman Hemby | 13 carries, 68 yards |
| Maryland | Receiving | Rakim Jarrett | 3 receptions, 30 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 12/23, 139 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Nicholas Singleton | 11 carries, 122 yards, 2 TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | Theo Johnson | 3 receptions, 44 yards |

### At Rutgers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 11 Penn State | 14 | 14 | 20 | 7 | 55 |
| Rutgers | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
at SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey
* Date: November 19
* Game time: 3:30 p.m EST
* Game weather: 40 °F (4 °C), cloudy
* Game attendance: 55,676
* Referee: Greg Blum
* TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin, Jake Butt, and Rick Pizzo
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | PSU | RU |
| First downs | 21 | 9 |
| Plays–yards | 73–436 | 69–167 |
| Rushes–yards | 37–237 | 35–32 |
| Passing yards | 199 | 135 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 22–36–0 | 15–34–1 |
| Time of possession | 30:23 | 29:37 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 17/26, 157 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 11 carries, 117 yards, TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | Mitchell Tinsley | 5 receptions, 63 yards |
| Rutgers | Passing | Gavin Wimsatt | 10/29, 122 yards, TD, INT |
| Rutgers | Rushing | Rashad Rochelle | 8 carries, 25 yards |
| Rutgers | Receiving | Sean Ryan | 2 receptions, 76 yards |

### Michigan State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Michigan State | 0 | 3 | 7 | 6 | 16 |
| No. 11 Penn State | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
* Date: November 26
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C), sunny
* Game attendance: 105,154
* Referee: Larry Smith
* TV announcers (FS1): Noah Eagle and Mark Helfrich
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | MSU | PSU |
| First downs | 19 | 24 |
| Plays–yards | 69–254 | 70–410 |
| Rushes–yards | 25–25 | 45–160 |
| Passing yards | 229 | 250 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 24–44–1 | 20–25–0 |
| Time of possession | 25:58 | 34:02 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Michigan State | Passing | Payton Thorne | 24/43, 229 yards, TD, INT |
| Michigan State | Rushing | Elijah Collins | 10 carries, 33 yards |
| Michigan State | Receiving | Keon Coleman | 8 receptions, 91 yards |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 19/24, 202 yards, 4 TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Kaytron Allen | 21 carries, 82 yards |
| Penn State | Receiving | KeAndre Lambert-Smith | 5 receptions, 83 yards, TD |

### Vs. No. 8 Utah (Rose Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| No. 11 Penn State | 7 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 35 |
| No. 8 Utah | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 21 |
at Rose Bowl, Pasadena, California
* Date: January 2, 2023
* Game time: 5:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); cloudy
* Game attendance: 94,873
* Referee: Michael Vandervelde
* TV announcers (ESPN/ESPN Radio): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, and Holly Rowe/Marc Kestecher, Kelly Stouffer, and Ian Fitzsimmons
* ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Statistics | PSU | UU |
| First downs | 15 | 23 |
| Plays–yards | 53–448 | 83–391 |
| Rushes–yards | 31–169 | 43–184 |
| Passing yards | 279 | 207 |
| Passing: comp–att–int | 16–22–0 | 18–40–2 |
| Time of possession | 24:47 | 35:13 |
| Team | Category | Player | Statistics |
| Penn State | Passing | Sean Clifford | 16/21, 279 yards, 2 TD |
| Penn State | Rushing | Nicholas Singleton | 7 carries, 120 yards, 2 TD |
| Penn State | Receiving | KeAndre Lambert-Smith | 3 receptions, 124 yards, TD |
| Utah | Passing | Bryson Barnes | 10/19, 112 yards, TD, INT |
| Utah | Rushing | Ja'Quinden Jackson | 13 carries, 81 yards, TD |
| Utah | Receiving | Devaughn Vele | 5 receptions, 100 yards |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes :
| | 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 | RV | RV | 22 | 14 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 9 | 7 |
| Coaches | RV | RV | 23 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 16 | 13 | 16 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 15 | 14 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 11 | Not released |

## Players drafted into the NFL

| Round | Pick | Player | Position | NFL club |
| 2 | 32 | Joey Porter Jr. | CB | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 2 | 61 | Brenton Strange | TE | Jacksonville Jaguars |
| 2 | 62 | Juice Scruggs | C | Houston Texans |
| 3 | 87 | Ji'Ayir Brown | S | San Francisco 49ers |
| 5 | 149 | Sean Clifford | QB | Green Bay Packers |
| 6 | 185 | Parker Washington | WR | Jacksonville Jaguars |