# 2017 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

The 2017 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by fourth-year head coach James Franklin and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. They were a member of the East Division of the Big Ten Conference.
Penn State entered the season as defending Big Ten champions, and were ranked sixth in the preseason AP Poll. The team won its first seven games by an average margin of victory of 30 points, including a 42–13 rout of No. 19 Michigan, and rose to second in the AP Poll. In a highly anticipated road match-up against No. 6 Ohio State, Penn State lost by a score of 38–39. The following week, the team fell again on the road to Michigan State. These would prove to be Penn State's only losses, as they finished the regular season tied for second in the East Division with a conference record of 7–2. They were invited to the 2017 Fiesta Bowl, where they defeated Washington, and finished the season at 11–2 and ranked eighth in the final polls.
The team was led on offense by running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Trace McSorley. Barkley led the conference with 18 rushing touchdowns to go along with 1,271 rushing yards, and was named a consensus first-team All-American as an all-purpose back. McSorley's 3,571 passing yards and 284 pass completions also led the conference. On defense, safety Marcus Allen was named first-team all-conference by the coaches.

## Background
### 2017 NFL Draft

Nittany Lions who were picked in the 2017 NFL Draft or signed undrafted free agent contracts:
| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Team |
| 3 | 84 | Chris Godwin | WR | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
| UFA | | Malik Golden | S | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| UFA | | Garrett Sickels | DE | Indianapolis Colts |
| UFA | | Brandon Bell | LB | Cincinnati Bengals |
| UFA | | Evan Schwan | DE | New York Giants |

### Recruits

Penn State's recruiting class consisted of 21 recruits, including four that enrolled early. Penn State's recruiting class was ranked No. 15 by Scout, No. 10 by Rivals, and No. 17 by ESPN.
| Back | B | Center | C | Cornerback | CB | Defensive back | DB |
| Defensive end | DE | Defensive lineman | DL | Defensive tackle | DT | End | E |
| Fullback | FB | Guard | G | Halfback | HB | Kicker | K |
| Kickoff returner | KR | Offensive tackle | OT | Offensive lineman | OL | Linebacker | LB |
| Long snapper | LS | Punter | P | Punt returner | PR | Quarterback | QB |
| Running back | RB | Safety | S | Tight end | TE | Wide receiver | WR |
US college sports recruiting information for 2017 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40$^‡$ | Commit date |
| Damion Barber DE | Harrisburg, PA | Harrisburg HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 253 lb (115 kg) | 5.13 | Feb 27, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Corey Bolds DT | Paramus, NJ | Paramus Catholic HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 276 lb (125 kg) | - | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Ellis Brooks ILB | Richmond, VA | Benedictine HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 240 lb (110 kg) | - | Jan 30, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| D.J. Brown CB | Fairburn, GA | Creekside HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | - | Apr 24, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 74 |||||||
| Journey Brown RB | Meadville, PA | Meadville HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | - | Jan 11, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 74 |||||||
| Tariq Castro-Fields CB | Upper Marlboro, MD | Riverdale Baptist | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 173 lb (78 kg) | 4.71 | Feb 1, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Sean Clifford QB | Cincinnati, OH | Saint Xavier High School | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | 4.71 | Jun 13, 2015 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 84 |||||||
| Brelin Faison-Walden S | Greensboro, NC | Grimsley HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | - | Jul 20, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Brailyn Franklin OLB | Haymarket, VA | Battlefield HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 196 lb (89 kg) | 4.89 | Aug 7, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 75 |||||||
| K. J. Hamler WR | Bradenton, FL | IMG Academy | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 156 lb (71 kg) | 4.43 | Dec 9, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Fred Hansard DT | Princeton, NJ | The Hun School of Princeton | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 305 lb (138 kg) | - | Nov 26, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Mac Hippenhammer WR | Fort Wayne, IN | R. Nelson Snider HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | - | Aug 13, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Desmond Holmes OT | Springfield, PA | Cardinal O'Hara HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 327 lb (148 kg) | 5.56 | Aug 7, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Donovan Johnson CB | Detroit, MI | Cass Technical HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 177 lb (80 kg) | 4.35 | Dec 13, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Robert Martin OT | Montvale, NJ | Saint Joseph Regional HS | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | - | Apr 16, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 77 |||||||
| Yetur Gross-Matos DE | Fredericksburg, VA | Chancellor HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | - | Feb 27, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Michael Miranda G | Stow, OH | Stow-Munroe Falls HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 303 lb (137 kg) | 5.33 | Apr 21, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Cameron Sullivan-Brown WR | Laurel, MD | Saint Vincent Pallotti HS | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 176 lb (80 kg) | - | Jul 29, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Jonathan Sutherland S | Alexandria, VA | Episcopal HS | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 188 lb (85 kg) | 4.81 | Jul 21, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| C.J. Thorpe OG | Pittsburgh, PA | Central Catholic HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 318 lb (144 kg) | - | Apr 16, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 84 |||||||
| Lamont Wade CB | Clairton, PA | Clairton HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 187 lb (85 kg) | 4.53 | Dec 17, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 15 Rivals: 10 247Sports: 21 ESPN: 17 |||||||
| 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: "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved May 25, 2017. |||||||

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

| Position | Name | Alma mater |
| Head coach | James Franklin | East Stroudsburg (1994) |
| Defensive coordinator/linebackers/associate head coach | Brent Pry | Buffalo (1993) |
| Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks | Joe Moorhead | Fordham University (1995) |
| Safeties/co-defensive coordinator | Tim Banks | Central Michigan University (1994) |
| Running backs/special teams coordinator | Charles Huff | Hampton (2005) |
| Tight ends/passing game coordinator | Ricky Rahne | Cornell (2002) |
| Wide receivers/offensive recruiting coordinator | Josh Gattis | Wake Forest (2006) |
| Cornerbacks/defensive Recruiting Coordinator | Terry Smith | Penn State (1991) |
| Offensive line | Matt Limegrover | University of Chicago (1990) |
| Defensive line/run game coordinator | Sean Spencer | Clarion (1995) |
| Strength and conditioning | Dwight Galt | Maryland (1981) |
| Graduate assistant | Sean Cascarano | University of Virginia (2013) |
| Graduate assistant | Mark Dupuis | University of Connecticut (2011) |
| Graduate assistant | Matt Fleischacker | Penn State (2016) |
| Graduate assistant | Kevin Smith | Urbana University (2014) |

## Schedule
### Spring game

| Date | Time | Spring Game | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| April 22 | 3:00 p.m. | Blue vs. White | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA | BTN | Blue 26–0 | 73,000 |

### Season

During the 2017 Nittany Lions season, Penn State met with non-conference opponents Akron, Pittsburgh and Georgia State (first ever meeting) and faced Big Ten conference opponents Iowa, Indiana, Northwestern, Michigan, Ohio State, Michigan State, Nebraska, Rutgers and Maryland. They also received an invitation to participate in the Fiesta Bowl against Washington. The 2017 schedule consisted of 7 home, 5 away, and 1 neutral-site games.
Penn State started the season 7–0, which included a stunning buzzer-beater victory at Iowa, and a home blowout over No. 19 Michigan. The team's first loss was at No. 6 Ohio State, where a furious comeback rally was not enough to suppress the Buckeyes. The next week, Penn State was upset at No. 24 Michigan State on a game-winning field goal. Penn State bounced back, however, with a 4-game winning streak, including a Fiesta Bowl win over No. 11 Washington.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | 12:00 p.m. | Akron* | No. 6 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | ABC | W 52–0 | 101,684 |
| September 9 | 3:30 p.m. | Pittsburgh* | No. 4 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry) | ABC | W 33–14 | 109,898 |
| September 16 | 7:30 p.m. | Georgia State* | No. 5 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | BTN | W 56–0 | 102,746 |
| September 23 | 7:30 p.m. | at Iowa | No. 4 | Kinnick StadiumIowa City, IA | ABC | W 21–19 | 66,205 |
| September 30 | 3:30 p.m. | Indiana | No. 4 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | BTN | W 45–14 | 107,542 |
| October 7 | 12:00 p.m. | at Northwestern | No. 4 | Ryan FieldEvanston, IL | ABC | W 31–7 | 41,061 |
| October 21 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 19 Michigan | No. 2 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry, College GameDay) | ABC | W 42–13 | 110,823 |
| October 28 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 6 Ohio State | No. 2 | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH (rivalry, College GameDay) | FOX | L 38–39 | 109,302 |
| November 4 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 24 Michigan State | No. 7 | Spartan StadiumEast Lansing, MI (rivalry) | FOX | L 24–27 | 71,605 |
| November 11 | 12:00 p.m. | Rutgers | No. 14 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | BTN | W 35–6 | 107,531 |
| November 18 | 4:00 p.m. | Nebraska | No. 10 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | FS1 | W 56–44 | 106,722 |
| November 25 | 3:30 p.m. | at Maryland | No. 10 | Maryland StadiumCollege Park, MD (rivalry) | BTN | W 66–3 | 49,680 |
| December 30 | 4:00 p.m. | vs. No. 11 Washington* | No. 9 | University of Phoenix StadiumGlendale, AZ (Fiesta Bowl) | ESPN | W 35–28 | 61,842 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after October 31 released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## 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 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| Coaches | 6 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | 7 | 14 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | Not released |

## Game summaries
### Akron

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Akron | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| #6 Penn State | 14 | 21 | 10 | 7 | 52 |
at Beaver Stadium
* Date: September 2
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 53 °F (12 °C); cool, showers
* Game attendance: 101,684
* Referee: Greg Blum
* TV announcers (ABC): Mark Jones, Rod Gilmore, Quint Kessenich
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – DeAndre Thompkins, 61-yard punt return for TD, Tyler Davis kick good, 8:13 (PSU 7–0)
PSU – Mike Gesicki, 13-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Davis kick good, 0:49 (PSU 14–0)
Second quarter
PSU – McSorley, 4-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 8:48 (PSU 21–0)
PSU – Saquon Barkley, 3-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 4:49 (PSU 28–0)
PSU – Barkley, 30-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 0:23 (PSU 35–0)
Third quarter
PSU – Davis, 47-yard field goal, 6:01 (PSU 38–0)
PSU – Gesicki, 2-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 1:02 (PSU 45–0)
Fourth quarter
PSU – Tommy Stevens, 5-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 10:20 (PSU 52–0)
Top passers
UA – Thomas Woodson – 12/23, 71 yards, INT
PSU – Trace McSorley – 18/25, 280 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
UA – Kato Nelson – 9 carries, 39 yards
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 14 carries, 172 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
UA – Tra'Von Chapman – 3 receptions, 10 yards
UA – A.J. Coney – 2 receptions, 25 yards
PSU – Mike Gesicki – 6 receptions, 58 yards, 2 TD
Top defenders
UA – Zach Guiser – 10 tackles, 1 tackle-for loss (TFL), 1 INT
PSU – Tyrell Chavis – 5 tackles, 3 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 0.5 sacks :

### Pittsburgh

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Pittsburgh | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 14 |
| #4 Penn State | 14 | 0 | 7 | 12 | 33 |
at Beaver Stadium
* Date: September 9
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 64 °F (18 °C); sunny
* Game attendance: 109,898
* Referee: Jerry Magallanes
* TV announcers (ABC): Joe Tessitore, Todd Blackledge, Holly Rowe
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – Mike Gesicki, 8-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Tyler Davis kick good, 12:53 (PSU 7–0)
PSU – Gesicki, 10-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 5:20 (PSU 14–0)
Second quarter
UP – Alex Kessman, 28-yard field goal, 1:12 (PSU 14–3)
Third quarter
PSU – Saquon Barkley, 46-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 10:32 (PSU 21–3)
UP – Kessman, 24-yard field goal, 6:03 (PSU 21–6)
Fourth quarter
PSU – Barkley, 8-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 14:54 (PSU 28–6)
UP – Ben Dinucci, 3-yard TD run, Dinucci pass to Qadree Ollison for 2-point conversion, 10:09 (PSU 28–14)
PSU – Safety: Darrin Hall tackled by Marcus Allen in the end zone, 5:53 (PSU 30–14)
PSU – Davis, 24-yard field goal, 3:34 (PSU 33–14)
Top passers
UP – Max Browne – 19/32, 138 yards, 2 INT
PSU – Trace McSorley – 15/28, 164 yards, INT
Top rushers
UP – Qadree Ollison – 15 carries, 96 yards
PSU –Saquon Barkley – 14 carries, 88 yards, TD
Top receivers
UP – Jester Weah – 6 receptions, 65 yards
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 4 receptions, 45 yards, TD
PSU – Mike Gesicki – 4 receptions, 39 yards, 2 TD
Top defenders
UP – Oluwaseun Idowu – 7 tackles, 3 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
PSU – Marcus Allen – 12 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL) :

### Georgia State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Georgia State | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| #5 Penn State | 14 | 21 | 14 | 7 | 56 |
at Beaver Stadium
* Date: September 16
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 71 °F (22 °C); clear and pleasant
* Game attendance: 102,746
* Referee: Don Willard
* TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin, Glen Mason, Elise Menaker
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – Tommy Stevens, 10-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Tyler Davis kick good, 11:48 (PSU 7–0)
PSU – Saquon Barkley, 85-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 0:49 (PSU 14–0)
Second quarter
PSU – DaeSean Hamilton, 27-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 11:44 (PSU 21–0)
PSU – Miles Sanders, 29-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 8:55 (PSU 28–0)
PSU – McSorley, 8-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 3:26 (PSU 35–0)
Third quarter
PSU – Brandon Polk, 15-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 7:56 (PSU 42–0)
PSU – Saeed Blacknall, 35-yard TD pass from Stevens, Davis kick good, 6:01 (PSU 49–0)
Fourth quarter
PSU – Andre Robinson, 41-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 8:55 (PSU 56–0)
Top passers
GSU – Conner Manning – 16/29, 133 yards, 3 INT
PSU – Trace McSorley – 18/23, 309 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
GSU – Taz Bateman – 29 carries, 100 yards
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 10 carries, 47 yards
Top receivers
GSU – Penny Hart – 7 receptions, 56 yards
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 4 receptions, 142 yards, TD
Top defenders
GSU – Jerome Smith – 6 tackles
GSU – Bryan Williams – 6 tackles
PSU – Manny Bowen – 6 tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 0.5 sacks :

### at Iowa

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #4 Penn State | 3 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 21 |
| Iowa | 0 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 19 |
at Kinnick Stadium
* Date: September 23
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 91 °F (33 °C); clear
* Game attendance: 66,205
* Referee: John O'Neill
* TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – Tyler Davis, 19-yard field goal, 1:01 (PSU 3–0)
Second quarter
PSU – Safety: Akrum Wadley tackled by Shareef Miller in the end zone, 7:40 (PSU 5–0)
UI – Nick Easley, 21-yard TD pass from Nate Stanley, Miguel Recinos kick good, 0:37 (UI 7–5)
Third quarter
PSU – Davis, 21-yard field goal, 10:42 (PSU 8–7)
PSU – Saquon Barkley, 8-yard TD run, David kick good, 5:16 (PSU 15–7)
Fourth quarter
UI – Wadley, 70-yard TD pass from Stanley, 2-point conversion pass incomplete, 10:02 (PSU 15–13)
UI – Wadley, 35-yard TD run, 2-point conversion pass incomplete, 1:42 (UI 19–15)
PSU – Juwan Johnson, 7-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, kick not attempted, 0:00 (PSU 21–19)
Top passers
PSU – Trace McSorley – 31/48, 284 yards, INT, TD
UI – Nate Stanley – 13/22, 191 yards, INT, 2 TD
Top rushers
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 28 carries, 211 yards, TD
UI – Akrum Wadley – 19 carries, 80 yards, TD
Top receivers
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 12 receptions, 94 yards
UI – Akrum Wadley – 4 receptions, 75 yards, TD
Top defenders
PSU – Jason Cabinda – 6 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
UI – Josey Jewell – 16 tackles, 3 tackles-for-loss (TFL), INT :

### Indiana

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Indiana | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| #4 Penn State | 28 | 0 | 10 | 7 | 45 |
at Beaver Stadium
* Date: September 30
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 55 °F (13 °C); cool, partly sunny
* Game attendance: 107,542
* Referee: Jeff Servinsky
* TV announcers (BTN): Brandon Gaudin, Glen Mason, Elise Menaker
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – Saquon Barkley, 98-yard kickoff return for TD, Tyler Davis kick good, 14:46 (PSU 7–0)
PSU – Trace McSorley, 1-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 11:41 (PSU 14–0)
PSU – Nick Scott, 13-yard fumble return for TD, Davis kick good, 6:34 (PSU 21–0)
PSU – DaeSean Hamilton, 8-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 0:41 (PSU 28–0)
Second quarter
IU – Ricky Brookins, 2-yard TD run, Griffin Oakes kick good, 14:01 (PSU 28–7)
IU – Simmie Cobbs, Jr., 18-yard TD pass from Peyton Ramsey, Oakes kick good, 0:44 (PSU 28–14)
Third quarter
PSU – Davis, 45-yard field goal, 5:40 (PSU 31–14)
PSU – Hamilton, 24-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 3:22 (PSU 38–14)
Fourth quarter
PSU – Hamilton, 16-yard TD pass from Barkley, Davis kick good, 4:13 (PSU 45–14)
Top passers
IU – Peyton Ramsey – 8/17, 78 yards, TD, INT
PSU – Trace McSorley – 23/36, 315 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
IU – Peyton Ramsey – 12 carries, 53 yards
IU – Morgan Ellison – 9 carries, 53 yards
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 20 carries, 56 yards
Top receivers
IU – Ian Thomas – 5 receptions, 91 yards
IU – Simmie Cobbs Jr. – 5 receptions, 44 yards, TD
PSU – DaeSean Hamilton – 9 receptions, 122 yards, 3 TD
Top defenders
IU – Tegray Scales – 11 tackles, 3 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 3 sacks
PSU – Jason Cabinda – 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL), 1 sack :

### at Northwestern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #4 Penn State | 3 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 31 |
| Northwestern | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
at Ryan Field
* Date: October 7
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 75 °F (24 °C); mostly cloudy
* Game attendance: 41,061
* Referee: Michael Cannon
* TV announcers (ABC): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Todd McShay
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – Tyler Davis, 21-yard field goal, 0:13 (PSU 3–0)
Second quarter
PSU – Tommy Stevens, 10-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Davis kick good, 12:04 (PSU 10–0)
Third quarter
PSU – Saquon Barkley, 1-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 9:33 (PSU 17–0)
PSU – Barkley, 53-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 2:13 (PSU 24–0)
Fourth quarter
PSU – McSorley, 5-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 8:52 (PSU 31–0)
NU – Matt Alviti, 1-yard TD run, Charlie Kuhbander kick good, 1:46 (PSU 31–7)
Top passers
PSU – Trace McSorley – 25/34, 245 yards, TD
NU – Clayton Thorson – 19/36, 142 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 16 carries, 75 yards, 2 TD
NU – Justin Jackson – 16 carries, 66 yards
Top receivers
PSU – DeAndre Thompkins – 6 receptions, 57 yards
PSU – Juwan Johnson – 6 receptions, 43 yards
NU – Justin Jackson – 6 receptions, 23 yards
Top defenders
PSU – Troy Apke – 5 tackles
NU – Godwin Igwebuike – 11 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL) :

### #19 Michigan

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #19 Michigan | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| #2 Penn State | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 | 42 |
at Beaver Stadium
* Date: October 21
* Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C); clear
* Game attendance: 110,823
* Referee: Jerry McGinn
* TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor, Tom Rinaldi
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – Saquon Barkley, 69-yard TD run, Tyler Davis kick good, 14:17 (PSU 7–0)
PSU – Barkley, 15-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 10:11 (PSU 14–0)
Second quarter
UM – Karan Higdon, 1-yard TD run, Quinn Nordin kick failed, 12:53 (PSU 14–6)
UM – Ty Isaac, 6-yard TD run, Nordin kick good, 1:45 (PSU 14–13)
PSU – Trace McSorley, 3-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 0:53 (PSU 21–13)
Third quarter
PSU – McSorley, 13-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 5:13 (PSU 28–13)
Fourth quarter
PSU – Barkley, 42-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 13:11 (PSU 35–13)
PSU – McSorley, 9-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 7:53 (PSU 42–13)
Top passers
UM – John O'Korn – 16/28, 166 yards
PSU – Trace McSorley – 17/26, 282 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
Top rushers
UM – Karan Higdon – 15 carries, 45 yards, TD
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 15 carries, 108 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
UM – Grant Perry – 3 receptions, 46 yards
PSU – DaeSean Hamilton – 6 receptions, 115 yards
Top defenders
UM – Khaleke Hudson – 7 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL)
PSU – Jason Cabinda – 13 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL), 1 sack :

### at #6 Ohio State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #2 Penn State | 14 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 38 |
| #6 Ohio State | 3 | 14 | 3 | 19 | 39 |
at Ohio Stadium
* Date: October 28
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 43 °F (6 °C); cloudy
* Game attendance: 109,302
* Referee: John O'Neill
* TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, Jenny Taft
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – Saquon Barkley, 97-yard kickoff return for TD, Tyler Davis kick good, 14:45 (PSU 7–0)
PSU – DaeSean Hamilton, 13-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Davis kick good, 11:36 (PSU 14–0)
OSU – Sean Nuernberger, 39-yard field goal, 4:38 (PSU 14–3)
Second quarter
PSU – Barkley, 36-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 11:40 (PSU 21–3)
OSU – Terry McLaurin, 14-yard TD pass from J. T. Barrett, Nuernberger kick good, 9:32 (PSU 21–10)
PSU – McSorley, 6-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 8:06 (PSU 28–10)
OSU – Mike Weber, 2-yard TD run, Nuernberger kick good, 4:56 (PSU 28–17)
Third quarter
OSU – Nuernberger, 36-yard field goal, 11:37 (PSU 28–20)
PSU – DeAndre Thompkins, 37-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 7:25 (PSU 35–20)
Fourth quarter
OSU – Johnnie Dixon, 38-yard pass from Barrett, Nuernberger kick good, 11:05 (PSU 35–27)
PSU – Davis, 24-yard field goal, 5:42 (PSU 38–27)
OSU – Dixon, 10-yard pass from Barrett, 2-point conversion run failed, 4:20 (PSU 38–33)
OSU – Marcus Baugh, 16-yard TD pass from Barrett, 2-point conversion run failed, 1:48 (OSU 39–38)
Top passers
PSU – Trace McSorley – 17/29, 192 yards, 2 TD
OSU – J. T. Barrett – 33/39, 328 yards, 4 TD
Top rushers
PSU – Trace McSorley – 13 carries, 49 yards, TD
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 21 carries, 44 yards, TD
OSU – J. T. Barrett – 17 carries, 95 yards
OSU – J. K. Dobbins – 13 carries, 88 yards
Top receivers
PSU – Mike Gesicki – 6 receptions, 57 yards
OSU – K. J. Hill – 12 receptions, 102 yards
Top defenders
PSU – Marcus Allen – 10 tackles
OSU – Jordan Fuller – 9 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL) :

### at #24 Michigan State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #7 Penn State | 14 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 24 |
| #24 Michigan State | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 27 |
at Spartan Stadium
* Date: November 4
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C); overcast, lightning (3 hour, 23 minute delay), rain
* Game attendance: 71,605
* Referee: Don Willard
* TV announcers (FOX): Joe Davis, Brady Quinn, Bruce Feldman
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – DaeSean Hamilton, 31-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Tyler Davis kick good, 5:40 (PSU 7–0)
MSU – Darrell Stewart Jr., 7-yard TD pass from Brian Lewerke, Matt Coghlin kick good, 3:28 (TIE 7–7)
PSU – Saeed Blacknall, 27-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 0:42 (PSU 14–7)
Second quarter
MSU – Felton Davis III, 33-yard TD pass from Lewerke, Coghlin kick good, 3:54 (TIE 14–14)
Third quarter
MSU – L. J. Scott, 3-yard TD run, Coghlin kick good, 7:25 (MSU 21–14)
PSU – Davis, 26-yard field goal, 2:11 (MSU 21–17)
PSU – DeAndre Thompkins, 70-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 0:00 (PSU 24–21)
Fourth quarter
MSU – Coghlin, 32-yard field goal, 10:56 (TIE 24–24)
MSU – Coghlin, 34-yard field goal, 0:00 (MSU 27–24)
Top passers
PSU – Trace McSorley – 26/47, 381 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
MSU – Brian Lewerke – 33/56, 400 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 14 carries, 63 yards
MSU – L. J. Scott – 14 carries, 43 yards, TD
Top receivers
PSU – Mike Gesicki – 8 receptions, 89 yards
PSU – DaeSean Hamilton – 7 receptions, 112 yards, TD
MSU – Felton Davis III – 12 receptions, 181 yards, TD
Top defenders
PSU – Troy Apke – 8 tackles
MSU – Khari Willis – 11 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL), 1 sack :

### Rutgers

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Rutgers | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| #16 Penn State | 0 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
at Beaver Stadium
* Date: November 11
* Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 34 °F (1 °C); sunny, clear, cold
* Game attendance: 107,531
* Referee: Jerry McGinn
* TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen, Lisa Byington
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
RU – Andrew Harte, 33-yard field goal, 12:48 (RU 3–0)
Second quarter
RU – Harte, 25-yard field goal, 11:16 (RU 6–0)
PSU – Trace McSorley, 20-yard TD run, Tyler Davis kick good, 9:32 (PSU 7–6)
PSU – DaeSean Hamilton, 22-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 1:13 (PSU 14–6)
Third quarter
PSU – Saquon Barkley, 1-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 6:00 (PSU 21–6)
PSU – Barkley, 4-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 1:42 (PSU 28–6)
Fourth quarter
PSU – Mike Gesicki, 16-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 6:52 (PSU 35–6)
Top passers
RU – Giovanni Rescigno – 7/20, 43 yards
PSU – Trace McSorley – 16/21, 214 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
RU – Robert Martin – 11 carries, 71 yards
PSU – Trace McSorley – 13 carries, 44 yards, TD
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 14 carries, 35 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
RU – Nakia Griffin-Stewart – 2 receptions, 19 yards
PSU – Juwan Johnson – 5 receptions, 78 yards
Top defenders
RU – Deonte Roberts – 9 tackles, 0.5 tackles-for-loss (TFL)
PSU – Jason Cabinda – 11 tackles, 1 tackle-for-loss (TFL) :

### Nebraska

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Nebraska | 10 | 0 | 14 | 20 | 44 |
| #13 Penn State | 14 | 28 | 0 | 14 | 56 |
at Beaver Stadium
* Date: November 18
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C); rain, chilly
* Game attendance: 106,722
* Referee: Ron Snodgrass
* TV announcers (FS1): Justin Kutcher, Mark Helfrich, Petros Papadakis
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – Saquon Barkley, 65-yard TD run, Tyler Davis kick good, 14:03 (PSU 7–0)
UN – Drew Brown, 27-yard field goal, 9:18 (PSU 7–3)
UN – Devine Ozigbo, 1-yard TD run, Brown kick good, 6:17 (UN 10–7)
PSU – Barkley, 1-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 2:40 (PSU 14–10)
Second quarter
PSU – Trace McSorley, 9-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 11:53 (PSU 21–10)
PSU – Mike Gesicki, 9-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 9:23 (PSU 28–10)
PSU – Barkley, 8-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 4:36 (PSU 35–10)
PSU – DeAndre Thompkins, 15-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 1:19 (PSU 42–10)
Third quarter
UN – Mikale Wilbon, 24-yard TD run, Brown kick good, 6:40 (PSU 42–17)
UN – De'Mornay Pierson-El, 22-yard TD pass from Tanner Lee, Brown kick good, 2:34 (PSU 42–24)
Fourth quarter
PSU – Gesicki, 17-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 13:59 (PSU 49–24)
PSU – Nick Bowers, 15-yard TD pass from Tommy Stevens, Davis kick good, 10:13 (PSU 56–24)
UN – Stanley Morgan Jr., 8-yard TD pass from Tanner Lee, Brown kick good, 6:32 (PSU 56–31)
UN – Wilbon, 1-yard TD run, Brown kick good, 1:20 (PSU 56–38)
UN – Jack Stoll, 3-yard TD pass from Tanner Lee, 0:00 (PSU 56–44)
Top passers
UN – Tanner Lee – 26/41, 399 yards, 3 TD
PSU – Trace McSorley – 24/36, 325 yards, 3 TD
Top rushers
UN – Mikale Wilbon – 10 carries, 53 yards, 2 TD
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 17 carries, 158 yards, 3 TD
Top receivers
UN – Stanley Morgan Jr. – 7 receptions, 185 yards, TD
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 6 receptions, 66 yards
PSU – Juwan Johnson – 5 receptions, 105 yards
Top defenders
UN – Marcus Newby – 10 tackles
PSU – Brandon Smith – 13 tackles :

### at Maryland

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #12 Penn State | 14 | 17 | 21 | 14 | 66 |
| Maryland | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
at Maryland Stadium
* Date: November 25
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 61 °F (16 °C); partly cloudy
* Game attendance: 49,680
* Referee: Michael Cannon
* TV announcers (BTN): Kevin Kugler, Matt Millen, Lisa Byington
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – Tommy Stevens, 21-yard TD run, Tyler Davis kick good, 10:17 (PSU 7–0)
PSU – Trace McSorley, 5-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 3:10 (PSU 14–0)
Second quarter
PSU – Mike Gesicki, 2-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 14:52 (PSU 21–0)
PSU – Gesicki, 9-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 11:33 (PSU 28–0)
PSU – Davis, 30-yard field goal, 2:24 (PSU 31–0)
Third quarter
PSU – Saquon Barkley, 1-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 9:18 (PSU 38–0)
PSU – Barkley, 1-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 7:12 (PSU 45–0)
PSU – Tom Pancoast, 4-yard TD pass from Stevens, Davis kick good, 2:37 (PSU 52–0)
UM – Henry Darmstadter, 42-yard field goal, 1:01 (PSU 52–3)
Fourth quarter
PSU – Stevens, 3-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 7:44 (PSU 59–3)
PSU – Stevens, 6-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 2:24 (PSU 66–3)
Top passers
PSU – Trace McSorley – 22/33, 237 yards, 2 TD
UM – Max Bortenschlager – 20/36, 185 yards
Top rushers
PSU – Tommy Stevens – 12 carries, 113 yards, 3 TD
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 16 carries, 77 yards, 2 TD
UM – Ty Johnson – 8 carries, 70 yards
Top receivers
PSU – Juwan Johnson – 6 receptions, 63 yards
UM – D. J. Moore – 8 receptions, 100 yards
Top defenders
PSU – Brandon Smith – 5 tackles
UM – Jermaine Carter Jr. – 11 tackles :

### #12 Washington (Fiesta Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #12 Washington | 0 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 28 |
| #9 Penn State | 14 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
at University of Phoenix Stadium
* Date: December 30
* Game time: 4:00 p.m. EST
* Game weather: 70 °F (21 °C); indoors, roof closed
* Game attendance: 61,842
* Referee: Mike Defee
* TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Pasch, Greg McElroy, Tom Luginbill
* ESPN Box Score GoPSUsports.com
Game information :
First quarter
PSU – DaeSean Hamilton, 48-yard TD pass from Trace McSorley, Tyler Davis kick good, 11:10 (PSU 7–0)
PSU – Saquon Barkley, 2-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 1:34 (PSU 14–0)
Second quarter
UW – Jake Browning, 1-yard TD run, Tristan Vizcaino kick good, 14:57 (PSU 14–7)
PSU – Miles Sanders, 1-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 11:59 (PSU 21–7)
PSU – Barkley, 92-yard TD run, Davis kick good, 9:01 (PSU 28–7)
UW – Myles Gaskin, 13-yard TD run, Vizcaino kick good, 4:15 (PSU 28–14)
Third quarter
UW – Aaron Fuller, 28-yard TD pass from Browning, Vizcaino kick good, 9:57 (PSU 28–21)
PSU – Hamilton, 24-yard TD pass from McSorley, Davis kick good, 5:59 (PSU 35–21)
Fourth quarter
UW – Gaskin, 69-yard TD run, Vizcaino kick good, 6:52 (PSU 35–28)
Top passers
UW – Jake Browning – 18/28, 175 yards, TD
PSU – Trace McSorley – 32/41, 342 yards, 2 TD
Top rushers
UW – Myles Gaskin – 14 carries, 98 yards, 2 TD
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 18 carries, 137 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
UW – Aaron Fuller – 6 receptions, 61 yards, TD
PSU – Saquon Barkley – 7 receptions, 38 yards
PSU – DaeSean Hamilton – 5 receptions, 110 yards, 2 TD
Top defenders
UW – Keishawn Bierria – 11 tackles
PSU – Marcus Allen – 7 tackles :

## Awards and honors
### Pre-season watch lists

| Player | Watch list |
| Saquon Barkley | Maxwell Award |
| Saquon Barkley | Doak Walker Award |
| Trace McSorley | Maxwell Award |
| Trace McSorley | Davey O'Brien Award |
| Trace McSorley | Johnny Unitas Award |
| Trace McSorley | Wuerffel Trophy |
| Marcus Allen | Chuck Bednarik Award |
| Marcus Allen | Bronco Nagurski Award |
| Marcus Allen | Lott Trophy |
| Marcus Allen | Jim Thorpe Award |
| Jason Cabinda | Chuck Bednarik Award |
| Jason Cabinda | Bronco Nagurski Award |
| Mike Gesicki | John Mackey Award |
| Tyler Davis | Lou Groza Award |
| Blake Gillikin | Ray Guy Award |
| Brandon Smith | American Football Coaches Association Good Works team |

### In-season

Weekly Awards :
| Player | Award | Date Awarded |
| Saquon Barkley | Co-Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week | September 4, 2017 |
| DeAndre Thompkins | Co-Special Teams Player of the Week | September 4, 2017 |
| Marcus Allen | Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week | September 10, 2017 |
| Saquon Barkley | Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week | September 24, 2017 |
| DaeSean Hamilton | Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week | October 1, 2017 |
| Saquon Barkley | Big Ten Special Teams Player of the week | October 1, 2017 |
| Saquon Barkley | Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week | October 22, 2017 |
| Jason Cabinda | Big Ten Defensive Player of the week | October 22, 2017 |
| Trace McSorley | Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week | October 22, 2017 |

## Players in the 2018 NFL Draft

| Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club |
| Saquon Barkley | RB | 1 | 2 | New York Giants |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 2 | 42 | Miami Dolphins |
| Troy Apke | S | 4 | 109 | Washington Redskins |
| DaeSean Hamilton | WR | 4 | 113 | Denver Broncos |
| Marcus Allen | S | 5 | 148 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| Christian Campbell | CB | 6 | 182 | Arizona Cardinals |