2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team The 2007 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2007 college football season . The team was coached by Joe Paterno and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park , Pennsylvania . On July 23 , 2012 , all nine wins in the season were vacated as a result of NCAA punishments handed down in the wake of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal . Previous season . The 2006 season began with the Nittany Lions ranked # 19 in the AP and Coaches preseason polls . The team dropped out of the rankings with losses to Notre Dame and Ohio State , but finished the season ranked # 25 in the Coaches Poll and # 24 in the AP Poll with a final record of 9 – 4 , including a victory over the Tennessee Volunteers in the 2007 Outback Bowl . Preseason . Shortly after the end of the 2006 season , junior linebacker and 2006 Bednarik Award finalist Dan Connor announced he would remain at Penn State for his senior year . Redshirt junior offensive lineman Elijah Robinson was forced to give up football after being diagnosed with a tight spinal canal , a condition that could lead to paralysis if Robinson ever sustained a head impact that pinches the spinal cord . Redshirt junior safety Spencer Ridenhour chose to transfer from Penn State , after being unable to win a starting position with returning safety Anthony Scirrotto and converted cornerback Tony Davis ahead of him on the depth charts . Seniors Dan Connor , Terrell Golden , and Anthony Morelli were elected tri - captains by their teammates prior to the season . Penn State was ranked # 17 in the AP and # 18 in the Coaches college football preseason polls . Recruiting class . The Nittany Lions received 21 letters of intent on National Signing Day , February 7 , 2007 . Spring practice . The public got their first look at the 2007 squad during the annual Blue - White Game at Beaver Stadium on April 21 , a 70 - degree sun - splashed day . A record crowd of 71 , 000 turned out for the scrimmage , the third highest in the nation for a spring football game , and surpassing the previous record of 62 , 000 set in 1996 . Thousands of fans in the huge crowd wore maroon and orange shirts , in tribute to the victims of the previous week ' s events at Virginia Tech , including a section of 800 fans that formed a large " VT " block . The White team defeated the Blue team 30 – 6 , led by junior quarterback Paul Cianciolo who ran for one touchdown and passed for two more , finishing 8 - of - 9 for 126 yards passing , and sophomore receiver Chris Bell who led all receivers with 116 yards receiving and two touchdowns , including a 74 - yard touchdown reception from quarterback Daryll Clark . Criminal charges . On April 27 , 2007 , State College police announced that six members of the squad were charged with a range of criminal charges related to an altercation that occurred in an apartment in downtown State College earlier that month . The charges include burglary , criminal trespass , simple assault , and harassment , and players charged include junior safety Anthony Scirrotto , who led the Big Ten in 2006 with six interceptions and was named 2006 first - team All - Big Ten , and junior cornerback Justin King , named second - team All - Big Ten in 2006 . Charges against King were withdrawn before the preliminary hearing on May 4 , 2007 . After the hearing , charges against Jerome Hayes , Tyrell Sales and Lydell Sargeant were dismissed , citing weak evidence . However , Scirrotto and Chris Baker still face a possible trial in county court . Coach Paterno announced that , because of the incident , the entire football team will clean Beaver Stadium on Sundays after home games , a task usually handled by members of Penn State ' s club sports teams . The team began serving this punishment following their 59 – 0 victory over Florida International . The players arrived at the stadium just prior to 8 : 00 a . m . and cleaned eight sections of the stadium . They were joined by members of various sports clubs and teams . The football team and other organizations worked together to clean the entire stadium . Penn State ' s Office of Judicial Affairs expelled Scirrotto , Baker , Sargeant and Hayes for the second summer semester , but all four players were allowed to return to campus on August 6 for preseason workouts . Sargeant and his family requested formal Judicial Affairs hearings to appeal the decision . Charges of burglary , simple assault and criminal solicitation against Scirrotto were subsequently dismissed by Centre County Presiding Judge , Charles C . Brown , Jr . , but a felony charge of criminal trespass and a summary offense of harassment are still pending . Trials for Scirrotto and Baker are scheduled for December . Schedule . Penn State did not play Big Ten teams Northwestern and Minnesota this year . Coaching staff . Coaching changes . Safeties coach Brian Norwood left the staff at the conclusion of the regular season to accept the defensive coordinator position at Baylor . Former Coordinator of Player Personnel Kermit Buggs was named his replacement and assumed coaching duties prior to the Nittany Lions ' postseason appearance in the Alamo Bowl . Game notes . September 1 : Florida International . The Nittany Lions shut out the Golden Panthers in their first - ever meeting . Quarterback Anthony Morelli was 23 of 38 for 295 yards , with touchdown passes to Terrell Golden , Mickey Shuler , Jr . , and Matt Hahn . The running backs scored five touchdowns , including two by Austin Scott . Led by linebackers Dan Connor and Sean Lee , the defensive unit forced five turnovers and held FIU to −3 yards rushing . Lee was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for his performance . September 8 : Notre Dame . In front of a crowd of 110 , 078 spectators , the second - largest ever at Beaver Stadium , the Nittany Lions overpowered an inexperienced Fighting Irish team in a 31 – 10 win . Derrick Williams returned a punt 78 yards for a touchdown to start Penn State ' s scoring , after the Irish took a 7 – 0 lead on an interception return for a touchdown . Austin Scott rushed for 116 yards and two touchdowns on 28 carries . Anthony Morelli finished 12 of 21 for 131 yards , including a 51 yard strike to Chris Bell and a 10 yard touchdown to Jordan Norwood . Led by Dan Connor , the defense sacked the Irish ' s highly touted freshman quarterback Jimmy Clausen six times for −50 yards . The defensive unit held the Irish to zero rushing yards and just 144 yards total . The Irish committed 14 penalties for 97 yards , partly due to the loud , mostly white - clad crowd . Recording 12 tackles , Connor was selected Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week as well as Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week . Derrick Williams ' punt return for a touchdown was selected the week ' s Pontiac Game Changing Performance in a landslide vote . September 15 : Buffalo . Backup tailback Rodney Kinlaw had his first 100 - yard game , tallying a career - high 129 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown after replacing starter Austin Scott , who fumbled on each of Penn State ' s first two drives . Scott ' s first fumble at the Penn State 8 - yard line allowed the Bulls to take the lead , 3 – 0 . After a slow start , quarterback Anthony Morelli finished 20 of 27 for 202 yards and a career - high four touchdowns , including two to tight end Andrew Quarless , who was playing in his first game this season after being suspended for an underage drinking citation . Jordan Norwood ' s acrobatic 5 - yard touchdown catch was highlighted as the " Top Play " for September 15 , 2007 on ESPN ' s SportsCenter . On defense , Dan Connor and Sean Lee each recorded 12 tackles . Safety Anthony Scirrotto also recorded an interception and recovered a fumble forced by Tony Davis . September 22 : @ Michigan . The Wolverines defeated the Nittany Lions 14 – 9 , their first loss of the season . Michigan ' s Mike Hart carried the ball a record 44 times for 153 yards , helping the Wolverines control the clock and executed 26 more plays than Penn State . The Nittany Lions defense permitted only three drives above 40 yards , forced two turnovers and limited Hart to 3 . 5 yards per carry , but the Wolverines were 10 of 18 on third down conversions . Sean Lee finished with 12 tackles , and cornerback Lydell Sargeant made a career - high 10 tackles including a tackle for loss and an interception . Anthony Morelli was 15 of 31 for 169 yards , with no touchdowns or interceptions , but lost a fumble early in the game on the Penn State 10 - yard line . Michigan needed only two plays to convert the turnover into a touchdown . September 29 : @ Illinois . The Nittany Lions fell 27 – 20 to the Fighting Illini in a turnover - filled game , Illinois ' s first win over a ranked opponent since 2001 . The Illini would take a 7 – 3 lead on a 90 - yard kickoff return for a touchdown , the first given up by Penn State since 1994 . Quarterback Anthony Morelli was 21 of 38 for a career - high 298 yards but was intercepted three times inside the Illinois 30 - yard line . Morelli also had a crucial fumble on a fourth down scramble after appearing to have gained enough yards for the first down . The offense started five drives in Illinois territory but could only score three points on those drives . The defense struggled early to defend the Illini ' s option running game , giving up 216 yards rushing . Linebacker Sean Lee recorded a career - high 17 tackles . Justin King and Tony Davis each intercepted the ball once , the second of the season for both players . October 6 : Iowa . Quarterback Anthony Morelli overcame first - half boos from the Beaver Stadium crowd to finish 18 of 31 for 233 yards and a touchdown in a 27 – 7 win over the Hawkeyes . Rodney Kinlaw , playing in place of suspended tailback Austin Scott , ran for a career - high 168 yards and two touchdowns . Redshirt freshman Evan Royster had 86 yards on 16 carries before leaving the game in the third quarter with an injury . Placekicker Kevin Kelly connected on 2 of 3 field goals , including a personal - best 53 - yarder . Deon Butler led Nittany Lions receivers with 3 catches for 55 yards . Maurice Evans and Aaron Maybin each sacked Iowa ' s Jake Christensen twice , and the Hawkeyes were held scoreless until Trey Stross caught an 11 - yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter . October 13 : Wisconsin . Penn State capitalized on early turnovers by the Badgers , including a P . J . Hill fumble on the first play from scrimmage , to take control of the game early . Quarterback Anthony Morelli completed 16 of 28 passes for 216 yards and a touchdown for the Nittany Lions . Tailbacks Rodney Kinlaw and Evan Royster each scored touchdowns while rushing for 115 and 68 , respectively . Wide receiver Deon Butler caught seven passes for 93 yards and a touchdown . Backup quarterback Daryll Clark , who saw playing time in mop - up duty , scored on a 1 - yard run . The Penn State defense intercepted Badgers quarterback Tyler Donovan twice . Linebackers Sean Lee and Dan Connor each ended with 12 tackles . The Lions were only penalized once for 10 yards , continuing their streak as the Big Ten ' s least - penalized team . Defensive end Jerome Hayes was lost for the season after tearing his ACL in the third quarter . October 20 : @ Indiana . The Penn State defense , despite giving up 386 total yards , forced four second - half Hoosiers turnovers , including two forced fumbles by defensive end Maurice Evans who scooped up one fumble and returned it 55 yards . Although the Hoosiers had the lead early on , the Nittany Lions took the lead in the final minute of the first half . Penn State held off an Indiana comeback in the fourth quarter , ensuring the continuation of their perfect record over the Hoosiers . The win also gave the Nittany Lions their first road win of the year . On offense , Anthony Morelli finished 22 of 32 for 195 yards , two touchdowns and an interception . Jordan Norwood led all receivers with 8 receptions for 65 yards . Evans was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week . In addition to his two forced fumbles , he also recorded 4 . 5 tackles for loss and 3 . 5 sacks . Defensive tackle Jared Odrick left the game with a broken ankle , and fullback Matt Hahn left with a torn ACL . Both are out for the season . October 27 : Ohio State . ESPN ' s College GameDay aired from State College , the second time in three seasons the show originated from Happy Valley for the visit by the Buckeyes . After a close first quarter , Ohio State pulled away to win 37 – 17 . First Ohio State scored a field goal , then Penn State scored a touchdown . Ohio State then scored another touchdown to end the quarter 10 – 7 . Penn State only scored a field goal and a late kickoff return touchdown after that . Amazingly , Ohio State never punted once during the game , however , they did not score on every one of their drives . Some drives ended with a turnover or a missed field goal . Despite Ohio State never punting , Penn State still had a chance for a comeback until Ohio State went up 34 – 10 following an Anthony Morelli interception . November 3 : Purdue . In his final Beaver Stadium performance , linebacker Dan Connor made 11 tackles against the Boilermakers to give him 379 career stops and became Penn State ' s all - time tackler , passing Paul Posluszny ( 372 ) . Senior Anthony Morelli was 22 of 35 for 210 yards and a touchdown , giving him 2 , 060 yards passing for the season . With 2 , 424 passing yards last season , Morelli became the first Nittany Lion quarterback with at least 2 , 000 passing yards in multiple seasons . Redshirt freshman tailback Evan Royster recorded his first career 100 - yard rushing game , finishing with 126 yards on 21 carries and a touchdown . Derrick Williams also made a career - high 10 receptions for 95 yards and rushed for 12 yards and a touchdown , finishing with a career - high 151 all - purpose yards . Linebacker Sean Lee was named Big Ten Co - Defensive Player of the Week . Lee finished with 12 tackles and two forced fumbles , including a game - changing play late in the first quarter . On third - and - goal from the one yard line , Lee stripped and recovered the football to halt a potential Purdue scoring drive . November 10 : @ Temple . Senior tailback Rodney Kinlaw eclipsed the 1 , 000 yard mark as the Nittany Lions shut out the Owls for the second consecutive year . Kinlaw tied his career - high 168 yards and also caught a career - high five passes for 27 yards . Anthony Morelli was 22 of 33 for 260 yards with three touchdowns , two of them to Jordan Norwood . Derrick Williams had a game - high seven receptions for a career - high 104 yards , and teammate Deon Butler made five receptions for 43 yards and a touchdown . The Nittany Lions defense posted its fourth shut - out in 17 games , and its second road shutout in 17 games , dating back to the 12 – 0 win over Purdue in Ross - Ade Stadium in 2006 . The defense was led by Dan Connor who tied his career - high of 18 tackles and Sean Lee who had 10 tackles and a fumble recovery . For the second time this season , Connor was selected the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week as well as Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week . November 17 : @ Michigan State . The Nittany Lions took a 24 – 7 lead in the third quarter on kicker Kevin Kelly ' s 5 - yard touchdown run on a fake field goal . However the Spartans outscored Penn State 28 – 7 the remainder of the game to take possession of the Land Grant Trophy . Penn State was awarded a 4th timeout in the final minute of the game . The Nittany Lions defense forced three turnovers and limited the Spartans to 145 rushing yards , but Spartans quarterback Brian Hoyer was 16 of 21 for 257 yards , with four touchdowns and two interceptions . The Spartans had eight pass plays of 20 yards or more , with seven coming in the second half . Anthony Morelli was 16 of 35 for 188 yards , with one touchdown and no interceptions . However , down 35 – 31 in the game ' s final minutes , Morelli threw four consecutive incompletions to end Penn State ' s last drive . December 29 : 2007 Alamo Bowl – Texas A & M . Penn State rallied from a 14 – 0 first quarter deficit to win 24 – 17 on the strength of the running game provided by the offensive line and Rodney Kinlaw , Daryll Clark and Evan Royster . The defense came up with a key goal line stand in the fourth quarter stopping an option play on fourth and goal from inside the five yard line . The comeback from 14 – 0 has been compared to the 1981 Penn State vs Pittsburgh game where Penn State fell into an early 14 – 0 hole after one , but came back to win in a 48 – 14 blowout . In this game , Penn State went on a 24 – 3 run in the second and third quarters . Post season . Penn State finished the season ranked # 25 in the final USA Today college football poll , earning Penn State its 33rd Top 25 finish under Joe Paterno . Penn State finished second in football attendance for the fifth time this decade and in the top four for the 17th consecutive year , averaging 108 , 917 for seven home games , including two primetime crowds of 110 , 134 on October 27 to watch Penn State host Ohio State , the second - largest in Beaver Stadium history , and 110 , 078 on September 8 to watch Penn State beat Notre Dame , the third - largest in Beaver Stadium history . Penn State finished the season with a sellout crowd of 66 , 166 at the Alamo Bowl . In January , junior cornerback Justin King announced that he was going to declare for the 2008 NFL Draft , skipping his final year of eligibility . King had graduated the previous semester with a degree in liberal arts with an emphasis in sports management . According to King ' s stepfather and high school coach , " He wanted to get an education and a degree from Penn State , which he did . He wanted to help turn Penn State around , and he did that , too . " Three players were invited to the NFL Scouting Combine , held February 20 – 26 in Indianapolis , IN : Dan Connor , Justin King , and Anthony Morelli . NFL draft . Two Penn State players were selected in the 2008 NFL Draft .