2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2020 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The team was led by seventh-year head coach James Franklin.
| 2020 Penn State Nittany Lions football | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| East Division | |
| 2020 record | 4–5 (4–5 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Kirk Ciarrocca (1st season) |
| Co-offensive coordinator | Tyler Bowen (1st season) |
| Offensive scheme | Spread |
| Defensive coordinator | Brent Pry (5th as DC; 7th overall season) |
| Co-defensive coordinator | Tim Banks (5th season) |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| Home stadium | Beaver Stadium (Capacity: 106,572) |
| 2020 Big Ten Conference football standings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Conf | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 2 Ohio State xy$^ | 5 | – | 0 | 7 | – | 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 12 Indiana | 6 | – | 1 | 6 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penn State | 4 | – | 5 | 4 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maryland | 2 | – | 3 | 2 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rutgers | 3 | – | 6 | 3 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan | 2 | – | 4 | 2 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 2 | – | 5 | 2 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Northwestern xy | 6 | – | 1 | 7 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 16 Iowa | 6 | – | 2 | 6 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wisconsin | 3 | – | 3 | 4 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 3 | – | 4 | 3 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nebraska | 3 | – | 5 | 3 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 2 | – | 4 | 2 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 2 | – | 6 | 2 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Ohio State 22, Northwestern 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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On August 11, 2020, the Big Ten Conference canceled all fall sports competitions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] On September 16, the Big Ten reinstated the football season, announcing an eight-game season beginning on October 24.[3]
On November 21, after losing to Iowa, Penn State's record dropped to 0–5, the worst start in the program's history, dating to 1887.[4] The team went on to win its final four games, finishing the regular season at 4–5. On December 19, the program announced that it was removing itself from consideration for a bowl game.[5]
Previous season
The Nittany Lions finished the 2019 season 11–2, and had a conference record of 7–2. They received an invitation to the 2019 Cotton Bowl Classic where they defeated the No.17 Memphis Tigers 53–39. Penn State finished the 2019 season ranked No. 9 in both the AP Poll and Coaches Poll.
Offseason
2020 NFL Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 38 | Yetur Gross-Matos | Carolina Panthers |
| 2 | 46 | K. J. Hamler | Denver Broncos |
| 4 | 141 | John Reid | Houston Texans |
| 6 | 183 | Cam Brown | New York Giants |
| 6 | 193 | Robert Windsor | Indianapolis Colts |
| Undrafted | Steven Gonzalez | Arizona Cardinals | |
| Nick Bowers | Las Vegas Raiders | ||
| Garrett Taylor | Buffalo Bills | ||
| Jan Johnson | Houston Texans | ||
| Blake Gillikin | New Orleans Saints | ||
| Dan Chisena | Minnesota Vikings | ||
Recruiting
The Nittany Lions signed 27 recruits during the 2020 signing cycle, securing the 15th ranked recruiting class in the country. This was Penn State's fourth consecutive top 15 recruiting class. 11 of the 27 signings in the 2020 class enrolled early.
Returning starters
| Player | Year | Position | 2019 Games
Started |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sean Clifford | Senior | QB | 13 |
| Journey Brown | Senior | RB | 13 |
| Rasheed Walker | Junior | OL | 13 |
| Mike Miranda | Senior | OL | 8 |
| Michal Menet | 5th-Sr | OL | 13 |
| C.J. Thorpe | Senior | OL | 5 |
| Will Fries | Graduate student | OL | 13 |
| Pat Freiermuth | Junior | TE | 13 |
Preseason
Personnel
Coaching staff
| Name | Position | Alma Mater | Years at Penn State |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Franklin | Head Coach | East Stroudsburg University (1995) | 7th |
| Brent Pry | Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers | University at Buffalo (1993) | 7th |
| Kirk Ciarrocca | Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks Coach | Temple University (1990) | 1st |
| Tim Banks | Co-Defensive Coordinator/Safeties | Central Michigan University (1995) | 5th |
| Tyler Bowen | Co-Offensive Coordinator/Offensive Recruiting Coordinator/Tight Ends | University of Maryland (2010) | 3rd |
| Phil Trautwein | Offensive Line | University of Florida (2007) | 1st |
| John Scott | Defensive Line | Western Carolina University (2000) | 1st |
| Taylor Stubblefield | Wide Receivers | Purdue University (2004) | 1st |
| Ja'Juan Seider | Run Game Coordinator/Running Backs | West Virginia University (2000) | 3rd |
| Terry Smith | Assistant Head Coach/Defensive Recruiting Coordinator/Cornerbacks | Penn State University (1991) | 7th |
| Joe Lorig | Special Teams Coordinator/Outside Linebacker | Western Oregon University (1995) | 2nd |
| Dwight Galt III | Assistant AD, Performance Enhancement | University of Maryland (1981) | 7th |
| V'Angelo Bentley | Graduate Assistant | University of Illinois (2015) | 2nd |
| Jeff Carpenter | Graduate Assistant | Penn State University (2015) | 1st |
| Deion Barnes | Graduate Assistant | Penn State University (2014) | 1st |
| Wendy Laurent | Graduate Assistant | Penn State University (2016) | 1st |
Schedule
Spring game
| Date | Time | Network | Spring Game | Site | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 18 | 1:30pm | FS1 | Blue vs. White | Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA | Canceled | |
Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State, like other institutions, switched to distance-learning during the spring semester and canceled all sporting events.
Regular season
The Nittany Lions are a member of the Big Ten East Division, and will play all of the division's other six members. Cross-divisional opponents include the Iowa Hawkeyes, Northwestern Wildcats, Nebraska Cornhuskers, and Illinois Fighting Illini.
Three out-of-conference opponents were originally scheduled: a road game at Virginia Tech, and home games versus Kent State and San Jose State.[7] However, these non-conference games were canceled on July 9 as a result of ongoing concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.[8][9] In early August, the 9-game conference schedule increased to 10 games, adding cross-divisional opponent Illinois.[10]
A week later, the season was promptly postponed. On August 11, in the wake of multiple Group of Five conferences deciding to do so,[11] the council of the Big Ten voted 11–3 to postpone fall athletics for the 2020–21 season (with all but Iowa, Nebraska, and Ohio State voting in favor). Commissioner Kevin Warren cited negative trends and uncertainties surrounding COVID-19 as a factor in the decision. The conference stated that it would evaluate options, including possibly playing in spring 2021 instead.[12][13][14] After the decision to postpone the season, the Big Ten formed a taskforce to investigate options for a return to play.[14] President Donald Trump criticized the Big Ten's decision to postpone fall football, as part of his general criticism of U.S. colleges and universities that have not resumed on-campus activities. All other Power Five conferences besides the Pac-12 (which also postponed its season shortly after the Big Ten's decision) were still planning to play in the fall.[15][16]
On September 14, it was reported that the Big Ten was considering the possibility of reversing its decision and playing a shortened conference football season as early as mid-to-late October.[17] On September 16, the Big Ten approved an eight-game conference season that would begin October 24, and conclude on December 19 (with the top seeds in each division playing for the conference championship, and all other seeds playing similar cross-division matchups). The conference is instituting a daily antigen testing protocol beginning September 30; PCR tests will be used to confirm positives found via antigen testing. Players who test positive on both tests will be removed from play for at least 21 days and undergo cardiac tests during this period, and will have to be cleared by a cardiologist before they can return to play. Positivity rates among participating teams and the local population will also be a factor: teams with a positivity rate above 5% or a population positivity rate above 7% will be required to halt all activity for seven days.[14]
Penn State and Rutgers were the only 2 Big Ten teams to compete in all 9 regular season games. Following their victory over Illinois on December 19, Penn State opted out of a college bowl game appearance.[18]
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 24 | 3:30 p.m. | at Indiana | No. 8 | FS1 | L 35–36 OT | 995 | |
| October 31 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 3 Ohio State | No. 18 |
| ABC | L 25–38 | 1,500 |
| November 7 | 3:30 p.m. | Maryland |
| BTN | L 19–35 | 1,500 | |
| November 14 | 12:00 p.m. | at Nebraska | FS1 | L 23–30 | 0 | ||
| November 21 | 3:30 p.m. | Iowa |
| BTN | L 21–41 | 1,500 | |
| November 28 | 12:00 p.m. | at Michigan | ABC | W 27–17 | 0 | ||
| December 5 | 12:00 p.m. | at Rutgers | FS1 | W 23–7 | 0 | ||
| December 12 | 12:00 p.m. | Michigan State |
| ABC | W 39–24 | 0 | |
| December 19 | 5:30 p.m. | Illinois |
| FS1 | W 56–21 | 0 | |
| |||||||
- Schedule Source:[19]
Game summaries
at Indiana
No. 8 Penn State at Indiana – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 8 Penn State | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 35 |
| Indiana | 0 | 17 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 36 |
at Memorial Stadium, Bloomington, Indiana
- Date: October 24
- Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); sunny
- Game attendance: 995
- Referee: Ron Snodgrass
- TV announcers (FS1): Aaron Goldsmith, Mark Helfrich
- ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
No. 3 Ohio State
No. 3 Ohio State vs. No. 18 Penn State – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. 3 Ohio State | 14 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 38 |
| No. 18 Penn State | 3 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 25 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
- Date: October 31
- Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
- Game weather: 41 °F (5 °C); mostly clear
- Game attendance: 1,500
- Referee: Jerry McGinn
- TV announcers (ABC): Chris Fowler, Kirk Herbstreit, Maria Taylor
- ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Maryland
Maryland vs. Penn State – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 14 | 14 | 7 | 0 | 35 |
| Penn State | 0 | 7 | 0 | 12 | 19 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 7
- Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 72 °F (22 °C); mostly sunny
- Game attendance: 1,500
- Referee: Reggie Smith
- TV announcers (BTN): Lisa Byington, Matt Millen, Coley Harvey, Dean Blandino
- ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Nebraska
Penn State at Nebraska – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 0 | 6 | 10 | 7 | 23 |
| Nebraska | 10 | 17 | 0 | 3 | 30 |
at Memorial Stadium, Lincoln, Nebraska
- Date: November 14
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 52 °F (11 °C); mostly sunny
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Larry Smith
- TV announcers (FS1): Brian Custer, Robert Smith
- ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Iowa
Iowa vs. Penn State – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 3 | 21 | 7 | 10 | 41 |
| Penn State | 7 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 21 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
- Date: November 21
- Game time: 3:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); cloudy, rain
- Game attendance: 1,500
- Referee: Mark Kluczynski
- TV announcers (BTN): Joe Beninati, Matt Millen, Rick Pizzo
- ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Michigan
Penn State at Michigan – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 7 | 10 | 3 | 7 | 27 |
| Michigan | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
at Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Date: November 28
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C); sunny
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Larry Smith
- TV announcers (ABC): Dave Pasch, Mike Golic, Paul Carcaterra
- ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
at Rutgers
Penn State at Rutgers – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 7 | 10 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| Rutgers | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 |
at SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey
- Date: December 5
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 44 °F (7 °C); rain, partly cloudy
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: John O'Neill
- TV announcers (FS1): Mark Followill, Matt Millen, Olivia Dekker
- ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Michigan State
Michigan State vs. Penn State – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 0 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 24 |
| Penn State | 3 | 7 | 15 | 14 | 39 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
- Date: December 12
- Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C); partly cloudy
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: Ron Snodgrass
- TV announcers (ABC): Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore, Paul Carcaterra
- ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Illinois
Illinois at Pennn State – Game summary
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Penn State | 21 | 21 | 7 | 7 | 56 |
at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
- Date: December 19
- Game time: 5:30 p.m. EST
- Game weather: 30 °F (−1 °C); cloudy
- Game attendance: 0
- Referee: John O'Neill
- TV announcers (FS1): Cory Provus, Robert Smith
- ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics
Scores by quarter (Big Ten opponents)
|
Rankings
| Week | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Final | ||||||||||||||||||||
| AP | 7 | 7* | NR | NR | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 18 | RV | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Coaches | 7 | 7* | NR | 13 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 17 | RV | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | ||||||||||||||||||||
| CFP | Not released | NR | NR | NR | NR | NR | Not released | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
References
- Stevens, Matthew. "Big Ten To Play A "Championship Weekend" 9th Game Of 2020 Season". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- "Big Ten Statement on 2020-21 Fall Season". bigten.org. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- "The Big Ten Conference Adopts Stringent Medical Protocols; Football Season to Resume October 23-24, 2020". bigten.org. September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- Ryan, Jack (November 22, 2020). "Penn State's 0-5 Makes History: Worst Start Since 1887!". fastphillysports.com. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- Pickel, Greg (December 20, 2020). "Penn State announces that it won't go to a bowl game in 2020". pennlive.com. Retrieved December 19, 2020.
- "Football Coaching Staff". GoPSUsports.com. Penn State Nittany Lions. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
- https://fbschedules.com/ncaa-2020/team/penn-state
- Myerberg, Paul (July 9, 2020). "Big Ten football reduces season schedule to only conference games, maybe setting stage for others to follow". USA Today. usatoday.com. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- Dinich, Heather; Schlabach, Mark (July 9, 2020). "Big Ten moving to conference-only model for all sports this fall". ESPN. espn.com. Retrieved July 9, 2020.
- Pickel, Greg (August 5, 2020). "Penn State's 2020 college football schedule is out; here is who the Lions will face this fall". Penn Live. pennlive.com. Retrieved August 5, 2020.
- "Mountain West postpones football, fall sports". ESPN.com. August 10, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- "Big Ten Statement on Fall Season". BigTen.org. August 11, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- "Big Ten nixes fall football season, eyes spring". ESPN.com. August 11, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- "Big Ten football to resume weekend of Oct. 24". ESPN.com. September 16, 2020. Retrieved September 16, 2020.
- Blinder, Alan; Martin, Jonathan (September 12, 2020). "Trump and Biden Seek an Electoral Edge From an Unlikely Source: College Football". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- Klar, Rebecca (September 10, 2020). "Trump pushes for schools to stay open, Big Ten to play football". TheHill. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- Kim, Allen. "Big Ten officials to vote on whether to reverse course and hold an abbreviated fall college sports season". CNN. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
- "2020 Football Season Concludes". GoPSUsports.com. December 19, 2020. Retrieved December 20, 2020.
- https://gopsusports.com/sports/football/schedule/2020
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