GAME #9 Northwestern (4-4, 3-2) at Penn State (2-6, 0-5)

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1 NOVEMBER 1, 2004 Penn State Media Relations: Jeff Nelson Assistant Athletic Director for Communications & Brian Siegrist Assistant Sports Information Director P h o n e : FAX: A d d r e s s : 101 D Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA We b s i t e : w w w. G o P S U s p o r t s. c o m GAME #9 Northwestern (4-4, 3-2) at Penn State (2-6, 0-5) When: Saturday, November 6, 2004 Where: Beaver Stadium (107,282) Kickoff: 12:10 p.m. EDT Attendance: 102,000+ Series Record: Penn State leads, 7-2 Penn State Captains: No. 7 Zack Mills, Sr., QB No. 94 Derek Wake, Sr., OLB TELEVISION: ESPN Plus will televise to a regionally syndicated audience with Craig Coshun, Charles Arbuckle and Quint Kessenich calling the action. The Nittany Lions are appearing on television for the 124th time in their last 126 games. RADIO: Penn State Sports Network (60 stations) Radio Team (5th year) Play-by-Play: Steve Jones; Analysis: Jack Ham web stream: W G N Radio Network (Dave Eanet, play-byplay; Ted Albrecht, analysis) also will broadcast. COACHES: Joe Paterno Penn State Record (74.6), 39th Ye a r Overall Record Same vs. Northwestern th year on Penn State staff...second all-time in career wins among 1-A coaches...among nine coaches in NCAAhistory with 300 wins (five in I-A)...reached 300 wins faster than any coach. Randy Walker Northwestern Record , 6th Year Overall Record , 15th Year vs. Penn State THE SERIES: The Nittany Lions and Wildcats are meeting for the 10th time, with Penn State leading, 7-2, in a series which began in Penn State is 4-0 vs. Northwestern in Beaver Stadium. Northwestern rallied for a 17-7 win last year to snap the Lions five-game winning streak in the series. The teams next meet Sept. 24, 2005 in Evanston in the Big Ten opener. (See page 3 for series scores). THIS WEEK Penn State returns to Beaver Stadium, hosting Northwestern. The Nittany Lions are coming off a difficult loss at Ohio State on Saturday. The Wildcats rallied to beat No. 17 Purdue, 13-10, on Saturday. Penn State is looking to snap a five-game losing streak. MISCUES HAUNT LIONS IN LOSS AT OHIO STATE The Penn State defense turned in another outstanding performance, but miscues by the offense and special teams allowed host Ohio State to score 14 points en route to a win Saturday. The Buckeyes returned a punt for a touchdown and an interception for a score to grab a 14-0 first quarter lead before gaining a first down. The Penn State defense limited Ohio State to 12 yards and no first downs on its first three possessions as PSU out gained OSU, 97-12, but trailed, T h e Buckeyes earned their initial first down with 8:56 left in the second quarter, a drive which ended when Matt Rice forced a fumble. The Lions took advantage of the turnover, as Tony Hunt scored on a three-yard run to make the score 14-7 with 5:55 left in the second quarter. On the ensuing kickoff, though, OSU returned it to the PSU 35 to set-up the Buckeyes only scoring drive of the game for a 21-7 halftime lead. Penn State limited OSU to 202 yards, the eighth consecutive foe that has failed to gain its total offense average against the Lions. Hunt rushed for 85 yards as PSU gained 177 yards rushing, its best effort since the UCF game. TOTAL DEFENSE BEST SINCE 78 Penn State is allowing just yards per game, its best average since 1978, when the Lions permitted only yards per game en route to an 11-0 regular season. The Lions are tied for seventh nationally in total defense with Virginia Tech. Penn State also joins Auburn, Texas and Wisconsin as the only teams to not allow more than 21 points in a game this season. See page 3 for more details on the defense. PENN STATE SCOREBOARD 2004 SCHEDULE & RESULTS (ALL TIMES EASTERN) Overall: 2-6; Big Ten: 0-5; Home: 2-2; Away: 0-4 Date Opponent (rank) Score TV Attend. 9/4 AKRON ESPN+ 98,866 9/11 at Boston College 7-21 ABC 44,500 9/18 UCF ESPN+ 101,715 9/25 at Wisconsin (20) 3-16 ESPN 82,179 10/2 at Minnesota (18) 7-16 ESPN+ 50,386 10/9 PURDUE (9) ESPN 108,183 10/23 IOWA (25-HC) 4-6 ESPN2 108,062 10/30 at Ohio State ABC 104,947 11/6 NORTHWESTERN 12:10 p.m. ESPN+ 11/13 at Indiana 12:10 p.m. ESPN+ 11/20 MICHIGAN STATE TBA STATISTICAL LEADERS Rushing Tony Hunt att., 562 yds, 5 TD Austin Scott att., 195 yds, 2 TD Receiving Tony Hunt...27 rec., 243 yds, 0 TD Michael Robinson...19 rec., 283 yds, 1 TD Gerald Smith rec., 247 yds, 0 TD Passing Zack Mills112 of 197, 1,265 yds, 6 TD, 10 INT Scoring Tony Hunt TD, 30 pts Tackles P. Posluszny..32 (s), 34 (a), 66 total, 7.5 TFL A. Guman...38 (s), 19 (a), 57 total, 6.0 TFL Dan Connor...31 (s), 16 (a), 47 total, 3.5 TFL NORTHWESTERN SCOREBOARD 2004 SCHEDULE & RESULTS Overall: 4-4; Big Ten: 3-2; Home: 4-1; Away: 0-3 Date Opponent Time/Score 9/2 at TCU (2 OT) 9/11 ARIZONA STATE /18 KANSAS /25 at Minnesota /2 OHIOSTATE (OT) 10/9 INDIANA (OT) 10/23 at Wisconsin /30 PURDUE /6 at Penn State 12:10 p.m. 11/13 at Michigan 11/20 ILLINOIS 11/27 at Hawaii STATISTICAL LEADERS Rushing Noah Herron att., 863 yds, 10 TD Terrell Jordan att., 212 yds, 2 TD Receiving Mark Philmore...54 rec., 633 yds, 2 TD Jonathan Fields...29 rec., 401 yds, 3 TD Noah Herron...25 rec., 232 yds, 1 TD Passing Brett Basanez 172 of 318, 1919 yds, 9 TD, 6 INT Scoring Noah Herron TD, 66 pts Tackles Tim McGarigle69 (s), 32 (a), 101 total, 5.0 TFL Dominique Price...47 (s), 23 (a), 70 total, 5 TFL Bryan Heinz...38 (s), 20 (a), 58 total, 1.0 TFL

2 Penn State Football Weekly Release vs. Northwestern, Nov. 6, pg. 2 PENN STATE UNIVERSITY Location University Park, Pa Enrollment ,795 (35,002 undergraduate) at University Park Nickname Nittany Lions Colors Blue & White Stadium (Capacity). Beaver Stadium (107,282) Stadium Surface Natural Grass Conference Big Ten President Dr. Graham Spanier Athletic Director Tim Curley Head Football Coach Joe Paterno Associate Athletic Director for Football Administration Fran Ganter Director of Football Operations Tom Venturino Football Office Phone (814) History First Year of Football All-Time Record , 118th season; seventh in victories. All-Time Bowl Record (64.8); third in bowl winning percentage; tied for third in bowl wins. Years in Post-Season Play ; tied for seventh in all-time bowl appearances Assistant Coaches Dick Anderson (Penn State 63) 27th season Offensive Line (Guards & Centers) Tom Bradley (Penn State 79) 26th season In charge of Defense/Cornerbacks Galen Hall (Penn State 63) 1st season In charge of Offense/Running Backs Larry Johnson (Elizabeth City St. 73) 9th season Defensive Line Bill Kenney (Norwich 82) 17th season Offensive Tackles/Tight Ends Mike McQueary (Penn State 97) 1st season Wide Receivers Asst./Recruiting Coordinator Brian Norwood (Hawaii 88) 4th season Safeties Jay Paterno (Penn State 90) 10th season Quarterbacks Ron Vanderlinden (Albion 79) 4th season Linebackers Kermitt Buggs & Travis Rundle Grad. Assts. Media Relations Office Asst AD for Communications/ Football Contact Jeff Nelson Secondary Football Contact... Brian Siegrist, Assistant Sports Information Director Assistant Sports Information Directors Jen Armson, Pat Donghia, Stephanie Mociun & Erin Whiteside Sports Information Assistant Bob Vo l k e r t Media Relations Phone..... (814) Media Relations Fax (814) Media Relations Address 101-D Bryce Jordan University Park, Pa VS. NORTHWESTERN GAME NOTES NU COACH RANDY WALKER Randy Walker has a record in his sixth year as coach of the Wildcats. He is in his 15th season overall, having coached at Miami (Ohio) from He is a 1976 graduate of Miami. VANDERLINDEN HAS NU TIES Penn State linebackers coach Ron Vanderlinden was Northwestern s Defensive Coordinator and Assistant Head Coach from , helping the Wildcats win Big Ten titles in 1995 and 96. He was head coach at Maryland from , joining the Penn State staff prior to the 2001 season. Vanderlinden has developed a talented linebacking corps, who comprise four of the squad s top five tacklers, led by sophomore Paul Posluszny with 66 stops, including 7.5 tackles for loss. PREP TEAMMATES COLLIDE One pair of former high school teammates will be on opposite sidelines Saturday. Penn State DE Matt Rice and Northwestern CBMarvin Ward played at Eleanor Roosevelt High School in suburban Washington, D.C. ZWIERZYNSKI HAILS FROM ILLINOIS Redshirt sophomore linebacker J.R. Zwierzynski (Oswego/Joliet Catholic HS) is Penn State s lone player from Illinois. Zwierzynski has nine tackles, with one TFL, and one pass break-up while seeing duty on defense and special teams. LAST MEETING For the first 52 minutes of the game, Penn State out-played host Northwestern, but several missed opportunities left the Lions clinging to a 7-0 lead. But, with eight minutes to play, the fortunes of the Nittany Lions and Wildcats quickly turned and NU went on to post a 17-7 win on Nov. 8, 2003, snapping PSU s fivegame winning streak in the series Penn State easily could have been ahead by 20 or more points at halftime, but two short missed field goals and a dropped pass that would have gone for a touchdown left the Lions up only 7-0 on a Zack Mills one-yard touchdown run in the second quarter. Midway through the fourth quarter, NU successfully faked a field goal and tied the game on a Jason Wright six-yard run with 6:49 to play. The Lions went three-and-out and NU took possession on the PSU 39 after a 28-yard punt return. On third and 12, QB B r e t t Basanez lofted the pigskin downfield and PSU safety Yaacov Yisrael got his hands on the ball for an apparent interception or pass break-up near the goal line. OFFENSE Penn State Northwestern Rushing/Game Rushing/Att Passing Passing/Game Total/Game Total/Att Scoring/Game Turnover Margin U n f o r t u n a t e l y, teammate Rich Gardner also went for the ball, knocking it from Yi s r a e l s grasp and into the hands of Wildcat receiver Brandon Horn who cradled the ball in the end zone for a stunning 14-7 lead with 4:50 to play. On Penn State s next possession, Mills was intercepted and NU sealed the game with a 27-yard field goal with :55 to play. SCOUTING THE WILDCATS Northwestern returned 36 lettermen and 18 starters (eight on offense, nine on defense and one specialist) from last year s 6-7 squad that lost to Bowling Green in the Motor City Bowl. The Wildcats rallied in the final minutes to beat No. 17 Purdue, 13-10, on Saturday in Evanston. The win was their second of the year over a Top 25 team, having beaten Ohio State, in overtime on Oct. 2. Running back Noah Herron ran for a three-yard touchdown with :38 left to lift the Wildcats over Purdue. The Boilermakers entered the game averaging yards per game passing, but were held to season low 210 by NU and 332 total yards, more than 100 below their average. Northwestern ranks fourth in the Big Ten in total offense at ypg and is second in the league in passing offense at ypg. Quarterback Brett Basanez is 172 of 318 (54.1) for 1,919 yards, with nine touchdowns and six interceptions. He is NU s third-leading rusher with 176 yards on 60 attempts and three scores. Basanez is second in the Big Ten in passing yardage (239.9 ypg) and total offense (261.9 ypg). B a s a n e z s favorite targets are WR Mark Philmore ( ), WR Jonathan Fields ( ), Herron ( ) and WR Ashton Aikens ( ). INJURY REPORT QB Zack Mills (concussion) - probable C E.Z. Smith (knee) - probable WR Gerald Smith (leg) - probable Saf Andrew Guman (chest) - questionable TB Austin Scott (head) - questionable TE Jordan Lyons (shoulder) - out; Saf Chris Harrell (neck) - out; Coach Joe Paterno said during pre-season that Harrell is likely to redshirt this season after suffering a slow healing neck injury during spring drills. STATISTICAL COMPARISON DEFENSE Penn State Northwestern Rushing/Game Rushing/Att Passing Passing/Game Total/Game Total/Att Scoring/Game

3 Penn State Football Weekly Release vs. Northwestern, Nov. 6, pg. 3 Herron has rushed for 863 yards on 174 carries TOTAL DEFENSE AVG. BEST SINCE (5.0) and 10 touchdowns. He averages yards 1978; LIONS IN TOP 15 IN THREE per game to rank third in the Big Ten. RB Terrell DEFENSIVE CATEGORIES Jordan has rushed for 212 yards on 42 attempts The Penn State defense has played superbly all (5.0) and has two scores. season and continues to rise in the Big Ten and Middle linebacker Tim McGarigle is tied for NCAArankings, earning top 15 rankings nationally in three categories. the Big Ten lead in tackles at 12.6 per game. He has 101 stops, including 5.0 TFL. Strong safety The Nittany Lions limited Ohio State to just Dominque Price is second on the team with 70 hits, 202 yards in total offense and allowed one touchdown Saturday, but the Buckeyes returned a punt including 5.0 TFL, and has three fumble recoveries and an interception. Free safety Bryan Heinz has 58 for a touchdown and returned an interception for a stops and an interception. score to post a victory in Columbus. The stellar defensive effort by Penn State has THREE PA. OUTLETS TO CARRY PSUmoved the Nittany Lions into a tie for seventh place NU TILT; CLOSE TO 40 OUTLETS TO (with Virginia Tech) in total defense, allowing just CARRY ACROSS THE NATION yards per game. The Penn State-Northwestern contest will be Penn State s ypg average is its best since televised by ESPN Plus to a regionally syndicated 1978, when the Lions allowed only yards per audience. game en route to an 11-0 regular season and a Three outlets in Pennsylvania will carry the Sugar Bowl berth against Alabama for the National ESPN Plus telecast, in addition to more than 35 Championship. other outlets across the nation. The following The Nittany Lions limited the Buckeyes to 59 Pennsylvania stations will carry the game: yards passing, improving PSU s pass defense average to yards per game, also good for seventh State College/Johnstown/Altoona (WTAJ-TV, Ch. 10); Pittsburgh WTAE-TV, Ch. 4- (Tape delay, nationally. 3:30 p.m.); Harrisburg / L a n c a s t e r / Yo r k / R e a d i n g Penn State has not allowed more than 21 points (WLYH-TV, Ch. 15). in a game this season and is allowing an average of Stations, cable networks or cable systems in the 15.4 points per contest, tied for 13th nationally following cities also will carry the ESPN Plus production of the game: defense has given up only 10 touchdowns in eight with Oklahoma and Georgia. The Nittany Lion Chicago (WBBM); Detroit (WKBD); Dallas- games, an average of 1.25 per game. Eliminating Fort Worth (KFWD); Atlanta (CSS); Houston the two punt returns and one interception return (KNWS); Minneapolis-St. Paul (WCCO); scores by the opposition drops the scoring defense Cleveland (WOIO); Denver (KHWD); average to ppg, which would rank sixth in the Indianapolis (WTTV); Cincinnati (WKRC); nation. Milwaukee (WMLW) and Columbus (WBNS). The Nittany Lions are tied for 31st nationally in For a complete list of the outlets carrying the rushing defense at ypg. Penn State-Northwestern game, go to: In the Big Ten rankings, the Penn State defense or o r t s. c o m / s p o r t s / m - f o o t b l / s p e c - in scoring and fifth in rushing. The Lions trail only is second in total defense, second in passing, third rel/102504aad.html. unbeaten Wisconsin in total and pass defense. M E D I A S E R V I C E S SUNDAY Updated cumulative stats: Available by 12:00 p.m. Posted to official Athletics website: MONDAY PSU Weekly Release: Available by 4:00 p.m. Posted to official Athletics website: TUESDAY Big Ten Teleconference: Head coach Joe Paterno will be available as part of the Big Ten weekly teleconference at: 1:20 p.m. (ET) Penn State weekly press conference: Coach Joe Paterno and two Penn State players will be available for questions in person and via telephone on Tu e s d a y, Nov. 2. To participate please contact the Media Relations Office at Joe Paterno at 12:30 p.m. (ET) Penn State players at 1:00 p.m. (ET) Satellite feed: 12:30-1:30 p.m. Satellite Coordinates: SBS 6, Transponder 8 (Ku), Downlink V. TUESDAY - WEDNESDAY Player Interviews: Selected players will be available via teleconference for interviews. For information or to request a specific player please contact Valerie Cingle at PSU Media Relations ( ). THURSDAY NITTANY LION HOTLINE Weekly radio show The radio call-in show, featuring Joe Paterno, will be aired on the Penn State Sports Network on Thursday, Nov. 4 from 6:05 to 7:00 p.m. (ET). The number to call to ask a question of the coach is LIONS. The Tuesday teleconference, Nittany Lion Hotline and game radio broadcasts are available at: SATURDAY Post Game Video Feed Coach Paterno s and player postgame interviews as well as highlights from the Northwestern game will be available immediately after the game. The satellite coordinates are: AMC 9, Transponder K 16, Downlink H. SERIES NOTES Series History: 10th meeting. Penn State leads, 7-2 Series Streak: NU-1 Last Game: Nov. 8, 2003; NU 17, PSU 7 Last Penn State Win: Oct. 19, 2002; PSU 49, NU 0 Next Game: Sept. 24, 2005 in Evanston BEST RUSHING PERFORMANCES: Larry Johnson, PSU, 23 for 257, 2002 Mike Archie, PSU, 27 for 173, 1993 Noah Herron, NU, 25 for 180, 2003 Darnell Autry, NU, 39 for 171, 1994 BEST PASSING PERFORMANCES: Kerry Collins, PSU, 19 for 30, 278 yds, 1993 Steve Schnur, NU, 22 for 49, 278 yds, 1996 Zak Kustok, NU, 23 for 40, 298 yds, 2001 BEST RECEIVING PERFORMANCES: Bobby Engram, PSU, 8 for 132, 1993 Bryant Johnson, PSU, 8 for 129, 2001 Sam Simmons, NU, 7 for 168, 2001 Paterno Teams vs. Big Ten: all-time; since starting Conference play in Paterno Teams in Big Ten Home Games: (since 1993) Paterno Teams In November: since PENN STATE VS NORTHWESTERN SERIES Nittany Lions Lead, 7-2 H: 4-0; A: 3-2 Nov. 20, 1993 Penn State 43, at NU 21 Nov. 19, 1994 at Penn State 45, NU 17 Nov. 4, 1995 at NU 21, Penn State 10 Nov. 2, 1996 at Penn State 34, NU 9 Nov. 1, 1997 Penn State 30, at NU 27 Nov. 14, 1998 at Penn State 41, NU 10 Oct. 20, 2001 Penn State 38, at NU 35 Oct. 19, 2002 at Penn State 49, NU 0 Nov. 8, 2003 at NU 17, Penn State 7

4 Penn State Football Weekly Release vs. Northwestern, Nov. 6, pg. 4 PSU RECORD WHEN Overall Record Day Games Night Games (5 p.m. or later) TV Games ABC ESPN ESPN ESPN Scoring First Opponent Scoring First Leading at the Half Trailing at the Half Tied at the Half Leading after Third Qt Trailing after Third Qt Tied after Third Qt Overtime Games Scoring less than 20 pts Scoring 20+ points Scoring 30+ Points Scoring 40+ Points Allowing 10 points or less Allowing 20 points or less Allowing 21+ points Allowing 30+ points Rushing for less than 100 yds Rushing for over 100 yds Rushing for 200+ yds Rushing for 300+ yds Passing for less than 200 yds Passing for yds Passing for 300+ yds Totalling less than 300 yds total offense yds of total offense yds of total offense yds of total offens Allowing less than 100 yds rushing Allowing more than 100yds rushing Allowing less than 300 yds total offense Allowing 300+ yds total offense Having a 100-yd rusher Having two 100-yd rushers Not having a 100-yd rusher Opp. has a 100-yd rusher No turnovers Less than 3 turnovers turnovers No takeaways or more takeaways More than 30:00 of possession Less than 30:00 of possession WINS VS. LOSSES PSU Wins.....Losses Points Scored Total Offense First Downs Rushing Yards Passing Yards Time of Possession : :36 3rd Down Conv. Pct.. 12/24 (50%)...30/90 (33%) Points Allowed Yards Allowed Rushing Yds Allowed Passing Yds Allowed Turnover Ratio (-.5) (-1) Penn State has held all eight opponents below their season average in total offense. Ohio State entered the game averaging yards, but was limited to 202 by the Lions, 121 below the Buckeyes average. It marked the fifth time this season Penn State has held the opposition more than 120 yards below their total offense average, including each of the last four games. Ohio State became just the second team to score more than its season average, scoring 21, by virtue of its punt and interception returns for scores. The Buckeyes entered the game averaging 19.7 ppg. LIONS ONE OF ONLY FOUR TEAMS TO NOT ALLOW MORE THAN 21 POINTS Penn State is among elite company as one of only four Division I-A teams that has not allowed more than 21 points in a game this season. The others are: Wisconsin (8-0), Auburn (9-0) and Texas (7-1). There are 117 Division I-Ateams this season. DEFENSE SUPERB AFTER TURNOVERS Penn State has turned the ball over 23 times this season, but the Nittany Lion defense has been superb in the quick turnaround situations, allowing only two touchdowns and three field goals for a total of 23 points. The Lions have forced 12 punts after the turnovers, as well forcing one fumble, recording two safeties and blocking a field goal. The game ended after one of the turnovers and Ohio State returned an interception for a touchdown. KAPINOS BOOMS SECOND-LONGEST PUNT IN SCHOOL HISTORY; EARNS BIG TEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK Sophomore Jeremy Kapinos (Springfield, Va.) averaged 50.5 yards on his six punts at Ohio State, the second time this season he has averaged better than 50 yards per punt (52.0 vs. Purdue). Kapinos' effort was fifth-best in school history in a game. He now owns the third and fifth-best punting games in PSU annals. The highlight of his performance was a 78-yard punt that was downed on the OSU one-yard line by a hustling Calvin Lowry. The kick was the secondlongest punt in Penn State history, trailing only the 89-yard effort by Coop French against Iowa in The Penn State defense has played well all season, holding seven of eight opponents to their scoring average or below, and all eight below their total offense averages entering the contest with the Nittany Lions. This despite Penn State giving up over a four minute per game deficit in time of possession (27:50 to 32:10). Boston College, which scored 21 points (two more than its 19.0 average after one game), is the only opponent to have reached or exceeded its scoring average against Penn State. Boston College (-12) and Wisconsin (-32) are the only teams to get within 80 yards of reaching their total offense totals entering the game with the Lions. Penn State had its strongest efforts against the averages in holding Purdue to 20 points (27 below its average) and 348 yards (201 below Kapinos' kick also was the second longest by an opponent in Ohio Stadium history. Following the 78-yard punt, Penn State forced a three-and-out and got the ball back on its own 48, setting up Robbie Gould s fourth quarter field goal. For his efforts, Kapinos was selected the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week. The conference honor is his first and the first for a Penn State specialist since Robbie Gould against Wisconsin in The only other PSUpunter to be recognized by the Big Ten was Pat Pidgeon vs. Arizona in For the season, Kapinos has punted 44 times for a 42.1 yard average, with 10 punts inside the 20. RARE FIVE-GAME LOSING STREAK Penn State has lost five consecutive games for just the second time in Joe Paterno s 39 seasons and 459 games as head coach. The only other time was last year when the Nittany Lions lost six straight contests. JUST FIFTH LOSING SEASON UNDER JOE PATERNO The Nittany Lions will have a losing record this season for just the fifth time in Joe Paterno s 39 seasons as head coach. The other years were: 1988 (5-6), 2000 (5-7), 2001 (5-6) and 2003 (3-9). LIONS FACE FIVE CONSECUTIVE FOES THAT HAVE BEEN RANKED Penn State is coming off a five-game stetch in which all five opponents had been ranked during the course of the season. The Lions played four consecutive ranked foes in the same season for the first time since starting Big Ten play in Wisconsin (5) and Iowa (20) are ranked this week, Ohio State fell out of the top 25 on Oct. 17 and Purdue and Minnesota fell out this week. Penn State also played Boston College, which is ranked No. 24 in this week s APpoll. DEFENSE HOLDS OHIO STATE TO 202 YARDS & ONE OFFENSIVE SCORE The Penn State defense continued its superlative play at Ohio State, allowing only a short touchdown drive by the Buckeye offense. Penn State has held all eight opponents below their season average in total offense. Ohio State entered the game averaging yards, but was DEFENSE HOLDING OPPONENTS BELOW OFFENSIVE AVERAGES average), Minnesota to 16 points (28 below its average) and 401 yards (142 below average) and Iowa to six points (19 below average) and 168 yards (166 below average). YARDS SCORING TOTAL Opp. Avg. vs. PSU Avg. vs. PSU Akron 36.2 ( 03) 10 (-26) ( 03) 295 (-175) BC (+2) (-12) UCF (-) (-83) Wis (-4) (-32) Minn (-28) (-142) Purdue (-27) (-201) Iowa (-19) (-166) Ohio St (-.4) (-105)

5 Penn State Football Weekly Release vs. Northwestern, Nov. 6, pg. 5 limited to 202 by the Lions, 121 below the Buckeyes average. It marked the fifth time this season Penn State has held the opposition more than 120 yards below their total offense average, including each of the last four games. The defense has just two senior starters, free safety Andrew Guman and OLB Derek Wake. The Nittany Lions limited OSU to 13 first downs and 59 yards passing. Eight of the Buckeyes 10 possessions ended in seven plays or less. The defense forced a pair of turnovers, one of which set-up a PSU touchdown drive. Midway through the second quarter, junior DEMatt Rice (Glenarden, Md.) sacked Troy Smith and forced a fumble that was recovered by senior OLB Wake (Beltsville, Md.) at the OSU 41. A 26-yard run by Tony Hunt (Alexandria, Va.) set-up his own threeyard run to cut the lead to The TD marked the first time this season the Lions had converted a turnover into points in Big Ten play. Midway through the third period, Wake forced a fumble that was pounced on by junior safety Calvin Lowry (Fayetteville, N.C.) at the PSU 20. Penn State was forced to punt, but Jeremy Kapinos launched a 78-yard effort, which was downed by Lowry at the OSU1. The Nittany Lions recorded six minus-yardage plays, including three sacks. Wake, sophomore Paul Posluszny (Aliquippa) and junior DE Tamba Hali (Teaneck, N.J.) all tied for the team lead with 10 tackles. Guman had nine stops, including his first career sack, before leaving the game with a chest contusion. Freshman LB Dan Connor (Wallingford) had seven hits. MILLS BECOMES PSU CAREER PASSING YARDAGE LEADER; NAME ON 17 SCHOOL RECORDS Senior quarterback Zack Mills (Ijamsville, Md.) became Penn State s career passing yardage leader in the UCFgame, moving past Tony Sacca ( ). Mills name is on 17 Penn State game, season and career passing and total offense records. Mills was 19 of 29 for 229 yards against the Golden Knights, giving him 6,081 yards by game s end to eclipse Sacca s mark of 5,852. He enters the Northwestern game with 6,755 career passing yards. He did not play against Ohio State after suffering a concussion against Iowa on Oct. 23. Mills had one of his top career performances in the Lions loss to Purdue, setting career highs with 29 completions and 49 attempts, while his 293 yards were second-highest. His previous high for attempts was 46 at Minnesota on Oct. 2 and the 49 pass attempts were the third-highest single-game total by a Penn State quarterback. His 29 completions topped his 27 vs. Ohio State in 2003 and were the second-highest total by a Nittany Lion. Mills' 293 yards passing were the second highest total of his career, trailing only his school record 399 yards passing against Iowa in T h e yardage was tied for the 13th highest single-game total in school history. Mills posted the 16th 200-yard passing game of his career in the Purdue game, tying him for Penn State career high 200-yard passing games with Kerry Collins. Mills' 37-yard TD pass to Terrell Golden against Purdue was the 38th TD pass in his career, moving him into sole possession of fourth place on the PSU career list. Kerry Collins ( ) is third with 39, with Todd Blackledge ( ) and Sacca ( ) tied for first with 41. Against Minnesota, Mills had a strong effort despite an injured right (non-throwing) shoulder. He was 24 of 46 for 250 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. His 24 completions were the second-highest of his career at the time and his 46 attempts were a career-high and fourth-highest in PSU annals at the time. HUNT EARNS SECOND 100-YA R D RECEIVING GAME EVER BY A PSU RB Sophomore Tony Hunt (Alexandria, Va.) has used a hard running style, an explosive burst and pass receiving versatility to establish himself as a consistently productive offensive weapon and one of the Big Ten s top running threats through the first seven games of the season. Hunt leads the team in rushing with 562 yards and five touchdows and also leads the team in receptions with 27. His seven catches for 110 yards at Minnesota is Penn State s top receiving game on the season and marked the first time a PSU tailback has posted a 100-yard receiving game since John Williams grabbed eight balls for 119 yards and a touchdown at Miami (Fla.) in Hunt and Williams are the only running backs in PSU history to surpass the 100-yard mark in receiving for a game. Hunt has added 243 receiving yards (third on the team) to his rushing total to become one of the top all-around offensive threats in the Big Ten. He ranks ninth in the conference in all-purpose yardage at yards per game. He has rushed 155 times for 562 yards, five touchdowns and a NCAA LEADERS IN VICTORIES M i c h i g a n 841 Notre Dame 801 N e b r a s k a 786 Te x a s 783 A l a b a m a 763 Ohio State 761 PENN STAT E 758 PSU 2004 SEASON HONORS Zack Mills - Davey O Brien Award Watch List Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Watch List Alan Zemaitis - Thorpe Award Watch List Jeremy Kapinos - Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week (10/30) DEFENSIVE RESURGENCE HAS NITTANY LIONS ON PACE FOR BEST TOTAL DEFENSE MARK SINCE 1978 A Penn State defense that starts six juniors, three sophomores and just two seniors has gelled into a formidable unit that has given up just yards per game (tied for seventh nationally) through the Nittany Lions first eight games. That is an improvement of 87 yards per game over the yards per game Penn State surrendered last season. Penn State, which ranks second in the Big Ten in total defense, is well on its way to allowing its fewest yards per game in the last 27 years and, at its current pace, will post its best per game average since allowing yards per game in The Lions are allowing 4.1 yards per play, their best figure since 1990 (4.0). Penn State, which ranks third in the Big Ten and tied for 13th nationally in scoring defense, is allowing just 15.4 points per game, nearly a touchdown per game less than last season, and has given up only 15 plays of 20 or more yards on the year, two on the ground. Opponents have run for a total of 937 yards (794 yards less than the 1,731 gained through eight games last year) and an average of just yards per game, 99 yards less per game than the yard per game average at the same point last season (which included a 79-yard effort by Kent State). They have thrown for yards per game (second in the Big Ten and seventh nationally), just over 30 yards per game more than the same point last season (127.6 per game) while attempting 38 more passes (221 to 183). All of Penn State s defensive category leaders have eligibility remaining after this season. Penn State s leading tackler is sophomore linebacker Paul Posluszny (66). Juniors Scott Paxson and Matt Rice lead the team in sacks (3), while junior Tamba Hali leads in tackles for loss (10.0 for minus 26 yards), junior Anwar Phillips leads in interceptions (3) and pass break-ups (9) and junior Calvin Lowry leads PSU and the Big Ten in fumbles recovered (4).

6 Penn State Football Weekly Release vs. Northwestern, Nov. 6, pg. 6 JOE PATERNO BY THE NUMBERS 139,000: Square feet in Paterno Library, which opened in : Penn State lettermen since : Number of coaching changes in Div. I-A since (Includes two changes this season) 613: Games coached as Penn State assistant or head coach (missed two games) 459: Games as head coach (second all-time) 445: Wins as member of staff (615 games; ) 341: Career Wins (second all-time) 324: Broke Division I-A career wins mark with 324th win vs. Ohio State (29-27) on October 27, : Earned 300th win vs. Bowling Green (48-3) on September 12, : Nittany Lions who ve played in the NFL 250: Earned 250th win at Iowa (31-0) on September 18, : Earned 200th win vs. Bowling Green (45-19) on September 5, : Earned 150th win at Pittsburgh (48-14) on November 28, : Academic All-Big Ten selections (since 1993-most in conference) 100: Earned 100th win vs. North Carolina State (41-20) on Nov. 6, : Graduation rate (2003 NCAA report) 76: Four-year graduation rate (2003 NCAAreport) 69: Length of his game-winning punt return for Brown vs. Holy Cross in : First team All-Americans (69 selections) 55: Years on Penn State staff 50: Earned 50th win vs. Maryland (63-27) vs. Maryland on November 6, : Years as head coach 36: Jersey number as QB-DB at Brown 33: Shutouts by Penn State 31: Longest unbeaten streak (30-0-1; ) 31: Bowl trips as head coach (all-time leader) 30: Academic All-Americans 29: First round NFL draft choices 23: Winning streak from : First team Academic All-Americans 20: Teams ranked in the final top 10 20: Bowl victories (all-time leader) 18: NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners 14: Grandchildren 14: National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Scholar- A t h l e t e s 14: Interceptions made as Brown DB 14: New Year s Day bowl wins 8: Number of U.S. presidents since he became coach in : Unbeaten, untied regular seasons 7: Years had a team ranked No. 1 7: Beaver Stadium expansions since 66 5: Children 5: Unbeaten, untied seasons 4: He and wife, Sue, have given more than $4 million to Penn State to endow scholarships, professorships and assist in facilities projects 2: National Championships 1: First win was a 15-7 over Maryland on Sept. 17, 1966 before a Beaver Stadium crowd of 40,911 NOTING HEAD COACH JOE PATERNO In 39th season as Penn State head coach and 55th year as a member of the PSU coaching staff, Paterno has been on the sideline for 612 Penn State games. His 39 years in Happy Valley rank second only to Amos Alonzo Stagg s 41 seasons as head coach at the University of Chicago. Second all-time in career victories among Division I-A college coaches. Owns a career record of His winning percentage of 75.5 ranked sixth-best among active Division I-A coaches entering the season. Broke the record for career wins by a major college coach, passing Paul Bear Bryant, with his 324th victory in a thrilling win over Ohio State on Oct. 27, Ranks second all-time in games coached (458) among major college coaches. One of just nine coaches in NCAA history to record 300 wins (five in I-A), reaching the milestone faster than anyone (380 games). He is the only Div. I-A coach with 300 wins at one school. Has directed Penn State to five unbeaten seasons (1968, 69, 73, 86, 94) and two national championships (1982, 86). Is the all-time leader among coaches in bowl appearances (31) and post-season triumphs (21). His overall post-season record of gives him a winning percentage of 66.1, ranking him No. 4 among the bowl season s best of all-time. Paterno is the only coach to win the four traditional New Year s Day games - the Rose, Sugar, Cotton and Orange Bowls - and the Fiesta Bowl. Four-time AFCA Coach-of-the-Year selection Has coached 69 first-team All-Americans, including three in Under Paterno Penn State has produced 14 Hall of Fame Scholar-Athletes, 22 first-team Academic All-Americans (30 overall) and 18 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners. Paterno teams have 20 finishes in the Top 10 of the national rankings, 29 in the Top 20. Posted 11 or more victories on a season 12 times and 10 or more 18 times. Has coached more than 250 NFL players, 29 of them first-round draft choices. including a school record four first-round selections in the 2003 NFL draft. Has coached players who have won all of the major college awards - Heisman, Maxwell, Walter Camp, Lombardi, O Brien, Outland, Butkus, Doak Walker and Biletnikoff. Three of his former players (Jack Ham, Franco Harris & Mike Munchak) have been enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame. Penn State s 137 Academic all-conference selections since joining the Big Ten in 1993 are the most of any league school. Since being named Penn State head coach in 1966, there have been 742 head coaching changes in Division I, an average of six per school, and eight administrations of U.S. presidents. ALL-TIME COACHING VICTORIES A 1950 graduate of Brown University where he played quarterback and defensive back on the football team and two seasons on the basketball team. Recipient of the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award, the AFCA s highest honor, in Honored with his image on the Wheaties box in Appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated as its Sportsman-of-the-Year in First active coach ever to recieve the Distinguished American award from the National Football Foundation and College Football Hall of Fame. Inaugural winner of the State Farm Eddie Robinson Coachof-the-Year Award in John Gagliardi (active) Eddie Robinson Bobby Bowden (active) JOE PAT E R N O ( a c t i v e ) Bear Bryant Pop Wa r n e r Roy Kidd Amos Alonzo Stagg Tubby Raymond He and his wife, Sue, have contributed more than $4 million to Penn State University. The 135,000-square foot Paterno Library, dedicated in 1999, on the Penn State campus is named after the Paternos and they also made significant contributions to build the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, which opened in 2003, and the Penn State All-Sports Museum, which opened in Signed a four-year contract extension in May 2004 that extends through the 2008 season.

7 Penn State Football Weekly Release vs. Northwestern, Nov. 6, pg. 7 MILLS NEARS BIG TEN TOP 10 Senior quarterback Zack Mills is neary the Top 10 in several Big Ten career passing and total offense records. Here is a breakdown: TOTAL OFFENSE Career Plays 1. 1,931 Drew Brees, PUR ,917 Antwaan Randle El, IND ,614 Len Williams, NU ,514 John Navarre, MICH ,481 Kyle Orton, PUR present 6. 1,464 Art Schlichter, OSU ,460 Mark Herrmann, PUR Kurt Kittner, ILL ,418 Jack Trudeau, ILL , ,415 Mike Greenfield, NU ,405 Jeff Smoker, MSU ,309 Zack Mills present Career Yards Gained 1. 11,792 Drew Brees, PUR ( ) ,461 Chuck Long, IOWA ( ) ,946 Nark Herrmann, PUR ( ) ,254 John Navarre, MICH ( ) ,932 Jeff Smoker, MSU ( ) ,776 Kyle Orton, PUR present 7. 8,732 Jack Trudeau, ILL ( ) ,722 Kurt Kittner, ILL ( ) ,686 Darrell Bevell, WIS ( ) ,636 Scott Campbell, PUR ( ) ,547 Art Schlichter, OSU ( ) ,258 Zack Mills present PASSING Career Passing Attempts 1. 1,678 Drew Brees, PUR (1,026 comp.) ,420 Kyle Orton, PUR present 3. 1,366 John Navarre, MICH (765 comp.) ,309 Mark Herrmann, PUR (772 comp.) ,264 Kurt Kittner, ILL (682 comp.) ,245 Jack Trudeau, ILL (797 comp.) ,203 Chuck Long, IOWA (782 comp.) ,150 Jeff Smoker, MSU (685 comp.) ,083 Jason Verduzco, ILL (678 comp.) ,076 Len Williams, NU (644 comp.) ,060 Scott Campbell, PUR (609 comp.) Antwaan Randle El, IND (528 comp.) ,011 Zack Mills present Career Completions 1. 1,026 Drew Brees, PUR (1,678 att.) Jack Trudeau, ILL (1,245 att.) Chuck Long, IOWA (1,203 att.) Mark Herrmann, PUR (1,309 att.) John Navarre, MICH (1,366 att.) Kyle Orton, PUR present Jeff Smoker, MSU (1,150 att.) Kurt Kittner, ILL (1,264 att.) Jason Verduzco, ILL (1,083 att.) Darrell Bevell, WIS (1,052 att.) Len Williams, NU (1,076 att.) Zack Mills present MILLS LOOKS TO BE FIRST LION TO LEAD LIONS IN TOTAL OFFENSE AND JUST SECOND TO LEAD IN PASSING FOR FOUR SEASONS Senior quarterback Zack Mills has led the Nittany Lions in total offense and passing each of the last three seasons becoming just the fifth Lion to accomplish either feat in Penn State history. He will look to become the only Lion to lead the team in total offense in four seasons this year and join Tony Sacca ( ) as just the second Lion to lead the team in passing four seasons: Three Season Total Offense Leaders: Elwood Petchel, QB, Chuck Fusina, QB, Todd Blackledge, QB, Tony Sacca, QB, 1988, Zack Mills, QB, Three Season Passing Leaders: Elwood Petchel, QB, Chuck Fusina, QB, Todd Blackledge, QB, Zack Mills, QB, Four Season Passing Leaders: Tony Sacca, QB, strong 4.9 yard per carry average. Against Iowa, he eclipsed Austin Scott s team leading total of 436 yards on the ground last season. Against Ohio State, Hunt had a career-high 20 carries for 85 yards and a touchdown, with a long burst of 26 yards. He also made two catches for 17 yards. Hunt has posted two 100-yard games, including a career high 137 yards on 16 carries in his first start against Akron, and posted a career-high three touchdowns in the win over UCF. He has led the team in rushing in every game and has led the team four times in receptions (posting seven in a game against BC, Minnesota and Purdue to equal the team s best single-game total on the year). Hunt has shown the ability to grind out the tough yards as well as a big-play burst that has produced at least one 20-yard run in four of Penn State s first eight games and a total of 10 plays (7 runs, 3 receptions) over 20 yards so far on the season. Penn State had a team total of six running plays of 20 yards or more yards last season and just two over 25 yards. Hunt has five runs of 25 yards or more on the year, including a 77-yard TD sprint in the opening win over Akron that marked Penn State s longest run from scrimmage since Larry Johnson reeled off a 78-yard effort against Michigan State in GOULD MOVES INTO TOP 10 IN CAREER SCORING Senior placekicker Robbie Gould (Lock Haven) kicked a field goal and an extra point against Ohio State and is in sixth place on the school career scoring list. Gould has 216 points and needs 15 points to break into the top five in career scoring with 231 points. TURNOVER TROUBLES Penn State took some positive strides in turnovers against Purdue, forcing the Boilermakers first two turnovers of the season, while not turning the ball over, but took a step PSU RECORD WATCH Career Touchdown Passes 41 Todd Blackledge; Tony Sacca; Kerry Collins; Zack Mills; 2001-present 37 Chuck Fusina; Career 200-Yard Passing Games 16 Zack Mills; 2001-present 16 Kerry Collins; Career Scoring Craig Fayak, Brett Conway, Travis Forney, Lydell Mitchell, Curtis Enis, Robbie Gould, 2001-present Massimo Manca, 1982, Larry Johnson, Ki-Jana Carter, Curt Warner, MILLS RECORD RUNDOWN Senior quarterback Zack Mills owns 17 Penn State records thus far on his career. Here is the rundown: Career Total Offense 7,258 Zack Mills; 2001-present Career Total Offensive Plays 1,309 Zack Mills, 2001-present Career Passing Yardage 6,755 Zack Mills; 2001-present Career Pass Completions 563 Zack Mills; 2001-present Career Pass Attempts 1,011 Zack Mills; 2001-present Career 200-Yard Passing Games 16 Zack Mills; 2001-present Game Passing Yardage 399 Zack Mills vs. Iowa; 2002 Game Total Offense 418 Zack Mills vs. Ohio State; 2001 Passing Yards in Consecutive Games 686 Zack Mills vs. Iowa (399) & at Wisconsin (287) 2002 Season Second Half Passing Yards 310 Zack Mills vs. Iowa, 2002 Passing Yards by a Sophomore 2,417 Zack Mills, 2002 Passing Yards in a Game by a Sophomore 399 Zack Mills vs. Iowa, 2002 Total Offense by a Sophomore 2,618 Zack Mills; 2002 Passing Yards by a Freshman 1,669 Zack Mills, 2001 Passing Yards in a Game by a Freshman 280 Zack Mills vs. Ohio State & S. Mississippi, 2001 Total Offense by a Freshman 1,856 Zack Mills; 2001 Total Offense In a Game by a Freshman 418 Zack Mills; 2001

8 Penn State Football Weekly Release vs. Northwestern, Nov. 6, pg. 8 PENN STATE FOOTBALL GRADUATION RATE BEST AMONG ALL DIVISION I-A PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS The outstanding graduation performance by Penn S t a t e s student-athletes, 80 percent according to the 2003 NCAAgraduation rate report, was further accentuated by the efforts of the Nittany Lion football team, which has the highest graduation rate of any of the n a t i o n s public institutions that play Division I-A f o o t- b a l l. Compiled by Penn State from the 2003 NCAA Division I Graduation Rates Report, Coach Joe P a t e r n o s team had the fourth-highest graduation rate among all of the nation s 117 Division I-Aprograms. Penn State was the only public institution whose football graduation rate was in the top 10 among all the I - Ap r o g r a m s. According to the NCAAdata, for football players entering the University in , Penn State s graduation rate of 86 percent was the program s third-highest figure in the 13 years the report has been issued and well above the national average of 54 percent. The only institutions with a graduation rate higher than Penn State were Boston College, Notre Dame and Vanderbilt. Among Big Ten Conference institutions, Northwestern (81 percent) and Indiana (75 percent) followed the Nittany Lions. Penn State s graduation rate also was second-highest among the schools ranked in the Sept. 1 USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll. Only Notre Dame had a higher rate than Penn State. Penn State s four-year football graduation rate (for players entering in ) of 76 percent was tied for second-best among the schools ranked in the Sept. 1 poll. Notre Dame was first (81 percent), followed by Penn State and Vi rginia. The national four-year average was 51 percent. For African-American football players entering in , the Nittany Lions posted a superlative graduation figure of 85 percent to easily exceed the 42 percent national figure. In 2002, the NCAA Graduation Rates Report revealed that the Penn State football program earned an 88 percent graduation rate for players entering in The Nittany Lions 88 percent graduation rate was the best of any school that played in a 2002 bowl game and was tied with Vi rginia for the best rate among the schools ranked in the final 2002 AP and USA Today/ESPN Coaches polls. During Coach Joe Paterno s tenure, Penn State has had 22 first team Verizon Academic All-Americans, 14 National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame Scholar-Athletes and 18 NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship winners. Penn State has had 31 Verizon Academic A l l - Americans all-time, the fourth-highest total among Division I-A p r o g r a m s. The Nittany Lions have had 124 Academic A l l - B i g Ten football honorees since starting Conference play in 1993, tops among all Big Ten institutions. During the 2003 spring semester, 32 football players earned a 3.0 gpa or higher. The NCAA Graduation Rates Report documented the entering freshman class of who earned degrees within six years. The report is produced annually from data collected by the U.S. Department of E d u c a t i o n. backwards against Iowa with five turnovers. Against Ohio State, PSU tossed two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and forced two fumbles. The Nittany Lions grabbed two interceptions against Purdue s Kyle Orton, who had thrown 165 passes this season without an interception. Penn State did not commit any turnovers against the Boilermakers or in the season opener with Akron, but in the four games in between, turned the ball over 16 times, with five at Boston College, six against UCF, three at Wisconsin and two at Minnesota. Penn State has turned the ball over 23 times this season (15 interceptions and eight fumbles) and forced 16 turnovers (nine interceptions and seven fumbles) for a turnover margin.the Lions are 10th in the Big Ten in turnover margin. The Nittany Lion defense has surrendered only 23 points (two TD, three FG) off the 21 turnovers. The last time that Penn State had committed at least 11 turnovers in consecutive games was in 1980 when the Lions had seven turnovers at home vs. Nebraska and five at Missouri for a total of 12. Penn State s six turnovers against UCF were the most by the Lions since they had six turnovers (5 interceptions and 1 fumble) at Alabama in Penn State lost that game, 42-21, but went on to beat Georgia in the 1983 Sugar Bowl to capture its first national championship. Penn State turned the ball over five times while forcing one turnover in the loss at Boston College. The five turnovers (four interceptions and one fumble) marked the Nittany Lions most since committing five turnovers at Virginia in Quarterback Zack Mills was intercepted a career-high four times at BC, joining Rich Lucas (1959), Bob Parsons (1970) and Todd Blackledge (1982) as the only players in Penn State history to throw four interceptions in a game. Last season, Penn State had a turnover margin, giving up the ball 22 times (10 interceptions and 12 fumbles) and forcing 16 turnovers (10 interceptions and six fumbles). SLOW STARTS & TOUGH FINISHES Penn State is still looking to change a pattern of slow starts and rough fourth quarters from Last year, the Nittany Lions were out-scored in the first quarter and in the fourth. During the middle periods, PSU out-scored the opposition, Against Akron, Penn State scored 21 points in the first quarter, its highest output in the opening period since tallying 28 vs. Michigan State in But, the Lions did not score again in the first period until earning a safety against Iowa. This season, the Nittany Lions have been outscored in the first quarter and in the fourth. During the middle periods, PSU has a commanding advantage. LIONS HAVE 12-GAME LOSING STREAK TO RANKED FOES Penn State has lost its last 12 games to ranked foes. The Nittany Lions have lost the 12 games by a combined 85 points (7.08 avg.). Penn State s last win over a ranked opponent came with a victory at No. 19 Wisconsin on Oct. 5, Penn State s last win over a ranked foe at Beaver Stadium was a 40-7 trouncing of No. 8 Nebraska on Sept. 14, Both teams were ranked THE PENN STAT E D E F E N S E... Ranks among the top 10 in the nation in two team defensive categories and among the top 20 in four team defensive categories. Is one of just four teams nationally that has not given up more than 21 points in a game and has allowed just 10 touchdowns (6 rushing & 4 passing) in eight games, an average of 1.2 per game. Has blocked six kicks (4 field goals, 1 punt and 1 extra point). Has held seven of eight opponents to their scoring average or below. Has held all eight opponents below their total offense averages entering the contest with the Nittany Lions. This despite giving up a nearly four minute per game deficit in time of possession (27:50 to 32:10). Held Top 10 NCAA ranked off e n s e s from Purdue (No. 1 in total and No. 2 in scoring entering the game) and Minnesota (No. 3 in total & No. 6 in scoring) to a combined 343 yards and 55 points below their averages in back-to-back games. Held Purdue to a season low 20 points, 27 points below its season average of 47.2 ppg (which was No. 2 in the nation), a seasonlow of 348 total yards, the first time the Boilermakers have been held under 512 yards this year, a season-low 73 yards rushing, 106 yards below the Boilermakers' season average of 179 yards per game, a season-low 275 yards passing, the first time Purdue has been held under 300 yards passing this season, and a season low 17 first downs. Purdue entered the game No. 1 in the nation in total off e n s e, averaging ypg, but was held to 201 yards below its a v e r a g e. Forced two Purdue turnovers, the first two of the season for the Boilermakers, which entered the game as one of only two teams in the nation that did not have a turnover (Hawaii). Both came on interceptions of Heisman hopeful Kyle Orton, his first of the season in 165 pass attempts. Held Minnesota 28 points below its scoring average and 142 yards below its season total offense average. Minnesota entered the game ranked No. 3 nationally in total o ff e n s e (542.8 ypg) and No. 6 in scoring (44.2 ppg) and managed 16 points and 401 y a r d s.