2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

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2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Outback Bowl, L 10–24 vs. Arkansas
ConferenceBig Ten Conference
DivisionEast Division
Record7–6 (4–5 Big Ten)
Head coach
Offensive coordinatorMike Yurcich (1st season)
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinatorBrent Pry (8th season)
Co-defensive coordinatorAnthony Poindexter (1st season)
Home stadiumBeaver Stadium
Uniform
Seasons
← 2020
2022 →
2021 Big Ten Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 3 Michigan xy$^   8 – 1     12 – 2  
No. 6 Ohio State x   8 – 1     11 – 2  
No. 9 Michigan State   7 – 2     11 – 2  
Penn State   4 – 5     7 – 6  
Maryland   3 – 6     7 – 6  
Rutgers   2 – 7     5 – 8  
Indiana   0 – 9     2 – 10  
West Division
No. 23 Iowa xy   7 – 2     10 – 4  
Minnesota   6 – 3     9 – 4  
Wisconsin   6 – 3     9 – 4  
Purdue   6 – 3     9 – 4  
Illinois   4 – 5     5 – 7  
Nebraska   1 – 8     3 – 9  
Northwestern   1 – 8     3 – 9  
Championship: Michigan 42, Iowa 3
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
  • y – Championship game participant
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team competed as a member of the Big Ten Conference and played their home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. The team was led by eighth-year head coach James Franklin.

The Nittany Lions had a promising start to the season, going 5–0 and beating a ranked Wisconsin and Auburn, to reach number 4 in the AP poll. However during their game against #3 Iowa, quarterback Sean Clifford was injured, stalling all momentum they had, allowing Iowa to come back and beat them 23–20. The next week they played an unranked Illinois to hopefully regain momentum ahead of playing rival Ohio State on the road, however they lost in a record breaking 9OT. The Nittany Lions would then lose the next four of their last six games, finishing their season at 7–6 after losing to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl.

Offseason

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2021 NFL draft
Round Pick Player Position NFL club
1 12 Micah Parsons LB Dallas Cowboys
1 31 Odafe Oweh DE Baltimore Ravens
2 55 Pat Freiermuth TE Pittsburgh Steelers
7 246 Shaka Toney DE Washington Football Team
7 247 Michal Menet C Arizona Cardinals
7 248 Will Fries OG Indianapolis Colts

Preseason

Preseason Big Ten poll

Cleveland.com has polled sports journalists representing all member schools as a de facto preseason media poll since 2011, making this the first preseason Big Ten poll since 2010. For the 2021 poll, Penn State was projected to finish second in the East Division.[1]

Media poll (East Division)
Predicted finish Team Votes (1st place)
1 Ohio State 238 (34)
2 Penn State 192
3 Indiana 169
4 Michigan 144
5 Maryland 74
6 Rutgers 77.5
7 Michigan State 52.5

Personnel

Coaching staff

Penn State football current coaching staff[2]
Name Position Alma Mater Years at Penn State
James Franklin Head coach East Stroudsburg University (1995) 8th
Brent Pry Defensive coordinator/linebackers University at Buffalo (1993) 8th
Mike Yurcich Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach California University of Pennsylvania (1999) 1st
Anthony Poindexter Co-defensive coordinator/safeties University of Virginia (1999) 1st
Ty Howle Tight ends coach Penn State University (2013) 2nd
Phil Trautwein Offensive line University of Florida (2007) 2nd
John Scott Defensive line Western Carolina University (2000) 2nd
Taylor Stubblefield Wide receivers Purdue University (2004) 2nd
Ja'Juan Seider Run Game Coordinator/running backs West Virginia University (2000) 4th
Terry Smith Assistant head coach/defensive recruiting coordinator/cornerbacks Penn State University (1991) 8th
Joe Lorig Special teams coordinator/outside Linebacker Western Oregon University (1995) 3rd
Dwight Galt III Assistant AD, Performance Enhancement University of Maryland (1981) 8th
V'Angelo Bentley Graduate Assistant University of Illinois (2015) 3rd
David Parker Graduate Assistant University of Arkansas (2015) 1st
Deion Barnes Graduate Assistant Penn State University (2014) 2nd
Wendy Laurent Graduate Assistant Penn State University (2016) 2nd

Roster

2021 Penn State Nittany Lions football roster

Quarterback

  •  2 Ta'Quan Roberson – Redshirt freshman (5'11, 195)
  •  9 Christian Veilleux – freshman (6'4, 197)
  • 14 Sean Clifford – Redshirt junior (6'2, 217)
  • 17 Mason Stahl – freshman (6'0, 204)

Running back

  • 10 John Lovett – senior (6'0, 205)
  • 21 Noah Cain – sophomore (5'10, 226)
  • 24 Keyvone Lee – freshman (6'0, 230)
  • 26 Caziah Holmes – freshman (5'11, 209)
  • 28 Devyn Ford – sophomore (5'11, 205)
  • 38 Tank Smith – Redshirt freshman (5'7, 227)

Wide receiver

  •  3 Parker Washington – freshman (5'10, 205)
  •  5 Jahan Dotson – junior (5'11, 182)
  •  6 Cam Sullivan-Brown – Redshirt junior (6'0, 191)
  • 11 Daniel George – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 210)
  • 13 KeAndre Lambert-Smith – freshman (6'1, 185)
  • 19 Jaden Dottin – freshman (6'2, 190)
  • 29 Henry Fessler – Redshirt sophomore (5'10, 182)
  • 80 Malick Meiga – freshman (6'4, 198)
  • 80 Justin Weller – Redshirt junior (6'0, 194)
  • 83 Johnny Crise – freshman (6'5, 201)
  • 84 Benjamin Wilson – senior (6'2, 212)
  • 88 Norval Black – junior (6'1, 178)
  • 89 Winston Eubanks – Redshirt senior (6'0, 191)

Tight end

Placekicker

  • 90 Rafael Checa – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 203)
  • 92 Jake Pinegar – junior (6'2, 192)
  • 95 Vlad Hilling – Redshirt sophomore (5'10, 213)
  • 96 Anthony DaSilva – Redshirt freshman (5'11, 157)
  

Offensive lineman

  • 50 Will Knutsson – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 319)
  • 51 Jimmy Christ – freshman (6'7, 298)
  • 52 Blake Zalar – Redshirt freshman (6'1, 286)
  • 53 Rasheed Walker – Redshirt sophomore (6'6, 310)
  • 55 Anthony Whigan – Redshirt junior (6'4, 315)
  • 57 Ibrahim Traore – freshman (6'5, 325)
  • 59 Kaleb Konigus – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 291)
  • 63 Collin De Boef – Redshirt sophomore (6'5, 264)
  • 66 Nick Dawkins – freshman (6'4, 310)
  • 70 Juice Scruggs – Redshirt sophomore (6'3, 302)
  • 72 Bryce Effner – Redshirt sophomore (6'5, 301)
  • 73 Mike Miranda – Redshirt junior (6'3, 301)
  • 74 Olu Fashanu – freshman (6'6, 300)
  • 75 Des Holmes – Redshirt junior (6'5, 312)
  • 77 Sal Wormley – Redshirt freshman (6'3, 317)
  • 78 Golden Israel-Achumba – freshman (6'4, 345)
  • 79 Caedan Wallace – Redshirt freshman (6'5, 313)
  • Nate Bruce – freshman (6'4, 344)
  • Landon Tengwall – freshman (6'6, 321)

Defensive lineman

  • 17 Arnold Ebiketie – DE – Redshirt senior (6'3, 238)
  • 20 Adisa Isaac – DE – sophomore (6'4, 251)
  • 27 Aeneas Hawkins – DT – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 288)
  • 33 Bryce Mostella – DE – freshman (6'6, 248)
  • 44 Joseph Darkwa – DT – Redshirt freshman (6'5, 293)
  • 46 Nick Tarburton – DE – Redshirt sophomore (6'3, 252)
  • 51 Hakeem Beamon – DE – Redshirt freshman (6'3, 292)
  • 53 Fred Hansard – DT – Redshirt junior (6'3, 324)
  • 54 Fatorma Mulbah – DT – freshman (6'3, 289)
  • 56 Amin Vanover – DT – freshman (6'4, 279)
  • 91 Dvon Ellies – DT – Redshirt freshman (6'1, 296)
  • 92 Smith Vilbert – DE – Redshirt freshman (6'6, 251)
  • 94 Jake Wilson – DE – freshman (6'3, 241)
  • 95 Cole Brevard – DT – freshman (6'3, 312)
  • 97 P. J. Mustipher – DT – junior (6'4, 300)
  • 98 Dan Vasey – DE – Redshirt junior (6'4, 251)
  • 99 Coziah Izzard – DT – freshman (6'3, 290)
  • Rodney McGraw – DE – freshman (6'5, 254)
  • Derrick Tangelo – DT – senior (6'2, 298)

Punter

  • 93 Levi Forrest – freshman (6'5, 184)
  • 93 Bradley King – Redshirt junior (6'2, 214)
  • 98 Jordan Stout – Redshirt junior (6'3, 208)
  • 96 Barney Amor – Redshirt junior (6'1, 200)
  

Linebacker

  • 12 Brandon Smith – sophomore (6'3, 244)
  • 13 Ellis Brooks – Redshirt junior (6'1, 233)
  • 23 Curtis Jacobs – freshman (6'1, 226)
  • 34 Dominic DeLuca – freshman (6'1, 202)
  • 36 Zuriah Fisher – freshman (6'3, 244)
  • 39 Robbie Dwyer – Redshirt freshman(6'1, 247)
  • 40 Jesse Luketa – junior (6'3, 242)
  • 41 Kobe King – freshman (6'1, 236)
  • 43 Tyler Elsdon – freshman (6'2, 230)
  • 45 Charlie Katshir – Redshirt sophomore (6'3, 231)
  • 47 Alex Furmanek – Redshirt freshman(6'2, 265)
  • 50 Max Chizmar – Redshirt junior (6'2, 229)

Defensive back

  •  0 Jonathan Sutherland – S – Redshirt junior (5'11, 202)
  •  1 Jaquan Brisker – S – senior (6'1, 210)
  •  2 Keaton Ellis – CB – sophomore (5'11, 186)
  •  4 Kalen King – CB – freshman (5'11, 177)
  •  5 Tariq Castro-Fields – CB – senior (6'0, 191)
  •  8 Marquis Wilson – CB – sophomore (5'11, 181)
  •  9 Joey Porter Jr. – CB – Redshirt freshman (6'2, 193)
  • 15 Enzo Jennings – S – freshman (6'1, 197)
  • 16 Ji'Ayir Brown – S – junior (5'11, 209)
  • 17 Joseph Johnson III – CB – freshman (6'2, 168)
  • 21 Tyler Rudolph – S – Redshirt freshman (6'0, 203)
  • 25 Daequan Hardy – CB – Redshirt freshman (5'9, 180)
  • 27 Jaden Seider – S – Redshirt freshman (5'10, 174)
  • 29 Sebastian Costantini – CB – Redshirt freshman (5'11, 185)
  • 32 Dylan Farronato – S – Redshirt freshman (5'11, 187)
  • 48 Cody Romano – S – Redshirt sophomore (6'2, 207)
  • Jeffrey Davis Jr – CB – freshman (6'0, 174)
  • Johnny Dixon – CB – sophomore (6'0, 183)

Long snappers

  • 49 Michael Wright – freshman (6'1, 197)
  • 91 Chris Stoll – Redshirt junior (6'2, 242)

Source:[3]

Schedule

Spring game

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Penn State did not host their annual Blue vs. White scrimmage. In lieu of the Blue vs. White game, the university invited the freshmen class to Beaver Stadium for what was meant to be the final spring practice on April 17.[4] More than 7,500 Penn State freshmen attended. Following backlash from students and the public, an extra practice was scheduled for April 23, initially limited to Penn State seniors with an in-person class, but soon opened tickets to all seniors, then to the general public.[5]

Regular season

The Nittany Lions hosted three non-conference games: the Ball State Cardinals from the Mid-American Conference (MAC), the Auburn Tigers (first ever regular season meeting) from the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and the Villanova Wildcats an FCS school from the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA).

PSU played Big Ten opponents Wisconsin, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio State, Maryland, Michigan, Rutgers, and Michigan State. The schedule consisted of seven home games and five road games.

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 412:00 p.m.at No. 12 WisconsinNo. 19Camp Randall Stadium (Big Noon Kickoff)FOXW 16–1076,832
September 113:30 p.m.Ball State*No. 11
FS1W 44–13105,323
September 187:30 p.m.No. 22 Auburn*No. 10
ABCW 28–20109,958
September 2512:00 p.m.No. 11 (FCS) Villanova*No. 6
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
BTNW 38–17105,790
October 27:30 p.m.IndianaNo. 4
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ABCW 24–0105,951
October 94:00 p.m.at No. 3 IowaNo. 4
FOXL 20–2369,250
October 2312:00 p.m.IllinoisdaggerNo. 7
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
ABCL 18–20 9OT105,001
October 307:30 p.m.at No. 5 Ohio StateNo. 20
ABCL 24–33102,951
November 63:30 p.m.at Maryland
FS1W 31–1446,924
November 1312:00 p.m.No. 6 Michigan
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
ABCL 17–21109,534
November 2012:00 p.m.Rutgers
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
BTNW 28–0106,038
November 273:30 p.m.at No. 12 Michigan State
ABCL 27–3066,312
January 1, 202212:00 p.m.vs. No. 21 Arkansas*
ESPN2L 10–2446,577

[6]

Game summaries

At No. 12 Wisconsin

See also: 2021 Wisconsin Badgers football team
No. 19 Penn State at No. 12 Wisconsin – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 19 Penn State 0 0 7916
No. 12 Wisconsin 0 0 7310

at Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wisconsin

Game information
First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter

No scoring

Third quarter
Fourth quarter
  • UW – Larsh, 43-yard field goal, 13:36 (UW, 10–7)
  • PSU – Stout, 24-yard field goal, 11:26 (TIE, 10–10)
  • PSU – Noah Cain, 2-yard TD run, Stout kick missed, 9:17 (PSU, 16–10)
Statistics PSU UW
First downs 11 29
Plays–yards 51–297 95–359
Rushes–yards 18–50 58–174
Passing yards 247 185
Passing: comp–att–int 18–33–0 22–37–2
Time of possession 17:09 42:51
Team Category Player Statistics
Penn State Passing Sean Clifford 18/33, 247 yards, TD
Rushing Noah Cain 8 carries, 48 yards, TD
Receiving Jahan Dotson 5 receptions, 102 yards, TD
Wisconsin Passing Graham Mertz 22/37, 185 yards, 2 INT
Rushing Chez Mellusi 31 carries, 121 yards, TD
Receiving Danny Davis III 8 receptions, 99 yards

Ball State

See also: 2021 Ball State Cardinals football team
Ball State at No. 11 Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Ball State 0 6 0713
No. 11 Penn State 14 10 101044

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • BSU – Jake Chanove, 24-yard field goal, 14:25 (PSU, 14–3)
  • PSU – Stout, 45-yard field goal, 11:22 (PSU, 17–3)
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 25-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 2:50 (PSU, 24–3)
  • BSU – Chanove, 23-yard field goal, 0:00 (PSU, 24–6)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Jesse Luketa, 16-yard interception returned for TD, Stout kick, 5:56 (PSU, 31–6)
  • PSU – Stout, 26-yard field goal, 1:53 (PSU, 34–6)
Fourth quarter
  • PSU – Stout, 22-yard field goal, 9:59 (PSU, 37–6)
  • BSU – Carson Steele, 6-yard TD run, Chanove kick, 6:58 (PSU, 37–13)
  • PSU – Theo Johnson, 23-yard TD pass from Ta'Quan Roberson, Stout kick, 2:10 (PSU, 44–13)
Statistics BSU PSU
First downs 19 31
Plays–yards 71–295 79–493
Rushes–yards 26–69 48–240
Passing yards 226 253
Passing: comp–att–int 30–45–2 22–31–0
Time of possession 26:00 34:00
Team Category Player Statistics
Ball State Passing Drew Plitt 25/39, 176 yards, 2 INT
Rushing Carson Steele 7 carries, 18 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Jayshon Jackson 4 receptions, 42 yards
Penn State Passing Sean Clifford 21/29, 230 yards, 1 TD
Rushing Noah Cain 20 carries, 69 yards, 1 TD
Receiving Jahan Dotson 5 receptions, 65 yards, 1 TD

No. 22 Auburn

See also: 2021 Auburn Tigers football team
No. 22 Auburn at No. 10 Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 22 Auburn 3 7 7320
No. 10 Penn State 7 7 7728

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • AU – Tank Bigsby, 4-yard TD run, Carlson kick, 12:28 (AU, 10–7)
  • PSU – Brenton Strange, 2-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 1:23 (PSU, 14–10)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Tyler Warren, 2-yard TD run, Stout kick, 13:06 (PSU, 21–10)
  • AU – Bigsby, 6-yard TD run, Carlson kick, 5:52 (PSU, 21–17)
Fourth quarter
  • AU – Carlson, 43-yard field goal, 14:55 (PSU, 21–20)
  • PSU – Noah Cain, 3-yard TD run, Stout kick, 10:48 (PSU, 28–20)
Statistics AU PSU
First downs 24 22
Plays–yards 79–367 66–396
Rushes–yards 40–182 33–94
Passing yards 185 302
Passing: comp–att–int 21–39–0 29–33–1
Time of possession 31:42 28:18
Team Category Player Statistics
Auburn Passing Bo Nix 21/37, 185 yards
Rushing Tank Bigsby 23 carries, 102 yards, 2 TD
Receiving Kobe Hudson 4 receptions, 66 yards
Penn State Passing Sean Clifford 28/32, 280 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Noah Cain 19 carries, 45 yards, TD
Receiving Jahan Dotson 10 receptions, 78 yards, TD

No. 11 (FCS) Villanova

See also: 2021 Villanova Wildcats football team
No. 11 (FCS) Villanova at No. 6 Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 11 (FCS) Villanova 3 0 01417
No. 6 Penn State 7 10 14738

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • PSU – Parker Washington, 52-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 14:07 (PSU, 14–3)
  • PSU – Stout, 29-yard field goal, 8:26 (PSU, 17–3)
Third quarter
  • PSU – KeAndre Lambert-Smith, 83-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 14:14 (PSU, 24–3)
  • PSU – Washington, 23-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 1:58 (PSU, 31–3)
Fourth quarter
  • PSU – Tyler Warren, 3-yard TD run, Stout kick, 13:58 (PSU, 38–3)
  • VU – Rayjoun Pringle, 57-yard TD pass from Daniel Smith, Bunce kick, 9:42 (PSU, 38–10)
  • VU – Pringle, 17-yard TD pass from Smith, Bunce kick, 1:38 (PSU, 38–17)
Statistics VU PSU
First downs 15 20
Plays–yards 60–280 65–509
Rushes–yards 26–58 34–80
Passing yards 222 429
Passing: comp–att–int 20–34–1 22–31–1
Time of possession 31:15 28:45
Team Category Player Statistics
Villanova Passing Daniel Smith 20/34, 222 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Jalen Jackson 7 carries, 58 yards
Receiving Rayjoun Pringle 4 receptions, 107 yards, 2 TD
Penn State Passing Sean Clifford 19/26, 401 yards, 4 TD, INT
Rushing John Lovett 11 carries, 45 yards
Receiving Parker Washington 5 receptions, 148 yards, 2 TD

Indiana

See also: 2021 Indiana Hoosiers football team
Indiana at No. 4 Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Indiana 0 0 000
No. 4 Penn State 7 7 7324

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 8-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 13:31 (PSU, 14–0)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Dotson, 30-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 4:16 (PSU, 21–0)
Fourth quarter
  • PSU – Stout, 50-yard field goal, 8:06 (PSU, 24–0)
Statistics IU PSU
First downs 12 20
Plays–yards 58–264 76–408
Rushes–yards 24–69 42–209
Passing yards 195 199
Passing: comp–att–int 16–34–2 18–34–1
Time of possession 25:07 34:53
Team Category Player Statistics
Indiana Passing Michael Penix Jr. 10/22, 118 yards, INT
Rushing Stephen Carr 15 carries, 50 yards
Receiving Peyton Hendershot 5 receptions, 88 yards
Penn State Passing Sean Clifford 17/33, 178 yards, 3 TD, INT
Rushing Keyvone Lee 8 carries, 74 yards
Receiving Jahan Dotson 8 receptions, 84 yards, 2 TD

At No. 3 Iowa

See also: 2021 Iowa Hawkeyes football team
No. 4 Penn State at No. 3 Iowa – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 4 Penn State 14 3 3020
No. 3 Iowa 3 7 31023

at Kinnick Stadium, Iowa City, Iowa

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • PSU – Stout, 32-yard field goal, 3:21 (PSU, 17–3)
  • UI – Charlie Jones, 9-yard TD pass from Spencer Petras, Shudak kick, 7:08 (PSU, 17–10)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Stout, 44-yard field goal, 6:40 (PSU, 20–10)
  • UI – Shudak, 48-yard field goal, 1:36 (PSU, 20–13)
Fourth quarter
  • UI – Shudak, 36-yard field goal, 8:08 (PSU, 20–16)
  • UI – Nico Ragaini, 44-yard TD pass from Petras, Shudak kick, 6:26 (UI 23–20)
Statistics PSU UI
First downs 18 18
Plays–yards 79–287 76–305
Rushes–yards 33–107 45–110
Passing yards 180 195
Passing: comp–att–int 22–46–4 17–31–1
Time of possession 24:07 35:50
Team Category Player Statistics
Penn State Passing Sean Clifford 15/25, 146 yards, 2 INT
Rushing Sean Clifford 3 carries, 36 yards, TD
Receiving KeAndre Lambert-Smith 5 receptions, 61 yards
Iowa Passing Spencer Petras 17/31, 195 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Tyler Goodson 25 carries, 88 yards
Receiving Nico Ragaini 4 receptions, 73 yards, TD

Illinois

See also: 2021 Illinois Fighting Illini football team and 2021 Illinois vs. Penn State football game
Illinois at No. 7 Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34OT2OT3OT4OT5OT6OT7OT8OT9OTTotal
Illinois 0 7 0333000002220
No. 7 Penn State 7 3 0033000002018

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • PSU – Stout, 35-yard field goal, 11:12 (PSU, 10–0)
  • UI – Chase Brown, 1-yard TD run, James McCourt kick, 2:52 (PSU, 10–7)
Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter
  • UI – McCourt, 37-yard field goal, 11:49 (TIE, 10–10)
First overtime
  • PSU – Stout, 31-yard field goal (PSU, 13–10)
  • UI – McCourt, 39-yard field goal (TIE, 13–13)
Second overtime
  • UI – McCourt, 22-yard field goal (UI, 16–13)
  • PSU – Stout, 40-yard field goal, (TIE, 16–16)
Third overtime (2-point conversion attempts)

No scoring

Fourth overtime (2-point conversion attempts)

No scoring

Fifth overtime (2-point conversion attempts)

No scoring

Sixth overtime (2-point conversion attempts)

No scoring

Seventh overtime (2-point conversion attempts)

No scoring

Eighth overtime (2-point conversion attempts)
  • UI – Isaiah Williams, 2-point conversion pass from Brandon Peters (UI, 18–16)
  • PSU – Noah Cain, 2-point conversion rush (TIE, 18–18)
Ninth overtime (2-point conversion attempts)
  • UI – Casey Washington, 2-point conversion pass from Peters (UI, 20–18)
Statistics UI PSU
First downs 26 14
Plays–yards 88–395 63–227
Rushes–yards 67–357 29–62
Passing yards 38 165
Passing: comp–att–int 8–21–1 19–34–0
Time of possession 36:25 23:35
Team Category Player Statistics
Illinois Passing Artur Sitkowski 8/19, 38 yards, INT
Rushing Chase Brown 33 carries, 223 yards, TD
Receiving Donny Navarro 2 receptions, 12 yards
Penn State Passing Sean Clifford 19/34, 165 yards, TD
Rushing Noah Cain 11 carries, 43 yards
Receiving Jahan Dotson 6 receptions, 69 yards

At No. 5 Ohio State

See also: 2021 Ohio State Buckeyes football team and Ohio State–Penn State football rivalry
No. 20 Penn State at No. 5 Ohio State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 20 Penn State 7 3 14024
No. 5 Ohio State 3 14 10633

at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

Game information
First quarter
  • PSU – Brenton Strange, 5-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jordan Stout kick, 6:08 (PSU, 7–0)
  • OSU – Noah Ruggles, 35-yard field goal, 2:02 (PSU, 7–3)
Second quarter
  • OSU – Chris Olave, 38-yard TD pass from C. J. Stroud, Ruggles kick, 3:48 (OSU, 10–7)
  • OSU – Jerron Cage, 57-yard fumble recovery run for TD, Ruggles kick, 2:24 (OSU, 17–7)
  • PSU – Stout, 47-yard field goal, 0:00 (OSU, 17–10)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 2-yard TD run, Stout kick, 10:26 (TIE, 17–17)
  • OSU – Ruggles, 23-yard field goal, 6:42 (OSU, 20–17)
  • OSU – TreVeyon Henderson, 1-yard TD run, Ruggles kick, 3:35 (OSU, 27–17)
  • PSU – Keyvone Lee, 1-yard TD run, Stout kick, 0:10 (OSU, 27–24)
Fourth quarter
  • OSU – Ruggles, 25-yard field goal, 7:12 (OSU, 30–24)
  • OSU – Ruggles, 26-yard field goal, 2:41 (OSU, 33–24)
Statistics PSU OSU
First downs 27 22
Plays–yards 81–394 68–466
Rushes–yards 29–33 34–161
Passing yards 361 305
Passing: comp–att–int 35–52–1 22–34–0
Time of possession 29:50 30:10
Team Category Player Statistics
Penn State Passing Sean Clifford 35/52, 361 yards, TD, INT
Rushing John Lovett 13 carries, 20 yards
Receiving Jahan Dotson 11 receptions, 127 yards
Ohio State Passing C. J. Stroud 22/34, 305 yards, TD
Rushing TreVeyon Henderson 28 carries, 152 yards, TD
Receiving Jaxon Smith-Njigba 6 receptions, 97 yards

At Maryland

See also: 2021 Maryland Terrapins football team and Maryland–Penn State football rivalry
No. 22AP Penn State at Maryland – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 22AP Penn State 7 0 71731
Maryland 0 6 0814

at Maryland Stadium, College Park, Maryland

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • UM – Challen Faamatau, 2-yard TD run, Joseph Petrino kick failed, 1:15 (PSU, 7–6)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Dotson, 21-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 6:51 (PSU, 14–6)
Fourth quarter
  • UM – Corey Dyches, 13-yard TD pass from Taulia Tagovailoa, Chigoziem Okonkwo 2-point conversion pass from Tagovailoa, 14:56 (TIE, 14–14)
  • PSU – Dotson, 86-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 13:55 (PSU, 21–14)
  • PSU – Stout, 24-yard field goal, 6:33 (PSU, 24–14)
  • PSU – Ji'Ayir Brown, 87-yard interception return for TD, Stout kick, 2:39 (PSU, 31–14)
Statistics UM PSU
First downs 23 29
Plays–yards 80–456 85–419
Rushes–yards 33–93 27–48
Passing yards 363 371
Passing: comp–att–int 27–47–0 41–58–1
Time of possession 31:33 28:27
Team Category Player Statistics
Maryland Passing Taulia Tagovailoa 41/57, 371 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Challen Faamatau 11 carries, 38 yards, TD
Receiving Chigoziem Okonkwo 12 receptions, 85 yards
Penn State Passing Sean Clifford 27/47, 363 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Keyvone Lee 8 carries, 50 yards
Receiving Jahan Dotson 11 receptions, 242 yards, 3 TD

No. 9AP/6CFP Michigan

See also: 2021 Michigan Wolverines football team
No. 9AP/6CFP Michigan at No. 22AP Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
No. 9AP/6CFP Michigan 0 7 7721
No. 23AP Penn State 3 3 01117

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
  • UM – Roman Wilson, 21-yard TD pass from Cade McNamara, Jake Moody kick, 5:49 (UM, 7–3)
  • PSU – Stout, 52-yard field goal, 0:31 (UM, 7–6)
Third quarter
  • UM – Wilson, 1-yard TD pass from McNamara, Moody kick, 11:50 (UM, 14–6)
Fourth quarter
  • PSU – Tyler Warren, 2-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jahan Dotson 2-point conversion pass from Clifford, 7:35 (TIE, 14–14)
  • PSU – Stout, 31-yard field goal, 5:55 (PSU, 17–14)
  • UM – Erick All, 47-yard TD pass from McNamara, Moody kick, 3:29 (UM, 21–17)
Statistics UM PSU
First downs 21 20
Plays–yards 70–361 86–332
Rushes–yards 41–144 42–109
Passing yards 217 233
Passing: comp–att–int 19–29–0 24–44–0
Time of possession 30:20 29:40
Team Category Player Statistics
Michigan Passing Cade McNamara 19/29, 217 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Hassan Haskins 31 carries, 156 yards
Receiving Erick All 4 receptions, 64 yards, TD
Penn State Passing Sean Clifford 23/43, 205 yards, TD
Rushing Keyvone Lee 20 carries, 88 yards
Receiving Parker Washington 4 receptions, 92 yards

Rutgers

See also: 2021 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team
Rutgers at Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Rutgers 0 0 000
Penn State 0 7 14728

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

Game information
First quarter

No scoring

Second quarter
Third quarter
  • PSU – Parker Washington, 17-yard TD pass from Veilleux, Stout kick, 3:32 (PSU, 14–0)
  • PSU – Malick Meiga, 67-yard TD pass from Veilleux, Stout kick, 1:31 (PSU, 21–0)
Fourth quarter
  • PSU – Keyvone Lee, 7-yard TD run, Stout kick, 7:32 (PSU, 28–0)
Statistics RU PSU
First downs 10 21
Plays–yards 60–160 74–407
Rushes–yards 32–67 42–149
Passing yards 93 258
Passing: comp–att–int 13–28–1 17–32–0
Time of possession 26:26 33:34
Team Category Player Statistics
Rutgers Passing Noah Vedral 12/23, 91 yards
Rushing Johnny Langan 5 carries, 18 yards
Receiving Bo Melton 3 receptions, 47 yards
Penn State Passing Christian Veilleux 15/24, 235 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Keyvone Lee 13 carries, 41 yards, TD
Receiving Parker Washington 6 receptions, 72 yards, TD

At No. 12AP/CFP Michigan State

See also: 2021 Michigan State Spartans football team and Michigan State–Penn State football rivalry
Penn State at No. 12AP/CFP Michigan State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Penn State 7 7 6727
No. 12AP/CFP Michigan State 14 3 6730

at Spartan Stadium, East Lansing, Michigan

Game information
First quarter
  • MSU – Kenneth Walker III, 2-yard TD run, Matt Coghlin kick, 11:22 (MSU, 7–0)
  • MSU – Tre Mosley, 9-yard TD pass from Payton Thorne, Coghlin kick, 6:09 (MSU, 14–0)
  • PSU – Jahan Dotson, 27-yard TD pass from Sean Clifford, Jordan Stout kick, 3:37 (MSU, 14–7)
Second quarter
  • PSU – Dotson, 30-yard TD pass from Clifford, Stout kick, 12:11 (TIE, 14–14)
  • MSU – Coghlin, 22-yard field goal, 5:59 (MSU, 17–14)
Third quarter
  • PSU – Daequan Hardy, 17-yard interception return for TD, Stout kick failed, 11:07 (PSU, 20–17)
  • MSU – Thorne, 1-yard TD run, Evan Johnson kick failed, 2:14 (MSU, 23–20)
Fourth quarter
  • MSU – Jayden Reed, 20-yard TD pass from Thorne, Johnson kick, 5:10 (MSU, 30–20)
  • PSU – Parker Washington, 15-yard TD pass from Clifford, Jake Pinegar kick, 0:43 (MSU, 30–27)
Statistics PSU MSU
First downs 19 21
Plays–yards 60–374 77–451
Rushes–yards 26–61 47–183
Passing yards 313 268
Passing: comp–att–int 23–34–0 19–30–1
Time of possession 23:36 36:24
Team Category Player Statistics
Penn State Passing Sean Clifford 23/34, 313 yards, 3 TD
Rushing Keyvone Lee 15 carries, 79 yards
Receiving Jahan Dotson 8 receptions, 137 yards, 2 TD
Michigan State Passing Payton Thorne 19/30, 268 yards, 2 TD, INT
Rushing Kenneth Walker III 30 carries, 138 yards, TD
Receiving Jayden Reed 6 receptions, 89 yards, TD

vs. No. 22AP/21CFP Arkansas (Outback Bowl)

See also: 2021 Arkansas Razorbacks football team and 2022 Outback Bowl
Arkansas vs. Penn State – Game summary
Quarter 1 2 34Total
Penn State 0 10 0010
No. 22AP/21CFP Arkansas 7 0 17024

at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida

Game information
First quarter
Second quarter
Third quarter
  • UA – KJ Jefferson, 8-yard TD run, Little kick, 12:42 (UA, 14–10)
  • UA – Little, 36-yard field goal, 6:29 (UA, 17–10)
  • UA – Sanders, 1-yard TD run, Little kick, 2:08 (UA, 24–10)
Fourth quarter

No scoring

Statistics PSU UA
First downs 17 25
Plays–yards 63–323 78–451
Rushes–yards 28–125 58–361
Passing yards 198 90
Passing: comp–att–int 15–35–2 14–20–2
Time of possession 23:47 36:13
Team Category Player Statistics
Penn State Passing Sean Clifford 14/32, 195 yards, TD, INT
Rushing Sean Clifford 11 carries, 47 yards
Receiving Parker Washington 7 receptions, 98 yards
Arkansas Passing KJ Jefferson 14/19, 90 yards, INT
Rushing KJ Jefferson 20 carries, 110 yards, TD
Receiving De'Vion Warren 3 receptions, 33 yards

Rankings

Further information: 2021 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings
Ranking movements
Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked RV = Received votes
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP19111064477202223RVRVRVRV—
Coaches20131286488172323RVRVRVRV—
CFPNot released——————Not released

Awards and honors

All-American
Player AP AFCA FWAA TSN Designation
Jaquan Brisker 2 3 2 2 None
Jahan Dotson 3 - - – None
Jordan Stout 3 3 – – None
Arnold Ebiketie - - 2 - None
The NCAA recognizes a selection to all five of the AP, AFCA, FWAA, TSN and WCFF first teams for unanimous selections and three of five for consensus selections. HM = Honorable mention. Source:[7][8][9][10]

References

  1. ^ "Ohio State football voted overwhelming 2021 Big Ten favorite in cleveland.com preseason poll". Cleveland.com. July 11, 2020.
  2. ^ "Football Coaching Staff". GoPSUsports.com. Penn State Nittany Lions. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
  3. ^ "2021 Football Roster". GoPSUSports.com. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
  4. ^ Morganstein, Justin (March 17, 2021). "Penn State football to allow freshmen students to attend final spring practice". Daily Collegian. The Daily Collegian. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  5. ^ Patrick, Evan (April 21, 2021). "Penn State to allow seniors, general public to attend special football spring practice". Daily Collegian. The Daily Collegian. Retrieved May 27, 2021.
  6. ^ "2021 Penn State Football Schedule". FBSchedules.com. Retrieved February 1, 2021.
  7. ^ "2021 AP All-America team: Alabama's Bryce Young, Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson headline first-team selections".
  8. ^ "Iowa State's Breece Hall and Alabama's Will Anderson Jr. Headline the 2021 AFCA FBS Coaches' All-America Teams - AFCA".
  9. ^ "2021 FWAA All-America Team". College Football Poll. December 10, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2022.
  10. ^ "Sporting News 2021 College Football All-America Team".
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