Draft Scout Warning: Undefined variable $TeamName in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\notesteam.php on line 20 Player News, College Football: Warning: Undefined variable $TeamName in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\notesteam.php on line 20

Pat Freiermuth scored the game's first two touchdowns. Turned out that was all No. 6 Penn State really needed against Michigan State's anemic offense. Freiermuth and the Nittany Lions would add more points later, and unbeaten Penn State beat the Spartans 28-7 on Saturday. Sean Clifford threw four touchdown passes on a rainy day, and the Nittany Lions avenged close losses to Michigan State from each of the past two seasons. "I'm very excited that we're undefeated still, and that's the only goal I've had all season and I plan on going through the whole season doing that," Clifford said.

The Spartans (4-4, 2/3 Big Ten) wrapped up a dreadful stretch in which they lost to Ohio State, Wisconsin and Penn State by a combined score of 100-17. Penn State (8-0, 5-0) moves on to a surprising matchup of undefeated teams Nov. 9 at Minnesota. The Nittany Lions had lost five of their previous six against Michigan State. Clifford's first touchdown pass to Freiermuth, a 16-yarder, opened the scoring in the first quarter, and those same two players gave Penn State a 13-0 lead with a 19-yard strike in the second. KJ Hamler's 27-yard TD catch with 1:20 left in the half -- plus a successful 2-point conversion -- made it 21-0. - Penn State/AP College Football

(DS#2 TE) Jr/2021

TE *Pat Freiermuth, Penn State
News Source: Penn State/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/22/19 - Alex Felkins, rSr/2024, Penn State, 6-3, 198 (DS#14 K) + More +

OCT 21 IVY LEAGUE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Alex Felkins, Columbia (Fr., K/P - Tulsa, Okla.),...Helped Columbia to its largest win in a homecoming game and its largest victory over Penn, 44-6...Went 5-for-6 on PATs, with the lone miss coming on a blocked attempt...Converted a 43-yard field goal...Posted six touchbacks in seven kickoffs. - Ivy League Football

(DS#14 K) rSr/2024

K Alex Felkins, Penn State
News Source: Ivy League Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/21/19 - *KJ Hamler, rSo/2020, Penn State, 5-09, 178 (DS#11 WR) + More +

OCT 21/WEEK 8 BIG TEN OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: KJ Hamler, Penn State, So., WR, Pontiac, Mich./IMG Academy,...Recorded 186 all-purpose yards and two touchdowns in Penn State's victory against Michigan...Notched his second-career game with two receiving touchdowns, catching six passes for 108 yards...Added 72 return yards and six rushing yards, including a four-yard run for a first down to seal the win...Earns his first career Offensive Player of the Week award...Last Penn State Offensive Player of the Week: Sean Clifford (Sept. 30, 2019). - Big Ten football

(DS#11 WR) rSo/2020

WR *KJ Hamler, Penn State
News Source: Big Ten football
Share/Comment: Here

10/20/19 - *KJ Hamler, rSo/2020, Penn State, 5-09, 178 (DS#11 WR) + More +

After a deep ball bounced off his hands, KJ Hamler pulled Sean Clifford aside and told his quarterback he owed him one. It didn't take long for Hamler to make it up to him. The speedy wideout burned the Michigan secondary two quarters later and hauled in a perfectly thrown 53-yard touchdown pass to help propel No. 7 Penn State to a 28-21 win over No. 16 Michigan on Saturday. Clifford wasn't surprised to see the nearest Michigan defender nearly 10 yards behind Hamler, who finished with six catches for 108 yards. "I know KJ's fast enough to get to that weakness in their defense every single time," Clifford said. And the first-year starter is getting better at finding him down the field.

Clifford hit Hamler on a 25-yard pass to start the scoring, hooked up with tight end Pat Freiermuth for a 17-yard touchdown and ran for a 1-yard score to pace Penn State's offense. Hamler also had a 100-yard kickoff return to start the second half called back on a holding penalty. That would've come in handy as Penn State's offense went cold for much of the second half. The Wolverines battled back from a 21-7 halftime deficit and with just over two minutes to play, had a chance to tie the game on fourth-and-goal from Penn State's 3. But Michigan wideout Ronnie Bell dropped a potential tying touchdown with Penn State safety Lamont Wade playing tight coverage. "That stop was huge," Penn State coach James Franklin said. The Nittany Lions took control of the game early. Clifford hooked up with Jahan Dotson for 37 yards to set up the scoring toss to Freiermuth who beat Khaleke Hudson in coverage. - Penn State/AP College Football

(DS#11 WR) rSo/2020

WR *KJ Hamler, Penn State
News Source: Penn State/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/20/19 - *Micah Parsons, Jr/2021, Penn State, 6-3, 246 (DS#1 OLB) + More +

The Wolverines did a solid job against Penn State's high-pressure defense gashing the Nittany Lions for a season-high 417 yards. They had all the momentum in the final quarter and had the look they wanted on the fourth down play that turned out to be the difference. The Nittany Lions averaged 7.0 yards per play in the first half, but just 1.9 in the second until Hamler's 53-yard touchdown catch. Penn State linebacker Micah Parsons was everywhere in this game, battling through double and triple teams to lead the team with 14 tackles. - Penn State/AP College Football

(DS#1 OLB) Jr/2021

OLB *Micah Parsons, Penn State
News Source: Penn State/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/14/19 - Blake Gillikin, Sr/2020, Penn State, 6-2, 200 (DS#13 P) + More +

OCT 14/WEEK 7 BIG TEN SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Blake Gillikin, Penn State, Sr., P, Smyrna, Ga./The Westminster Schools,...Punted seven times for 295 yards in Penn State's victory at Iowa...Had five punts downed inside the 20-yard line, including three punts inside the 10...Hit a 62-yard punt in the third quarter, his 47th career punt over 50 yards and seventh career punt of 60 or more yards...Claims his first career Special Teams Player of the Week honor...Last Penn State Special Teams Player of the Week: Saquon Barkley (Oct. 30, 2017). - Big Ten football

(DS#13 P) Sr/2020

P Blake Gillikin, Penn State
News Source: Big Ten football
Share/Comment: Here

10/13/19 - *KJ Hamler, rSo/2020, Penn State, 5-09, 178 (DS#11 WR) + More +

Noah Cain ran for a five-yard touchdown with 5:17 left and 10th-ranked Penn State held off No. 17 Iowa 17-12 on Saturday night, its first win over a ranked opponent this season. Cain finished with 102 yards for the Nittany Lions (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten), who extended their winning streak over the Hawkeyes (4-2, 1-2) to six games. A matchup between two of the nation's top defenses turned when Iowa's Nate Stanley threw an interception near midfield with 9:22 remaining. Penn State drove 35 yards on a gassed Iowa defense, and the last of three straight runs by Cain made it 17-6.

Iowa pulled within 17-12 when Stanley found Brandon Smith for a 33-yard TD pass with 2:31 to go. The Hawkeyes' two-point try failed though, and Cain converted a crucial third down that ensured that Iowa never saw the ball again. Up 7-6 late in the third quarter, Penn State recovered a fumble at Iowa's 16 and Sean Clifford connected on an apparent touchdown pass to Pat Freiermuth that was overturned on review. Iowa then held the Nittany Lions at the 1-foot line, and two straight holding calls forced them to settle for a 33-yard field goal. KJ Hamler caught seven passes, including a 22-yarder for a TD, for Penn State. Stanley threw for 286 yards, but the Hawkeyes ran for just 70 yards on 30 attempts. - Penn State/AP College Football

(DS#11 WR) rSo/2020

WR *KJ Hamler, Penn State
News Source: Penn State/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/11/19 - Sean Clifford, rSr/2023, Penn State, 6-2, 218 (DS#20 QB) + More +

Clifford, a first-year starter, leads the Big Ten with 288.6 yards a game, and his 16 yards per completion ranks sixth nationally. But Iowa excels at defending the pass. The Hawkeyes are giving up just 5.9 yards per attempt and have as many interceptions, four, as passing touchdowns allowed. "Looks like he's got a great future, so hopefully we can find a way to slow him down a little bit," Ferentz said of Clifford. - AP College Football

(DS#20 QB) rSr/2023

QB Sean Clifford, Penn State
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/07/19 - Shaka Toney, rSr/2021, Penn State, 6-3, 242 (DS#8 DE) + More +

Big Ten defenses turned in three of the season's top five sack totals over the weekend, with Penn State leading the way with 10 against Purdue. Wisconsin had nine against Kent State and Michigan had eight against Iowa. Penn State took down Purdue's Jack Plummer 10 times, seven in the first half, and finished with its highest number of sacks since 1999 and one shy of the school record. Defensive ends Shaka Toney (3) and Yetur Gross-Matos (2) combined for half of Penn State's sacks. Eight players had a hand in at least one.

“I didn't even know we had 10 sacks until we got into the locker room,” linebacker Jesse Luketa said. “I'm not surprised, though. We call them the "Wild Dogs" for a reason. We let them loose and it was time to hunt. I-m excited for them. A couple weeks ago there was talk about how our front four weren't as productive as what we wanted, and today they took that to heart and went out and executed.” Purdue had minus-19 rushing yards, the fewest against Penn State since 1978 and fifth-fewest since 1947. - AP College Football

(DS#8 DE) rSr/2021

DE Shaka Toney, Penn State
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/05/19 - Sean Clifford, rSr/2023, Penn State, 6-2, 218 (DS#20 QB) + More +

Sean Clifford threw for 264 yards with three touchdowns and ran for another score as No. 12 Penn State routed Purdue 35-7 on Saturday. The Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) were dominant on defense, with 10 sacks, one shy of the school single-game record. The Boilermakers were held to 104 yards. Playing without starting quarterback Elijah Sindelar and star receiver Rondale Moore, the Boilermakers didn't cross midfield until their sixth possession midway through the second. Penn State jumped out fast, scoring on its first four drives, none lasting longer than 3:41.

KJ Hamler beat single coverage for a 23-yard touchdown catch to open the scoring and Clifford added a 3-yard touchdown run to cap Penn State's second possession. The Nittany Lions turned a three-and-out by Purdue into an easy score immediately after when Jahan Dotson caught a pass over the middle and raced 72 yards, getting a good block from Hamler on the way to the end zone. Penn State finished another quick drive with a 7-yard pass from Clifford to tight end Pat Freiermuth early in the second quarter. Noah Cain finished with 105 yards on 12 carries and added a 2-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth. Yetur Gross-Matos and Shaka Toney combined for five sacks for Penn State. Clifford completed 20 of his 29 passes. - Penn State/AP College Football

(DS#20 QB) rSr/2023

QB Sean Clifford, Penn State
News Source: Penn State/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/30/19 - Sean Clifford, rSr/2023, Penn State, 6-2, 218 (DS#20 QB) + More +

SEPT 30/WEEK 5 BIG TEN CO-OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sean Clifford, Penn State, So., QB, Cincinnati, Ohio/Saint Xavier,...Threw for 398 yards and three touchdowns and added 54 yards and a touchdown on the ground in Penn State's victory at Maryland...Notched the third-most passing yards in a contest in school history and most since 2014...Completed 26 of a career-high 31 passing attempts...Claims his first career Offensive Player of the Week award...Last Penn State Offensive Player of the Week: Miles Sanders (Sept. 24, 2018). - Big Ten Football

(DS#20 QB) rSr/2023

QB Sean Clifford, Penn State
News Source: Big Ten Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/27/19 - Sean Clifford, rSr/2023, Penn State, 6-2, 218 (DS#20 QB) + More +

Sean Clifford threw for 398 yards and three touchdowns, ran for a score and carried No. 12 Penn State to yet another lopsided victory over Maryland, a 59-0 blowout Friday night that typified the one-sided nature of this regional series. Penn State scored on its first four possessions, led 38-0 at halftime and finished with 619 yards in its Big Ten opener. After Jan Johnson got things started by ending Maryland's first possession with an interception, Clifford cruised into the end zone from the 8 and the rout was on. After halftime, most of fans remaining from a rare sellout crowd of 53,228 at Maryland were the several thousand cheering for the Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0).

Because the Terrapins (2-2, 0-1) won their first two games at home by a combined 122 points and Penn State was coming off a tight 17-10 win over Pittsburgh, the Nittany Lions were favored by only a touchdown. But past performances held true. Penn State leads the series 40-2-1, winning the previous three by scores of 38-14, 66-3, 38-3 before adding this romp to the list. Clifford threw a 58-yard touchdown pass to KJ Hamler for a 14-0 lead, connected with Nick Bowerson on a 15-yarder to make it 28-0 and hit Journey Brown for 37 yards for a 35-point cushion. After making his 14-for-30 performance against Pittsburgh a distant memory, Clifford remained on the sideline with 5:45 left in the third quarter and Penn State up 45-0. - Penn State/AP College Football

(DS#20 QB) rSr/2023

QB Sean Clifford, Penn State
News Source: Penn State/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/27/19 - *Micah Parsons, Jr/2021, Penn State, 6-3, 246 (DS#1 OLB) + More +

Penn State LB Micah Parsons was ejected for targeting after he ran over Jackson in the pocket midway through the first quarter. Maryland DB Deon Jones was called for targeting on a second-quarter tackle of Justin Shorter and ejected. - AP College Football

(DS#1 OLB) Jr/2021

OLB *Micah Parsons, Penn State
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/24/19 - Alex Felkins, rSr/2024, Penn State, 6-3, 198 (DS#14 K) + More +

SEPT 23 IVY LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Alex Felkins, Columbia (Fr., K/P - Tulsa, Okla.),...Converted a 50-yard field goal, the third-longest in program history...Went 4-for-4 on point-after attempts...Averaged 64.8 yards per kickoff and added a tackle...Did not kick his first football until eighth grade...Trilingual in English, Russian and Ukrainian. - Ivy League Football

(DS#14 K) rSr/2024

K Alex Felkins, Penn State
News Source: Ivy League Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/14/19 - Journey Brown, rSr/2022, Penn State, 5-11, 215 (DS#999 RB) + More +

Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi joked before the 100th meeting between the Panthers and 13th-ranked Penn State that the next time the rivals face off, he'll either be retired or "in a coffin." That's a long time to live with some curious decision-making that helped the Nittany Lions escape with a 17-10 win. Pitt opted to kick a field goal on fourth-and-goal at the Penn State 1 trailing by a touchdown with less than 4 minutes to go. Alex Kessman's 19-yard attempt clanked off the upright and the Nittany Lion defense later turned away Pitt's last-ditch possession to win their third straight in the series since it was renewed in 2016.

Journey Brown ran for 109 yards and a touchdown for Penn State (3-0) and Noah Cain's 13-yard third-quarter sprint to the end zone gave Penn State the lead for good. Sean Clifford completed 14 of 30 passes for 222 yards while spending most of the afternoon under heavy duress. Pitt's Kenny Pickett threw for a career-high 372 yards, but Penn State held firm when it mattered. The Panthers had first-and-goal at the Penn State 1 midway through the fourth quarter. Two passes and a run went nowhere, and Narduzzi opted to kick, despite trailing by seven. - AP College Football

(DS#999 RB) rSr/2022

RB Journey Brown, Penn State
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

Previous 15 Notes

|Back to Page One|

Next 15 Notes

Warning: Undefined array key "TeamID" in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\2020rightcolteam.php on line 56

Warning: Undefined array key "DSTeamID" in D:\InetPub\vhosts\scoutnation.com\draftscout.com\2020rightcolteam.php on line 57

Penn State Football Videos

Buy Draft Scout Weekly

** Draft Scout Data **
(Everything Online PLUS)

Support Draft Scout

The Database Engine for NFLDraftScout.com, Draft Scout is being repurposed...Support the Future Development of ScoutNation.com...

Draft Scout Archives

** 2010-2022 Draft Scout Archives **
(Yearly Player Data Exports, Prospect Lists & More)

Draft Scout Future

100% Dedicated and Never Done

80% Innovated

45% Hidden

35% Built

2024 CFB/2025-2028 NFL Draft Scout

2023 CFB/2024-2027 NFL Draft Scout

NFL Draft Scout History

2022 Draft Scout

Draft Scout by Conference

2023 Draft Scout Offense

2023 Draft Scout Defense

2022 Draft Scout Offense

2022 Draft Scout Defense

Penn State Football Videos

Buy Draft Scout Weekly

Support Draft Scout

Draft Scout Archives

Draft Scout Future

Synergization

Did You Know?

Hidden Designs

Future Development