It will be two weeks before Penn State takes the field at Beaver Stadium, as the Lions will enjoy a bye week before hosting Michigan for the annual White Out game and Senior Day for the home finale.
HEAD COACH PAT FITZGERALD
• The second-longest tenured Big Ten head coach, Pat Fitzgerald is in his 10th season at the helm of Northwestern.
• He is the all-time winningest coach in Northwestern history and has led the program to five bowl game appearances as the sideline boss. Northwestern has appeared in the Alamo (2008), Outback (2009), Ticketcity (2010), Meineke Car Care (2011) and Gator Bowls (2012).
SCOUTING THE WILDCATS
• Northwestern defeated Nebraska, 30-28, in its last outing to improve to 6-2 overall (2-2 Big Ten) to become bowl eligible for the first time since 2012. The Wildcats enter the game after a bye week.
• Northwestern is averaging 186.1 rushing yards per game to rank third in the conference, while averaging a league-low 146.1 passing yards per game.
• Northwestern leads the Big Ten and ranks ninth nationally with just 4.5 penalties per game.
HACKENBERG HEATING UP
• In his last six games, QB Christian Hackenberg has 12 touchdown passes, two rushing touchdowns, one touchdown reception, no interceptions and four games with at least 250 yards passing. He has passed for 1,415 yards in those six games.
• Hackenberg has not thrown an interception in his last 164 pass attempts, the longest streak of his career.
• Hackenberg has become the Nittany Lions career leader in passing yardage, touchdowns and completions. He needs just two more touchdown passes to become the Nittany Lions’ career leader.
PENN STATE VS. THE BIG TEN
• Penn State owns a 191-95-3 mark against Big Ten Conference teams since the Nittany Lions first opposed Ohio State in 1912.
• The Nittany Lions began play as a member of the Big Ten Conference in 1993 and have a 113-68 mark.
• Prior to joining the conference, Penn State played 107 games vs. the current Big Ten alignment and was 79-25-3 in those games.
• Maryland and Rutgers joined the Big Ten on July 1, 2014.
PENN STATE-NORTHWESTERN CONNECTIONS
• PSU redshirt freshman T Brendan Brosnan protected sophomore QB Matt Alviti while at Maine South (Ill.) High School.
• PSU redshirt freshman QB Billy Fessler and Northwestern freshman WR Charlie Fessler are brothers who played together at Cathedral Prep.
• PSU freshman DE Kam Carter and Northwestern RB Solomon Vault played together at Gaithersburg (Md.) High School.
• PSU freshman DE Colin Castagna and Northwestern redshirt freshman QB Daniel Kubiuk played together at Barrington (Ill.) High School.
• PSU senior DE Carl Nassib and Northwestern junior OL Connor Mahoney played together at Malvern Prep (Pa.).
• PSU junior KS Tyler Yazujian and Northwestern junior WR Andrew Scanlan both played at Spring-Ford (Pa.) High School.
OFF-WEEK AHEAD
• After playing 10 consecutive games, Penn State will take its bye week following the Northwestern game.
• The Nov. 14 bye is the latest first-bye date for the Nittany Lions since 1958 when Penn State’s only bye came on Nov. 22.
• Penn State also had its first bye on Nov. 22 in 1923 and on Nov. 21 in 1922.
• In the Big Ten, Penn State and Wisconsin have their off date on Nov. 14, while Nebraska’s single bye comes on Nov. 21.
OFFENSIVE LINE SHUFFLE
• The starting offensive line combination against Illinois marked the sixth different combination in nine games this season.
• Guard Brian Gaia is the only player to start on the line in all nine of the games.
STINGY DEFENSE
• Penn State’s defense allowed just 167 yards to Illinois. Prior to playing No. 1 Ohio State (429 yards) and Maryland (363 yards) the two weeks before, Penn State had held regular season opponents below 325 yards in 13 consecutive games.
• The 167 yards (37 rushing, 130 passing) allowed to Illinois were the fewest allowed by the Nittany Lions since holding Minnesota to 138 yards (37 rushing, 101 passing) in 2009.
• The Nittany Lion defense held Illinois to 12 first downs, the fewest since giving up just eight to Temple last season, and the fewest in a Big Ten game since allowing 12 to Michigan last season.
• The Penn State defense has been particularly stingy at home, having held its last 10 opponents and 12 of its last 13 to less than 300 yards of total offense, dating back to last season. Northwestern is the lone team to gain more than 300 yards against the Lions at home.
• Ohio State snapped another streak as well this season, as the Penn State defense had not allowed more than seven points in the first half of 12 consecutive games, including eight consecutive against Big Ten opponents.
• In 2014, Penn State ranked in the Top 10 in the FBS in fewest first downs allowed (2nd, 190), pass efficiency (2nd, 101.14), total (2nd, 278.7 ypg), rushing (3rd, 100.5 ypg), third down (6th, 30.2) and scoring defense (7th, 18.6 ppg).
STOPS BEHIND THE LINE
• In addition to leading the nation in sacks with 36 (4.0 pg), Penn State also ranks fourth in the nation and tops in the Big Ten with 9.2 tackles for loss per game.
• Penn State has recorded at least five tackles for loss in 16 consecutive games.
• The 16th straight game with at least five TFLs is the longest streak for Penn State since a 38-game streak from 1997 to 2000.
• The Nittany Lions recorded 9.0 tackles for loss against Illinois to mark the sixth game this season with at least 9.0 TFLs in a game.
• The Penn State defense accumulated 10.0 tackles for loss against Ohio State, the most the Buckeyes had surrendered all season.
• Penn State leads the nation in both tackle for loss yardage (409) and sack yardage (284).
• Penn State’s 15 tackles for loss against Temple were the second-most in the country during the opening week, trailing only Colorado State, which racked up 16 against FCS-level Savannah State. Eleven different Nittany Lions were credited with at least an assist, led by Carl Nassib, Brandon Bell and Anthony Zettel with 2.5 TFL each, while Trevor Williams had 2.0.
• Nassib leads the country with 2.1 TFL per game.
QUARTERBACKS BEWARE
• With 4.0 sacks per game and 36 total the Nittany Lions lead the FBS.
• Penn State’s defense has had at least one sack in 31 consecutive games. That is the most consecutive games with a recorded sack since sacks became an official NCAA statistic in 2000.
• Senior defensive end Carl Nassib has recorded a sack in each game this season. He leads the nation with 14.5 sacks for an FBS-leading average of 1.61per game.
• Illinois led the Big Ten in fewest sacks allowed with an average of 1.14 before playing Penn State, but yielded a season-high four sacks to the Nittany Lions.
• The PSU defense had four sacks against Indiana, which had only allowed three sacks total in the previous five games.
• The Nittany Lions made the most of their few chances for sacks against Army’s run-heavy triple-option offense, totaling more sacks (3) than passing attempts (1) and completions (1).
• Sophomore linebacker Jason Cabinda registered two sacks in the Army win, including on fourth down to end the Black Knights’ comeback hopes.
NASSIB BREAKING THROUGH
• Senior defensive end Carl Nassib has rewarded the Nittany Lions for putting him in the starting lineup, as the former walk-on is enjoying a breakout season by breaking through opposing offensive lines.
• The nation’s sack leader with 14.5 (1.61 pg), Nassib has had at least one sack in nine consecutive games, which is the longest streak by a Penn State player since sacks became an official NCAA statistic in 2000.
• Nassib’s 14.5 sacks for the season stands alone in third place at Penn State for a single season. He trails both Larry Kubin (1979) and Michael Haynes (2002), who are tied for the single season sack record with 15.0.
• Nassib has 18.5 tackles for loss this season, the most by a Nittany Lion since Aaron Maybin had 20 in 2008. Nassib’s 18.5 TFL are the fourth-most by a Penn State player since 2000.
• Nassib leads the nation with 18.5 tackles for loss (2.1 pg) and ranks third with five forced fumbles.
• He has recorded a sack in each game this season, and five multi-sack games.
• Nassib is the first Penn State player to force two fumbles in two games in a season since Maurice Evans did it in 2007. Evans had two forced fumbles against Indiana and two forced fumbles against Texas A&M in the Alamo Bowl.
• Nassib’s five forced fumbles this season are the most by a PSU player since Evans had five in 2007.
• While making his first career start (high school or college), Nassib made a career-high 10 tackles in the season opener at Temple. His previous high was four stops on October 5, 2013 at Indiana. Nassib also recorded what was then his second career solo sack, good for a 12-yard loss in the second quarter, and his 2.5 tackles for loss were a career-best.
• Nassib made even bigger plays the following week against Buffalo, recording three sacks, including back-to-back sack-fumbles to stifle a UB comeback. He also hauled in an interception deep in UB territory after senior defensive tackle Anthony Zettel tipped a pass from the quarterback.
• His fifth sack of the season was against Rutgers.
• Nassib tallied two sacks against San Diego State, forcing a fumble on one that led to defensive tackle Austin Johnson’s 71-yard touchdown run after scooping up the ball.
• He continued his sack streak with one against Army.
• Nassib had a triple-double of sorts against Indiana with 2.0 sacks, 2.0 TFL and two forced fumbles.
• At No. 1 Ohio State, he led the Penn State defense with 1.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss, also tying for second on the team with eight tackles. The Lions totaled 10.0 tackles for loss in the game to mark its fourth game with at least 9.0 TFLs. It was also the most surrendered by Ohio State this season.
• Nassib was credited with two sacks against Maryland and one against Illinois.
GREEN LIGHT IN THE RED ZONE
• Penn State was 7-7 in the red zone against Illinois (5 TD, 2 FG), improving to 31-34 for the season (19 TD, 12 FG), a success rate of 91 percent.
• The Lions’ 91 percent success rate is tied for 14th in the country.
• The Illinois game was just the second this season (Ohio State) in which all of Penn State’s scoring took place in the red zone.
GODWIN LEADS RECEIVING CORPS
• Sophomore wide receiver Chris Godwin has caught at least four passes in eight of nine games this season and nine of his last 20.
• Godwin tied a career-best with seven receptions against Illinois. He previously had seven in last year’s Pinstripe Bowl vs. Boston College.
• Godwin but totaled 103 yards on three catches at Ohio State, and then made four catches for a season-high 135 yards and a touchdown the following week against Maryland.
• Godwin is the first Nittany Lion to post back-to-back 100-yard receiving games since Allen Robinsonin 2013 (106 vs. Nebraska, 122 at Wisconsin).
• It was his third career 100-yard receiving game (141 vs. Boston College, 2014 Pinstripe Bowl).
• He has at least one catch in 20 of 21 career games and four career games with five or more grabs, joining his seven-catch night vs. Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl.
• He has a team-best total of 34 receptions for 628 yards and is averaging 4.3 catches and 78.5 yards per game, to rank in the Top 10 in both in the Big Ten.
• Godwin was added to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List for the nation’s top receiver.
