| 2016 Penn State Nittany Lions football | |
|---|---|
| | |
| Conference | Big Ten Conference |
| East Division | |
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 7 |
| AP | No. 7 |
| Record | 11–3 (8–1 Big Ten) |
| Head coach |
|
| Offensive coordinator | Joe Moorhead (1st season) |
| Offensive scheme | Spread |
| Defensive coordinator | Brent Pry (1st as DC; 3rd overall season) |
| Co-defensive coordinator | Tim Banks (1st season) |
| Base defense | 4–3 |
| Captains |
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| Home stadium | Beaver Stadium |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | W | L | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| East Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 7 Penn State xy$ | 8 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 Ohio State x^ | 8 | – | 1 | 11 | – | 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 10 Michigan | 7 | – | 2 | 10 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Indiana | 4 | – | 5 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maryland | 3 | – | 6 | 6 | – | 7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Michigan State | 1 | – | 8 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rutgers | 0 | – | 9 | 2 | – | 10 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| West Division | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 9 Wisconsin xy | 7 | – | 2 | 11 | – | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa | 6 | – | 3 | 8 | – | 5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nebraska | 6 | – | 3 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Minnesota | 5 | – | 4 | 9 | – | 4 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Northwestern | 5 | – | 4 | 7 | – | 6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Illinois | 2 | – | 7 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Purdue | 1 | – | 8 | 3 | – | 9 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Championship: Penn State 38, Wisconsin 31 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The 2016 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by third-year head coach James Franklin and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania. They were a member of the Big Ten East Division of the Big Ten Conference. They lost to Pitt and Michigan in early September but then had a winning streak that included signature victories over Ohio State and Wisconsin en route to a Big Ten championship. Despite their Big Ten title, the Nittany Lions just missed a playoff berth. They represented the Big Ten in the 2017 Rose Bowl, losing to USC on a last-second game winning field goal.
Penn State announced its 2016 football schedule on July 11, 2013. The 2016 schedule consisted of seven home and five away games in the regular season. The Nittany Lions hosted Big Ten foes Iowa, Maryland, Michigan State, Minnesota, and Ohio State, and traveled to Indiana, Michigan, Purdue, and Rutgers. [1]
The team hosted two of the three non-conference games against the Kent State Golden Flashes from the Mid-American Conference (MAC), Pittsburgh Panthers from the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), and the Temple Owls from the American Athletic Conference (AAC).
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 3 | 3:30 p.m. | Kent State * | BTN | W 33–13 | 94,378 | ||
| September 10 | 12:00 p.m. | at Pittsburgh * | ESPN | L 39–42 | 69,983 | ||
| September 17 | 12:00 p.m. | Temple * |
| BTN | W 34–27 | 100,420 | |
| September 24 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 4 Michigan | ABC | L 10–49 | 110,319 | ||
| October 1 | 3:30 p.m. | Minnesota |
| BTN | W 29–26 OT | 95,332 | |
| October 8 | 12:00 p.m. | Maryland |
| BTN | W 38–14 | 100,778 | |
| October 22 | 8:00 p.m. | No. 2 Ohio State |
| ABC | W 24–21 | 107,280 | |
| October 29 | 12:00 p.m. | at Purdue | No. 24 | ABC/ESPN2 | W 62–24 | 33,157 | |
| November 5 | 7:30 p.m. | Iowa | No. 12 |
| BTN | W 41–14 | 106,194 |
| November 12 | 12:00 p.m. | at Indiana | No. 10 | ABC/ESPN2 | W 45–31 | 40,678 | |
| November 19 | 8:00 p.m. | at Rutgers | No. 8 | BTN | W 39–0 | 51,366 | |
| November 26 | 3:30 p.m. | Michigan State | No. 7 |
| ESPN | W 45–12 | 97,418 |
| December 3 | 8:00 p.m. | vs. No. 6 Wisconsin | No. 7 | FOX | W 38–31 | 65,018 | |
| January 2, 2017 | 5:00 p.m. | vs. No. 9 USC * | No. 5 |
| ESPN | L 49–52 | 95,128 |
| |||||||
| Week | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 24 | 20 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 7 |
| Coaches | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | — | RV | 23 | 14 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 5 | 7 |
| CFP | Not released | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 5 | Not released | ||||||||
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kent State | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Penn State | 6 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 33 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 7 | 7 | 7 | 18 | 39 |
| Pittsburgh | 14 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 42 |
at Heinz Field • Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple | 7 | 3 | 7 | 10 | 27 |
| Penn State | 14 | 7 | 3 | 10 | 34 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State | 0 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 |
| #4 Michigan | 14 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 49 |
at Michigan Stadium • Ann Arbor, Michigan
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | OT | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minnesota | 3 | 10 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 26 |
| Penn State | 0 | 3 | 17 | 3 | 6 | 29 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maryland | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| Penn State | 7 | 17 | 7 | 7 | 38 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2 Ohio State | 0 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 21 |
| Penn State | 0 | 7 | 0 | 17 | 24 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #24 Penn State | 7 | 10 | 24 | 21 | 62 |
| Purdue | 7 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 24 |
at Ross–Ade Stadium • West Lafayette, Indiana
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa | 0 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 14 |
| #20 Penn State | 7 | 17 | 3 | 14 | 41 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #12 Penn State | 7 | 7 | 7 | 24 | 45 |
| Indiana | 0 | 14 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
at Memorial Stadium • Bloomington, Indiana
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #9 Penn State | 6 | 3 | 16 | 14 | 39 |
| Rutgers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at High Point Solutions Stadium • Piscataway, New Jersey
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| #8 Penn State | 0 | 10 | 21 | 14 | 45 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, Pennsylvania
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #6 Wisconsin | 14 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 31 |
| #8 Penn State | 7 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 38 |
at Lucas Oil Stadium • Indianapolis, Indiana
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #9 USC | 13 | 14 | 8 | 17 | 52 |
| #5 Penn State | 0 | 21 | 28 | 0 | 49 |
at Rose Bowl • Pasadena, California
| Game information | ||
|---|---|---|
|
| Position | Name | Alma mater |
|---|---|---|
| Head coach | James Franklin [3] | East Stroudsburg (1994) |
| Defensive coordinator/linebackers | Brent Pry | Buffalo (1993) |
| Offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks | Joe Moorhead | Fordham University (1995) |
| Safeties/co-defensive coordinator | Tim Banks | Central Michigan University (1994) |
| Running backs/special teams coordinator | Charles Huff [4] | Hampton (2005) |
| Tight ends/passing game coordinator | Ricky Rahne [4] | Cornell (2002) |
| Wide Receivers/offensive recruiting coordinator | Josh Gattis [4] | Wake Forest (2006) |
| Cornerbacks/defensive recruiting coordinator | Terry Smith [4] | Penn State (1991) |
| Offensive line | Matt Limegrover | University of Chicago (1990) |
| Defensive line/run game coordinator | Sean Spencer [4] | Clarion (1995) |
| Strength and conditioning | Dwight Galt [4] | Maryland (1981) |
| Graduate assistant | Joe Brady IV | College of William & Mary (2013) |
| Graduate assistant | Tommy Galt | Maryland (2009) |
| Graduate assistant | Andrew Jackson | LIU Post (2011) |
| Graduate assistant | Ryan Smith | College of William & Mary (2014) |
| 2016 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Players | Coaches | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Offense
| Defense
| Special teams
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| Coach | Award | Date Awarded | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| James Franklin | Dave McClain Coach of the Year (media vote) | November 22, 2016 | |
| James Franklin | Sporting News College Football Coach of the Year | December 7, 2016 | [16] |