2023 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

2023 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Peach Bowl, L 25–38 vs. Ole Miss
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Division	East Division
Ranking
Coaches	No. 13
AP	No. 13
Record	10–3 (7–2 Big Ten)
Head coach	James Franklin (10th season)
Offensive coordinator	Mike Yurcich (3rd season; first ten games)
Co-offensive coordinator	Ja'Juan Seider (interim; remainder of season)
Co-offensive coordinator	Ty Howle (interim; remainder of season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Manny Diaz (2nd season)
Co-defensive coordinator	Anthony Poindexter (3rd season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Beaver Stadium
Uniform
Seasons ←  2022 2024  →

2023 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
No. 1 Michigan xy$#^		9	–	0					15	–	0
No. 10 Ohio State		8	–	1					11	–	2
No. 13 Penn State		7	–	2					10	–	3
Maryland		4	–	5					8	–	5
Rutgers		3	–	6					7	–	6
Michigan State		2	–	7					4	–	8
Indiana		1	–	8					3	–	9
West Division
No. 24 Iowa xy		7	–	2					10	–	4
Northwestern		5	–	4					8	–	5
Wisconsin		5	–	4					7	–	6
Illinois		3	–	6					5	–	7
Minnesota		3	–	6					6	–	7
Nebraska		3	–	6					5	–	7
Purdue		3	–	6					4	–	8
Championship: Michigan 26, Iowa 0
# – College Football Playoff champion ^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2023 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Big Ten Conference. The team was led by James Franklin in his tenth year as Penn State's head coach. ^[1]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	7:30 p.m.	West Virginia *	No. 7	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry)	NBC	W 38–15	110,747
September 9	12:00 p.m.	No. 19 (FCS) Delaware *	No. 7	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	Peacock	W 63–7	108,575
September 16	12:00 p.m.	at Illinois	No. 7	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	FOX	W 30–13	49,099
September 23	7:30 p.m.	No. 24 Iowa	No. 7	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (White Out)	CBS	W 31–0	110,830
September 30	12:00 p.m.	at Northwestern	No. 6	Ryan Field Evanston, IL	BTN	W 41–13	25,064
October 14	3:30 p.m.	UMass *	No. 6	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	BTN	W 63–0	105,533
October 21	12:00 p.m.	at No. 3 Ohio State	No. 7	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH (College GameDay, Big Noon Kickoff, rivalry)	FOX	L 12–20	105,506
October 28	12:00 p.m.	Indiana	No. 10	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	CBS	W 33–24	107,209
November 4	3:30 p.m.	at Maryland	No. 11	SECU Stadium College Park, MD (rivalry)	FOX	W 51–15	51,802
November 11	12:00 p.m.	No. 3 Michigan	No. 10	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry)	FOX	L 15–24	110,856
November 18	12:00 p.m.	Rutgers	No. 12	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	FS1	W 27–6	105,114
November 24	7:30 p.m.	vs. Michigan State	No. 11	Ford Field Detroit, MI (Land Grant Trophy)	NBC	W 42–0	51,927
December 30	12:00 p.m.	vs. No. 11 Ole Miss	No. 10	Mercedes-Benz Stadium Atlanta, GA (Peach Bowl)	ESPN	L 25–38	71,230
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll (and CFP Rankings, after October 31) - Released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

Game summaries

West Virginia

See also: 2023 West Virginia Mountaineers football team and Penn State–West Virginia football rivalry

West Virginia at No. 7 Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
West Virginia	0	7	0	8	15
No. 7 Penn State	7	7	7	17	38

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

• Date: September 2
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 77 °F (25 °C), mostly sunny
• Game attendance: 110,747
• Referee: Mark Kluczynski
• TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, and Kathryn Tappen
• ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter PSU – KeAndre Lambert-Smith, 72-yard TD pass from Drew Allar, Sander Sahaydak kick, 10:13 (PSU 7–0) Second quarter WVU – CJ Donaldson Jr., 1-yard TD run, Michael Hayes kick, 14:14 (TIE 7–7) PSU – Nicholas Singleton, 2-yard TD run, Sahaydak kick, 9:10 (PSU 14–7) Third quarter PSU – Lambert-Smith, 12-yard TD pass from Allar, Alex Felkins kick, 8:36 (PSU 21–7) Fourth quarter PSU – Felkins, 25-yard field goal, 14:47 (PSU 24–7) PSU – Malik McClain, 25-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 7:32 (PSU 31–7) WVU – Garrett Greene, 1-yard TD run, Donaldson pass from Greene for 2-point conversion, 3:34 (PSU 31–15) PSU – Beau Pribula, 5-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 0:06 (PSU 38–15)

Statistics	WVU	PSU
First downs	17	27
Plays–yards	67–308	65–478
Rushes–yards	40–146	35–146
Passing yards	162	332
Passing: comp–att–int	16–27–0	22–30–0
Time of possession	31:16	28:44

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
West Virginia	Passing	Garrett Greene	16/27, 162 yards
	Rushing	CJ Donaldson Jr.	18 carries, 81 yards, TD
	Receiving	Devin Carter	6 receptions, 90 yards
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	21/29, 325 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Nicholas Singleton	13 carries, 70 yards, TD
	Receiving	KeAndre Lambert-Smith	4 receptions, 123 yards, 2 TD

No. 19 Delaware (FCS)

See also: 2023 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens football team

No. 19 Delaware (FCS) at No. 7 Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 19 Delaware (FCS)	7	0	0	0	7
No. 7 Penn State	14	21	21	7	63

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

• Date: September 9
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 80 °F (27 °C); cloudy
• Game attendance: 108,575
• Referee: Bryan Banks
• TV announcers (Peacock): Brendan Burke, Michael Robinson, and Zora Stephenson
• ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter PSU – Nicholas Singleton, 2-yard TD run, Alex Felkins kick, 8:19 (PSU 7–0) PSU – Kaytron Allen, 4-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 2:16 (PSU 14–0) UD – Marcus Yarns, 66-yard TD run, Alex Schmoke kick, 1:05 (PSU 14–7) Second quarter PSU – Singleton, 5-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 11:50 (PSU 21–7) PSU – Singleton, 5-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 4:36 (PSU 28–7) PSU – Tyler Warren, 2-yard TD pass from Drew Allar, Felkins kick, 0:22 (PSU 35–7) Third quarter PSU – Allar, 1-yard TD run, Sander Sahaydak kick, 9:48 (PSU 42–7) PSU – Beau Pribula, 6-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 7:16 (PSU 49–7) PSU – Dominic DeLuca, 26-yard interception return for TD, Felkins kick, 2:43 (PSU 56–7) Fourth quarter PSU – Omari Evans, 4-yard TD pass from Pribula, Felkins kick, 7:35 (PSU 63–7)

Statistics	UD	PSU
First downs	5	34
Plays–yards	41–140	91–541
Rushes–yards	24–82	60–315
Passing yards	58	226
Passing: comp–att–int	6–17–1	25–31–0
Time of possession	17:38	42:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Delaware	Passing	Zach Marker	3/7, 37 yards, INT
	Rushing	Marcus Yarns	6 carries, 86 yards, TD
	Receiving	Jojo Bermudez	2 receptions, 32 yards
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	22/26, 204 yards, TD
	Rushing	Kaytron Allen	19 carries, 103 yards, TD
	Receiving	KeAndre Lambert-Smith	6 receptions, 74 yards

At Illinois

See also: 2023 Illinois Fighting Illini football team

No. 7 Penn State at Illinois – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 7 Penn State	6	10	7	7	30
Illinois	0	7	0	6	13

at Memorial Stadium, Champaign, Illinois

• Date: September 16
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 78 °F (26 °C); mostly cloudy
• Game attendance: 49,099
• Referee: Jerry McGinn
• TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft
• ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter PSU – Alex Felkins, 20-yard field goal, 5:27 (PSU 30) PSU – Felkins, 45-yard field goal, 1:43 (PSU 6–0) Second quarter PSU – Kaytron Allen, 4-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 11:04 (PSU 13–0) UI – Reggie Love III, 5-yard TD run, Caleb Griffin kick, 2:08 (PSU 13–7) PSU – Felkins, 28-yard field goal, 0:00 (PSU 16–7) Third quarter PSU – Tyler Warren, 11-yard TD pass from Trey Potts, Felkins kick, 2:14 (PSU 23–7) Fourth quarter PSU – Nicholas Singleton, 16-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 14:24 (PSU 30–7) UI – Malik Elzy, 19-yard TD pass from John Paddock, 2-point conversion failed, 4:21 (PSU 30–13)

Statistics	PSU	UI
First downs	20	20
Plays–yards	77–383	73–354
Rushes–yards	40–164	29–62
Passing yards	219	292
Passing: comp–att–int	17–37–0	25–44–4
Time of possession	31:52	28:08

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	16/33, 208 yards
	Rushing	Kaytron Allen	13 carries, 54 yards, TD
	Receiving	Nicholas Singleton	3 receptions, 49 yards
Illinois	Passing	Luke Altmyer	15/28, 163 yards, 4 INT
	Rushing	Reggie Love III	12 carries, 55 yards, TD
	Receiving	Isaiah Williams	5 receptions, 63 yards

No. 24 Iowa

See also: 2023 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

No. 24 Iowa at No. 7 Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 24 Iowa	0	0	0	0	0
No. 7 Penn State	3	7	14	7	31

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

• Date: September 23
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C); rain
• Game attendance: 110,830
• Referee: Chris Coyle
• TV announcers (CBS): Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, and Jenny Dell
• ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter PSU – Alex Felkins, 46-yard field goal, 1:35 (PSU 3–0) Second quarter PSU – Khalil Dinkins, 9-yard TD pass from Drew Allar, Felkins kick, 9:17 (PSU 10–0) Third quarter PSU – Tyler Warren, 2-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 8:20 (PSU 17–0) PSU – Warren, 7-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 1:01 (PSU 24–0) Fourth quarter PSU – KeAndre Lambert-Smith, 3-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 12:19 (PSU 31–0)

Statistics	UI	PSU
First downs	4	28
Plays–yards	33–76	97–397
Rushes–yards	17–20	57–215
Passing yards	56	182
Passing: comp–att–int	6–16–0	26–40–0
Time of possession	14:33	45:27

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Iowa	Passing	Cade McNamara	5/14, 42 yards
	Rushing	Kamari Moulton	6 carries, 18 yards
	Receiving	Erick All	3 receptions, 35 yards
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	25/37, 166 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Kaytron Allen	21 carries, 72 yards
	Receiving	KeAndre Lambert-Smith	8 receptions, 66 yards, TD

At Northwestern

See also: 2023 Northwestern Wildcats football team

No. 6 Penn State at Northwestern – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 6 Penn State	3	7	17	14	41
Northwestern	3	7	0	3	13

at Ryan Field, Evanston, Illinois

• Date: September 30
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 73 °F (23 °C); sunny
• Game attendance: 25,064
• Referee: Larry Smith
• TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill, Jake Butt, and Brooke Fletcher
• ESPN box score, GoPSUsports box score

Game information

First quarter NU – Jack Olsen, 33-yard field goal, 12:47 (NU 3–0) PSU – Alex Felkins, 20-yard field goal, 2:37 (TIE 3–3) Second quarter NU – Ben Bryant, 1-yard TD run, Olsen kick, 5:46 (NU 10–3) PSU – Trey Potts, 13-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 1:16 (TIE 10–10) Third quarter PSU – Drew Allar, 1-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 8:40 (PSU 17–10) PSU – Felkins, 47-yard field goal, 6:03 (PSU 20–10) PSU – Nicholas Singleton, 2-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 1:24 (PSU 27–10) Fourth quarter NU – Olsen, 28-yard field goal, 12:01 (PSU 27–13) PSU – Singleton, 1-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 4:07 (PSU 34–13) PSU – Potts, 30-yard TD pass from Beau Pribula, Felkins kick, 2:20 (PSU 41–13)

Statistics	PSU	NU
First downs	19	12
Plays–yards	73–353	63–175
Rushes–yards	39–134	32–45
Passing yards	219	130
Passing: comp–att–int	19–34–0	16–31–1
Time of possession	32:08	27:52

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	18/33, 189 yards TD
	Rushing	Nicholas Singleton	21 carries, 80 yards, TD
	Receiving	KeAndre Lambert-Smith	4 receptions, 86 yards
Northwestern	Passing	Ben Bryant	14/25, 122 yards
	Rushing	Brendan Sullivan	7 carries, 25 yards
	Receiving	Cam Johnson	6 receptions, 81 yards

UMass

See also: 2023 UMass Minutemen football team

Massachusetts at No. 6 Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
UMass	0	0	0	0	0
No. 6 Penn State	7	21	21	14	63

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 14
• Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 47 °F (8 °C), rain
• Game attendance: 105,533
• Referee: Jeffrey Servinski
• TV announcers (BTN): Mark Followill, Jake Butt, and Brooke Fletcher
• ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter PSU – Daequan Hardy, 56-yard punt return for TD, Alex Felkins kick, 4:17 (PSU 7–0) Second quarter PSU – Drew Allar, 1-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 12:35 (PSU 14–0) PSU – Kaytron Allen, 9-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 6:20 (PSU 21–0) PSU – Tyler Warren, 7-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 1:01 (PSU 28–0) Third quarter PSU – Theo Johnson, 30-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 11:29 (PSU 35–0) PSU – T. Johnson, 18-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 5:12 (PSU 42–0) PSU – Hardy, 68-yard punt return for TD, Sander Sahaydak kick, 3:57 (PSU 49–0) Fourth quarter PSU – Trey Potts, 2-yard TD run, Sahaydak kick, 13:37, (PSU 56–0) PSU – Beau Pribula, 31-yard TD run, Sahaydak kick, 8:28 (PSU 63–0)

Statistics	UM	PSU
First downs	9	28
Plays–yards	62–109	60–408
Rushes–yards	39–64	37–246
Passing yards	45	162
Passing: comp–att–int	9–23–1	16–23–0
Time of possession	32:58	27:02

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Massachusetts	Passing	Taisun Phommachanh	6/14, 25 yards
	Rushing	Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams	14 carries, 31 yards
	Receiving	George Johnson III	2 receptions, 24 yards
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	16/23, 162 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Nicholas Singleton	15 carries, 79 yards
	Receiving	Theo Johnson	4 receptions, 66 yards, 2 TD

At No. 3 Ohio State

See also: 2023 Ohio State Buckeyes football team and Ohio State–Penn State football rivalry

No. 7 Penn State at No. 3 Ohio State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 7 Penn State	3	3	0	6	12
No. 3 Ohio State	3	7	0	10	20

at Ohio Stadium, Columbus, Ohio

• Date: October 21
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 54 °F (12 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 105,506
• Referee: Jerry McGinn
• TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft
• ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter OSU – Jayden Fielding, 33-yard field goal, 10:49 (OSU 3–0) PSU – Alex Felkins, 40-yard field goal, 5:15 (TIE 3–3) Second quarter OSU – Miyan Williams, 2-yard TD run, Fielding kick, 7:31 (OSU 10–3) PSU – Felkins, 41-yard field goal, 4:16 (OSU 10–6) Third quarter No scoring Fourth quarter OSU – Fielding, 37-yard field goal, 8:59 (OSU 13–6) OSU – Marvin Harrison Jr., 18-yard TD pass from Kyle McCord, Fielding kick, 4:07 (OSU 20–6) PSU – Kaden Saunders, 8-yard TD pass from Drew Allar, 2-point pass conversion failed, 0:29 (OSU 20–12)

Statistics	PSU	OSU
First downs	15	22
Plays–yards	68–240	76–365
Rushes–yards	26–49	41–79
Passing yards	191	286
Passing: comp–att–int	18–42–0	22–35–0
Time of possession	25:36	34:24

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	18/42, 191 yards, TD
	Rushing	Nicholas Singleton	9 carries, 48 yards
	Receiving	KeAndre Lambert-Smith	6 receptions, 52 yards
Ohio State	Passing	Kyle McCord	22/35, 286 yards, TD
	Rushing	Miyan Williams	24 carries, 62 yards, TD
	Receiving	Marvin Harrison Jr.	11 receptions, 162 yards, TD

Indiana

See also: 2023 Indiana Hoosiers football team

Indiana at No. 10 Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Indiana	7	7	0	10	24
No. 10 Penn State	7	10	7	9	33

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

• Date: October 28
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 69 °F (21 °C), cloudy
• Game attendance: 107,209
• Referee: Kole Knueppel
• TV announcers (CBS): Tom McCarthy, Devin McCourty, and Tiffany Blackmon
• ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter IU – DeQuece Carter, 90-yard TD pass from Brendan Sorsby, Chris Freeman kick, 7:37 (IU 7–0) PSU – Khalil Dinkins, 9-yard TD pass from Drew Allar, Alex Felkins kick, 1:37 (TIE 7–7) Second quarter IU – Donaven McCulley, 69-yard TD pass from Sorsby, Freeman kick, 13:26 (IU 14–7) PSU – Nicholas Singleton, 2-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 2:02 (TIE 14–14) PSU – Felkins, 50-yard field goal, 0:00 (PSU 17–14) Third quarter PSU – Theo Johnson, 16-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 8:39 (PSU 24–14) Fourth quarter IU – Omar Cooper Jr., 26-yard TD pass from Sorsby, Freeman kick, 10:54 (PSU 24–21) IU – Freeman, 35-yard field goal, 2:58 (TIE 24–24) PSU – KeAndre Lambert-Smith, 57-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 1:46 (PSU 31–24) PSU – Safety, Indiana fumbled the ball out of the end zone, 1:33 (PSU 33–24)

Statistics	IU	PSU
First downs	14	19
Plays–yards	53–349	74–342
Rushes–yards	34–80	43–132
Passing yards	269	210
Passing: comp–att–int	13–19–1	20–31–1
Time of possession	24:35	35:25

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Indiana	Passing	Brendan Sorsby	13/19, 269 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Josh Henderson	12 carries, 57 yards
	Receiving	DeQuece Carter	3 receptions, 104 yards, TD
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	20/31, 210 yards, 3 TD, INT
	Rushing	Kaytron Allen	18 carries, 81 yards
	Receiving	KeAndre Lambert-Smith	6 receptions, 96 yards, TD

At Maryland

See also: 2023 Maryland Terrapins football team and Maryland–Penn State football rivalry

No. 11^CFP/9^AP Penn State at Maryland – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 11CFP/9AP Penn State	14	7	3	27	51
Maryland	0	7	0	8	15

at SECU Stadium, College Park, Maryland

• Date: November 4
• Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
• Game weather: 68 °F (20 °C), clear
• Game attendance: 51,802
• Referee: Jeffrey Servinski
• TV announcers (FOX): Jason Benetti, Brock Huard, and Allison Williams
• ESPN box score, GoPSU.com box score

Game information

First quarter PSU – Dante Cephas, 6-yard TD pass from Drew Allar, Alex Felkins kick, 8:41 (PSU 7–0) PSU – Theo Johnson, 2-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 0:02 (PSU 14–0) Second quarter UM – Roman Hemby, 7-yard TD pass from Taulia Tagovailoa, Jack Howes kick, 7:59 (PSU 14–7) PSU – Tyler Warren, 8-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 2:34 (PSU 21–7) Third quarter PSU – Felkins, 30-yard field goal, 9:26 (PSU 24–7) Fourth quarter PSU – Cephas, 15-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 13:55 (PSU 31–7) UM – Jeshaun Jones, 1-yard TD pass from Tagovailoa, Antwain Littleton II run for 2-point conversion, 11:27 (PSU 31–15) PSU – Kaytron Allen, 10-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 9:14 (PSU 38–15) PSU – Felkins, 35-yard field goal, 7:38 (PSU 41–15) PSU – Felkins, 39-yard field goal, 2:51 (PSU 44–15) PSU – Beau Pribula, 6-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 1:25 (PSU 51–15)

Statistics	PSU	UM
First downs	25	15
Plays–yards	76–404	58–234
Rushes–yards	37–158	16–(-49)
Passing yards	246	283
Passing: comp–att–int	26–39–0	31–42–2
Time of possession	37:14	22:46

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	25/34, 240 yards, 4 TD
	Rushing	Kaytron Allen	14 carries, 91 yards, TD
	Receiving	KeAndre Lambert-Smith	8 receptions, 95 yards
Maryland	Passing	Taulia Tagovailoa	29/39, 286 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Billy Edwards Jr.	1 carry, 4 yards
	Receiving	Tai Felton	4 receptions, 75 yards

No. 3^CFP/2^AP Michigan

See also: 2023 Michigan Wolverines football team and Michigan–Penn State football rivalry

No. 3^CFP/2^AP Michigan at No. 10^CFP/9^AP Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 3CFP/2AP Michigan	0	14	3	7	24
No. 10CFP/9AP Penn State	3	6	0	6	15

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

• Date: November 11
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), sunny
• Game attendance: 110,856
• Referee: Gregory Blum
• TV announcers (FOX): Gus Johnson, Joel Klatt, and Jenny Taft
• ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter PSU – Alex Felkins, 20-yard field goal, 2:17 (PSU 3–0) Second quarter UM – Blake Corum, 3-yard TD run, James Turner kick, 11:56 (UM 7–3) UM – Donovan Edwards, 22-yard TD run, Turner kick, 6:07 (UM 14–3) PSU – Drew Allar, 11-yard TD run, 2-point pass conversion failed, 0:29 (UM 14–9) Third quarter UM – Turner, 22-yard field goal, 3:36 (UM 17–9) Fourth quarter UM – Corum, 30-yard TD run, Turner kick, 4:15 (UM 24–9) PSU – Theo Johnson, 8-yard TD pass from Allar, 2-point pass conversion failed, 1:59 (UM 24–15)

Penn State hosted Michigan on November 11. As the Michigan team and coaching staff flew to Pennsylvania on Friday afternoon, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti suspended head coach Jim Harbaugh from game-day coaching for the remainder of the regular season as punishment for the Michigan Wolverines football sign-stealing scandal. ^[2]

Michigan defeated Penn State, 24–15, before a crowd of 110,856 at Beaver Stadium. ^[3] The first three drives of the game ended with punts. Penn State then drove 66 yards on 13 plays and became the first team to run a play inside Michigan's 10-yard line during the 2023 season. Facing a first-and-goal from the three-yard line, Michigan's defense stopped the Nittany Lions who settled for a 20-yard field goal by Alex Felkins. After Penn State's field goal, Michigan drove 75 yards on nine plays, including a 22-yard run by Donovan Edwards, a pass from J. J. McCarthy to Semaj Morgan for 19 yards and ending with a three-yard touchdown run by Blake Corum. After holding Penn State to a three-and-out, Michigan drove 78 yards on six plays, including a 44-yard run by Corum and a 22-yard touchdown run by Edwards. Late in the second quarter, Penn State drove 75 yards and scored on an 11-yard touchdown run by Drew Allar, though its attempt at a two-point conversion failed. Michigan led, 14–9 at halftime.

On the opening drive of the second half, Allar fumbled after being hit by Rayshaun Benny, and Michigan's Makari Paige recovered the loose ball at the Penn State 49-yard line. After the turnover, Michigan drove to the Penn State four-yard line, and James Turner kicked a 22-yard field goal. The defenses then took control of the game as six consecutive drives ended with punts, With four-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game, Michigan forced a turnover on downs as Allar threw an incomplete pass on fourth down. Corum ran 30 yard for a touchdown with 4:15 remaining in the game. In the closing minutes, Penn State drove 75 yards on eight plays, scoring on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Allar to Theo Johnson. Penn State again failed on an attempted two-point conversion. Penn State attempted an onside kick, but Mike Sainristil fell on the ball, and Michigan ran out the clock. ^[4]

Blake Corum carried the ball 26 times for 145 yards and two touchdowns. The team totaled 227 rushing yards against a Penn State defense that had the top-ranked rushing defense in the county, having not allowed any opponent to rush for more than 100 yards in a game. ^[5] Despite this, Michigan would be held to their lowest point total of the year by Penn State's defense, with Michigan having only 17 points when Penn State went for it on 4th down despite the poor field position.

Statistics	UM	PSU
First downs	15	17
Plays–yards	54–287	58–238
Rushes–yards	46–227	35–164
Passing yards	60	74
Passing: comp–att–int	7–8–0	11–23–0
Time of possession	33:12	26:48

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Michigan	Passing	J. J. McCarthy	7/8, 60 yards
	Rushing	Blake Corum	26 carries, 145 yards, 2 TD
	Receiving	Cornelius Johnson	2 receptions, 24 yards
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	10/22, 70 yards, TD
	Rushing	Kaytron Allen	12 carries, 72 yards
	Receiving	Tyler Warren	2 receptions, 25 yards

Rutgers

See also: 2023 Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team

Rutgers at No. 12^CFP/AP Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
Rutgers	3	3	0	0	6
No. 12CFP/AP Penn State	0	10	3	14	27

at Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

• Date: November 18
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: 45 °F (7 °C), mostly sunny
• Game attendance: 105,114
• Referee: Rod Snodgrass
• TV announcers (FS1): Chris Myers and Robert Smith
• ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter RU – Jai Patel, 35-yard field goal, 4:43 (RU 3–0) Second quarter PSU – Kaytron Allen, 2-yard TD run, Alex Felkins kick, 11:36 (PSU 7–3) PSU – Felkins, 21-yard field goal, 8:44 (PSU 10–3) RU – Patel, 28-yard field goal, 0:00 (PSU 10–6) Third quarter PSU – Felkins, 48-yard field goal, 5:32 (PSU 13–6) Fourth quarter PSU – Allen, 3-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 14:14 (PSU 20-6) PSU – Beau Pribula, 1-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 3:36 (PSU 27–6)

Penn State beat Rutgers decisively in a 27–6 rout where the defense really shone. Rutgers would strike first but Penn State would take control of the game in the second quarter, leading 13–6 at halftime and silencing the Scarlet Knights' offense in the second half, eventually taking a three-touchdown lead late in the game before allowing the reserves a little playing time. Despite the commanding three-touchdown victory, Penn State was criticized for the win not being even more impressive, despite the fact that Rutgers was a middle-of-the-pack Big Ten East team that year who would eventually finish 7–6. This is likely due to the reputation of Rutgers finishing last and faring poorly from 2015 through 2020. Penn State would finish the regular season 10–2 eventually losing to Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl to finish 10–3 while Rutgers won their bowl game after a 6–6 finish to finish with their first winning season since 2014, their Big Ten debut season.

Statistics	RU	PSU
First downs	13	16
Plays–yards	58–229	53–322
Rushes–yards	42–99	39–234
Passing yards	130	88
Passing: comp–att–int	10–16–1	7–14–0
Time of possession	32:00	28:00

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Rutgers	Passing	Gavin Wimsatt	10/16, 130 yards, INT
	Rushing	Kyle Monangai	16 carries, 39 yards
	Receiving	Isaiah Washington	5 receptions, 55 yards
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	6/13, 79 yards
	Rushing	Beau Pribula	8 carries, 71 yards, TD
	Receiving	Tyler Warren	2 receptions, 32 yards

At Michigan State

See also: 2023 Michigan State Spartans football team and Michigan State-Penn State football rivalry

No. 11^CFP/AP Penn State at Michigan State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 11CFP/AP Penn State	3	10	15	14	42
Michigan State	0	0	0	0	0

at Ford Field, Detroit, Michigan

• Date: November 24
• Game time: 7:30 p.m. EST
• Game weather: indoor stadium
• Game attendance: 51,927
• Referee: Chris Coyte
• TV announcers (NBC): Noah Eagle, Todd Blackledge, and Kathryn Tappen
• ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter PSU – Alex Felkins, 49-yard field goal, 9:50 (PSU 3–0) Second quarter PSU – Felkins, 30-yard field goal, 12:11 (PSU 6–0) PSU – Kaytron Allen, 2-yard TD pass from Drew Allar, Felkins kick, 4:51 (PSU 13–0) Third quarter PSU – Tyler Warren, 8-yard TD pass from Beau Pribula, 2-point converstion pass to KeAndre Lambert-Smith from Allar, 10:13 (PSU 21–0) PSU – Pribula, 2-yard TD run, Felkins kick, 4:13 (PSU 28–0) Fourth quarter PSU – Theo Johnson, 21-yard TD pass from Allar, Felkins kick, 12:29 (PSU 35–0) PSU – Nicholas Singleton, 14-yard TD run, Sander Sahaydak kick, 7:58 (PSU 42–0)

Penn State would commandingly handle their rivals from East Lansing in a 42–0 blowout where the outcome of the game was never in question.

Statistics	PSU	MSU
First downs	23	5
Plays–yards	67–586	47–53
Rushes–yards	39–283	27–(-35)
Passing yards	303	88
Passing: comp–att–int	19–28–0	12–20–1
Time of possession	35:50	24:10

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	17/26, 292 yards, 2 TD
	Rushing	Kaytron Allen	15 carries, 137 yards
	Receiving	Nicholas Singleton	2 receptions, 68 yards
Michigan State	Passing	Katin Houser	11/19, 87 yards, INT
	Rushing	Nathan Carter	8 carries, 39 yards
	Receiving	Montorie Foster Jr.	2 receptions, 35 yards

Vs. No. 11^CFP/AP Mississippi (Peach Bowl)

See also: 2023 Ole Miss Rebels football team and 2023 Peach Bowl

No. 11^CFP/AP Mississippi vs. No. 10^CFP/AP Penn State – Game summary

Quarter	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 11CFP/AP Mississippi	10	10	11	7	38
No. 10CFP/AP Penn State	3	14	0	8	25

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia

• Date: December 30
• Game time: 12:00 p.m. EST
• Game weather: indoors, roof closed
• Game attendance: 71,230
• Referee: Mike McCabe
• TV announcers (ESPN): Mark Jones, Louis Riddick, and Quint Kessenich
• ESPN box score, GoPSUsports.com box score

Game information

First quarter PSU – Alex Felkins, 26-yard field goal, 9:17 (PSU 3–0) UM – Caden Davis, 36-yard field goal, 7:16 (TIE 3–3) UM – Caden Prieskorn, 6-yard TD pass from Jaxson Dart, Davis kick, 0:30 (UM 10–3) Second quarter PSU – Theo Johnson, 2-yard TD pass from Drew Allar, Felkins kick, 13:34 (TIE 10–10) UM – Davis, 45-yard field goal, 10:33 (UM 13–10) UM – Prieskorn, 37-yard TD pass from Dart, Davis kick, 4:58 (UM 20–10) PSU – Nicholas Singleton, 48-yard TD pass from Beau Pribula], Felkins kick, 2:45 (UM 20–17) Third quarter UM – Davis, 52-yard field goal, 10:48 (UM 23–17) UM – Quinshon Judkins, 14-yard TD pass from Dart, Prieskorn pass from Dart for 2-point conversion,, 4:10 (UM 31–17) Fourth quarter UM – Dart, 2-yard TD run, Davis kick, 6:29 (UM 38–17) PSU – Harrison Wallace III, 14-yard TD pass from Allar, Singleton pass from Pribula for 2-point conversion, 4:14 (UM 38–25)

Penn State would blow their chance at winning all of the major bowls by losing the Peach Bowl.

Statistics	UM	PSU
First downs	30	21
Plays–yards	88–540	68–510
Rushes–yards	47–146	28–167
Passing yards	394	343
Passing: comp–att–int	26–41–0	20–40–1
Time of possession	33:38	26:22

Team	Category	Player	Statistics
Mississippi	Passing	Jaxson Dart	25/40, 379 yards, 3 TD
	Rushing	Quinshon Judkins	34 carries, 106 yards
	Receiving	Caden Prieskorn	10 receptions, 136 yards, 2 TD
Penn State	Passing	Drew Allar	19/39, 295 yards, 2 TD, INT
	Rushing	Kaytron Allen	10 carries, 51 yards
	Receiving	Tyler Warren	5 receptions, 127 yards

Rankings

Further information: 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	7	7	7	7	6	6	6	7	10	9	9	12	11	10	10	13
Coaches	7	7	7	7	7	6	5	6	10	9	9	12	11	10	10	13
CFP	Not released									11	10	12	11	10	10	Not released

Roster

2023 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 9 Beau Pribula  Fr QB 14 Jaxon Smolik Fr QB 15 Drew Allar So RB 10 Nicholas Singleton So RB 13 Kaytron Allen So RB 23 Trey Potts  Sr RB 24 London Montgomery Fr RB 26 Cam Wallace Fr RB 30 Amiel Davis  So RB 34 Tyler Holzworth  So RB 38 Tank Smith  Sr WR 1 KeAndre Lambert-Smith Jr WR 2 Liam Clifford  So WR 3 Dante Cephas  Sr WR 4 Malick Meiga Jr WR 5 Omari Evans So WR 6 Harrison Wallace III  So WR 7 Kaden Saunders  Fr WR 8 Tyler Johnson  Fr WR 11 Malik McClain Jr WR 12 Anthony Ivey  Fr WR 17 Mason Stahl  Jr WR 19 Jaden Dottin  Jr WR 21 Carmelo Taylor Fr WR 80 Cristian Driver  Fr WR 81 Jan Mahlert  So WR 81 Robert Rossi So WR 83 Jake Spencer  Jr WR 86 Jason Estrella  So TE 16 Khalil Dinkins  So TE 18 Joey Schlaffer Fr TE 44 Tyler Warren Jr TE 84 Theo Johnson Jr TE 87 Kolt Pearce So TE 87 Andrew Rappleyea Fr TE 88 Jerry Cross  Fr OL 51 Jimmy Christ  Jr OL 52 Dominic Rulli  Fr OL 53 Nick Dawkins Jr OL 54 Ian Harvie  Fr OL 55 Chimdy Onoh Fr OL 56 JB Nelson  Jr OL 57 Ibrahim Traore  Jr OL 58 Landon Tengwall   So OL 63 Alex Birchmeier Fr OL 64 Hunter Nourzad  Sr OL 65 Jim Fitzgerald  Fr OL 66 Drew Shelton So OL 68 Anthony Donkoh Fr OL 69 Ben Hartman So OL 70 J'ven Williams Fr OL 71 Vega Ioane So OL 73 Caedan Wallace  Sr OL 74 Olu Fashanu   Jr OL 75 Matt Detisch  Fr OL 77 Sal Wormley  Sr OL 78 Golden Israel-Achumba  Jr OL 79 Addison Penn  Jr	Defense Pos. # Name Class CB 3 Johnny Dixon Sr CB 4 Kalen King Jr CB 5 Cam Miller So CB 8 DaKaari Nelson Fr CB 12 Zion Tracy Fr CB 16 Elliot Washington II Fr CB 19 Xavier Copening So CB 24 Jeffrey Davis Jr.  So CB 25 Daequan Hardy  Sr CB 27 Lamont Payne Jr. Fr CB 29 Audavion Collins  Fr CB 30 George Hlavac  Fr CB 31 Kolin Dinkins So CB 35 Jace Tutty  So CB 36 Stephen Ripka  So DE 15 Amin Vanover Jr DE 19 Jameial Lyons Fr DE 20 Adisa Isaac  Sr DE 33 Dani Dennis-Sutton So DE 36 Zuriah Fisher Jr DE 42 Mason Robinson Fr DE 44 Chop Robinson Jr DE 56 Joseph Mupoyi Fr DE 90 Rodney McGraw  So DE 92 Smith Vilbert  Sr DE 94 Jake Wilson  Jr DE 98 Andrew Sharga  Jr DT 18 Davon Townley Jr.  So DT 28 Zane Durant So DT 39 Ty Blanding Fr DT 47 Alex Furmanek  Sr DT 50 Alonzo Ford Jr. Jr DT 51 Hakeem Beamon  Sr DT 52 Jordan van den Berg  So DT 55 Fatorma Mulbah Jr DT 58 Kaleb Artis  Fr DT 88 Sam Siafa  Fr DT 91 Dvon Ellies  Sr DT 99 Coziah Izzard Jr LB 11 Abdul Carter So LB 13 Tony Rojas Fr LB 23 Curtis Jacobs Jr LB 24 Ta'Mere Robinson Fr LB 27 Bobby Walchak  So LB 32 Keon Wylie  Fr LB 34 Dominic DeLuca  So LB 39 Robbie Dwyer  Sr LB 41 Kobe King  So LB 42 Jamari Buddin  So LB 43 Tyler Elsdon Jr LB 45 Jackson Pryts  Fr LB 48 Kaveion Keys Fr LB 49 Ben Chizmar  So S 1 Jaylen Reed Jr S 2 Keaton Ellis Sr S 6 Zakee Wheatley  So S 8 DaKaari Nelson Fr S 9 King Mack Fr S 10 Mekhi Flowers  Fr S 14 Tyrece Mills  Jr S 21 Kevin Winston Jr. So S 26 Jaden Seider  Sr S 29 Sebastian Costantini  Sr S 37 Trace Brown So S 39 Jashaun Green  Fr S 40 Patrick Williams  Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 91 Alex Felkins Sr K 93 Sander Sahaydak  So K 95 Riley Thompson Sr K 96 Mitchell Groh  So P 97 Alex Bacchetta  Fr P 99 Gabriel Nwosu  So LS 35 Blaise Sokach-Minnick  Fr LS 47 Will Patton  Fr LS 48 Tyler Duzansky  So LS 49 Michael Wright  Jr	Head coach James Franklin Coordinators/assistant coaches Mike Yurcich (offensive coordinator / quarterbacks) (fired November 12) Ja'Juan Seider (co-offensive coordinator) (beginning November 12) Ty Howle (co-offensive coordinator) (beginning November 12) Manny Diaz (defensive coordinator / linebackers) Stacy Collins (special teams coordinator / outside linebackers / nickel) Terry Smith (associate head coach / defensive recruiting coordinator / Cornerbacks) Ja'Juan Seider (co-offensive coordinator / running backs) Deion Barnes (defensive line) Marques Hagans (wide receivers) Ty Howle (tight ends) Anthony Poindexter (co-defensive coordinator / safeties) Phil Trautwein (offensive line) Kevin Threlkel (assistant AD / chief of staff) Andy Frank (director of player personnel) Ben Kerr (director of football administration) Chuck Losey III (assistant AD / performance enhancement) Will Flaherty (director of player development & community relations) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: November 17, 2023

References

1. "Football Schedule". FBSchedules.
2. Kevin Skiver (November 11, 2023). "Where is Jim Harbaugh vs. Penn State? Michigan coach starting suspension imposed by Big Ten". Detroit Free Press.
3. Ablauf, Dave; Shepard, Chad (November 11, 2023). "U-M Defense, Ground Attack Key in Road Win Over No. 9 Penn State". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
4. "Without Jim Harbaugh, No. 2 Michigan grinds past No. 9 Penn State with 32 straight runs in 24-15 win". ESPN.com. ESPN. November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.
5. "Postgame Notes: #2 Michigan 24, #9 Penn State 15". MGoBlue.com. CBS Interactive. November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.