2002 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

2002 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Capital One Bowl, L 9–13 vs. Auburn
Conference	Big Ten Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 15
AP	No. 16
Record	9–4 (5–3 Big Ten)
Head coach	Joe Paterno (37th season)
Offensive coordinator	Fran Ganter (19th season)
Offensive scheme	Pro-style
Defensive coordinator	Tom Bradley (3rd season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Beaver Stadium
Seasons ←  2001 2003  →

2002 Big Ten Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 1 Ohio State $#+		8	–	0					14	–	0
No. 8 Iowa  %+		8	–	0					11	–	2
No. 9 Michigan		6	–	2					10	–	3
No. 16 Penn State		5	–	3					9	–	4
Purdue		4	–	4					7	–	6
Illinois		4	–	4					5	–	7
Minnesota		3	–	5					8	–	5
Wisconsin		2	–	6					8	–	6
Michigan State		2	–	6					4	–	8
Northwestern		1	–	7					3	–	9
Indiana		1	–	7					3	–	9
# – BCS National Champion $ – BCS representative as conference champion % – BCS at-large representative + – Conference co-champions Rankings from AP Poll [1]

The 2002 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. ^[2] The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

Preseason

The Nittany Lions returned 16 starters from the previous season, who won five of its final seven games. Six starters returned on defense, led by defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy, who returned for his fifth year despite speculations he would enter the NFL Draft. ^[3]

The offensive unit averted a possible quarterback controversy when last year's starter Matt Senneca announced that he would not be returning for his final year of eligibility. ^[4] Redshirt sophomore Zack Mills would lead the offense, with expectations high after showing flashes of brilliance coming off the bench in 2001. Larry Johnson would also become the featured back, after spending three seasons playing in a tailback-by-committee that had inconsistent production. Johnson will have the luxury of running behind an offensive line that returned all five starters.

Penn State was ranked number 24 in both the AP and Coaches college football preseason polls.

Recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for recruits
Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	40‡	Commit date
Jay Alford DT	Orange, NJ	Orange HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	270 lb (120 kg)	4.80	NA
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Chris Auletta OL	Melville, NY	St. Anthony's HS	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	300 lb (140 kg)	5.30	NA
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Brian Borgoyn OL	Pittsburgh, PA	Woodland Hills SHS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	NA	NA
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Levi Brown DT	Norfolk, VA	Granby HS	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)	290 lb (130 kg)	5.00	Dec 19, 2001
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Mark Farris OL	Pittsburgh, PA	North Hills SHS	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	285 lb (129 kg)	5.00	Jan 23, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Vince Gliatta DB	Canton, OH	Canton Central Catholic HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	4.50	NA
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A    Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Tamba Hali DE	Teaneck, NJ	Teaneck HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	240 lb (110 kg)	4.70	Jan 27, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Patrick Hall RB	Canton, GA	Sequoyah HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	230 lb (100 kg)	NA	Jan 13, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Josh Hannum WR	Wallingford, PA	Strath Haven HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	170 lb (77 kg)	4.20	NA
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Maurice Humphrey CB	Berlin, CT	Berlin HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	4.40	Nov 26, 2001
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Donnie Johnson RB	Cincinnati, OH	North College Hill HS	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	195 lb (88 kg)	4.40	Dec 21, 2001
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Ed Johnson DE	Detroit, MI	Crockett Vocational Tech	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	255 lb (116 kg)	4.70	NA
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Jim Kanuch S	Johnstown, PA	Westmont Hilltop HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	190 lb (86 kg)	4.43	NA
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Jeremy Kapinos P	Springfield, VA	West Springfield HS	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	4.90	Dec 11, 2001
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Lee Lispi OL	Pittston, PA	Pittston Area SHS	6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	5.10	NA
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Calvin Lowry CB	Fayetteville, NC	Douglas Byrd HS	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)	185 lb (84 kg)	4.40	NA
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Robert Price OL	Shaker Heights, OH	Shaker Heights HS	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	295 lb (134 kg)	5.20	NA
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Steve Roach OL	Martinsburg, WV	Martinsburg Senior HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	305 lb (138 kg)	5.20	NA
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Tim Shaw RB	Livonia, MI	Clarenceville HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	217 lb (98 kg)	4.44	Jan 28, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
BranDon Snow LB	Newark, DE	Newark HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	225 lb (102 kg)	4.47	Feb 6, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Chris Wilson RB	Baltimore, MD	Catonsville HS	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	245 lb (111 kg)	4.60	NA
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
J.R. Zwierzynski RB	Joliet, IL	Joliet Catholic Academy	6 ft 2.5 in (1.89 m)	220 lb (100 kg)	4.50	Jan 18, 2002
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout:     Rivals:     247Sports: N/A
Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 16   Rivals: 21
‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Penn State Commit List for 2002". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 9, 2007. "Scout.com Football Recruiting: Penn State". Scout.com. Retrieved February 9, 2007. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 9, 2007. "2002 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 9, 2007.

Pre-season awards

• Jimmy Kennedy

Playboy pre-season All-American ^[5]

Second-team Athlon Sports pre-season All-American ^[6]

Second-team Lindy's pre-season All-American ^[6]

• Zack Mills

Lindy's pre-season Big Ten Most Valuable Player ^[6]

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
August 31	12:00 p.m. [7]	UCF *	No. 24	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ESPN [7]	W 27–24	103,029
September 14	8:00 p.m. [8]	No. 8 Nebraska *		Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ABC [8]	W 40–7	110,753
September 21	12:00 p.m. [9]	Louisiana Tech *	No. 15	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ESPN Plus [9]	W 49–17	103,987
September 28	12:00 p.m. [10]	Iowa	No. 12	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ESPN [10]	L 35–42 OT	108,247
October 5	3:30 p.m. [11]	at No. 19 Wisconsin	No. 20	Camp Randall Stadium Madison, WI	ABC [11]	W 34–31	79,403
October 12	3:30 p.m. [12]	at No. 13 Michigan	No. 15	Michigan Stadium Ann Arbor, MI (rivalry)	ABC [12]	L 24–27 OT	111,502
October 19	12:00 p.m. [13]	Northwestern	No. 20	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ESPN2 [14]	W 49–0	108,853
October 26	3:30 p.m. [15]	at No. 4 Ohio State	No. 18	Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH (rivalry)	ABC [15]	L 7–13	105,103
November 2	3:30 p.m. [16]	Illinois	No. 20	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ESPN [16]	W 18–7	105,589
November 9	3:30 p.m. [17]	Virginia *	No. 19	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ABC [17]	W 35–14	108,698
November 16	3:30 p.m. [18]	at Indiana	No. 16	Memorial Stadium Bloomington, IN	ESPN2 [19]	W 58–25	27,454
November 23	3:30 p.m. [19]	Michigan State	No. 15	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry)	ABC [19]	W 61–7	108,755
January 1, 2003	1:00 p.m.	vs. No. 19 Auburn *	No. 10	Florida Citrus Bowl Orlando, FL (Capital One Bowl)	ABC [20]	L 9–13	66,334
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Roster

2002 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 2 Josh Hannum Fr QB 3 Chris Ganter  Fr RB 5 Larry Johnson  Sr WR 6 Donnie Johnson Fr QB 7 Zack Mills So WR 9 Terrance Phillips  Fr WR 11 Tony Johnson Jr QB 12 Michael Robinson Fr WR 13 Kinta Palmer  Fr RB 13 Reginald Walker So QB 14 Andy Kubic Fr WR 15 Kevin Darling Fr QB 16 Dan Corrado Fr QB 17 Greg Hennigar Fr QB 19 Tom Lundquist  Fr WR 19 Gerald Smith  So RB 20 Tim Shaw Fr WR 22 Pete Gilmore  So RB 23 Aric Heffelfinger Fr WR 24 Bryant Johnson Sr RB 26 Mike Gasparato  So RB 30 BranDon Snow Fr WR 31 Ernie Terrell  Fr RB 32 Chris Wilson Fr TE 33 Mike Lukac  Jr FB 36 Brian Fairchild  Fr FB 39 Paul Jefferson  Jr FB 42 Sean McHugh  Jr RB 44 Ricky Upton  Jr FB 45 Adam Senk  Fr WR 46 Zachery Moran Fr G 50 Tyler Lenda Sr OL 52 Blase Iorio Fr G 54 Scott Davis  So OL 56 Tommy McHugh Fr OL 59 Eric Rickenbach Sr C 60 Robert Price Fr C 61 David Costlow  Jr OL 62 Nick Daise Fr C 63 Joe Iorio Sr OT 64 Matt Schmitt Sr OL 66 Lance Antolick  Fr G 67 Jonathan Nabavi  Jr OT 68 John Wilson  Fr C 70 Nick Marmo  So G 71 Mark Farris Fr OT 72 Gus Felder Sr G 74 Tyler Reed  Fr OT 75 Chris McKelvy Jr OT 76 Damone Jones Jr G 77 E.Z. Smith Fr OL 78 Brian Borgoyn Fr OL 79 Shawn Campbell Sr WR 80 Scott Shirley  Jr WR 81 Jason Stryker  So WR 82 Vic Surma Fr WR 83 Ryan Scott  So WR 84 Steve Delich  Sr TE 85 Isaac Smolko  Fr TE 88 Matt Kranchick  Jr TE 89 Andrew Richardson  Fr TE 91 Mike Pawlikowski  So TE 93 Casey Williams  Jr	Defense Pos. # Name Class CB 1 Anwar Phillips  Fr LB 2 Deryck Toles Jr S 8 Jesse Neumeyer Fr DB 9 Jim Kanuch Fr DB 10 Calvin Lowry  Fr S 15 Yaacov Yisrael Jr LB 16 Andy Ryland Jr DE 17 Lavon Chisley  Fr S 18 Andrew Guman  So DB 20 Marcus Mills  Fr CB 21 Alan Zemaitis Fr DB 22 Maurice Humphrey Fr S 23 Shawn Mayer Sr CB 25 Rich Gardner Jr DB 26 Nolan McCready Fr S 27 Chris Harrell So CB 28 James Millon Sr S 29 Paul Cronin  Fr LB 29 Ryan Pinckney Sr CB 30 Eric Dare Jr CB 32 Bryan Scott Sr DB 34 Gio Vendemia  Fr DB 35 John Royse  Fr LB 35 J.R. Zwierzynski Fr LB 37 LaMar Stewart So LB 38 Jimi Mitchell So LB 40 T.C. Cosby So LB 41 Scott Paxson  Fr DB 43 Adam Taliaferro Jr LB 44 Patrick Hall Fr LB 45 Pat Bedics Fr DB 46 Curt Reese  So LB 47 Gino Capone Jr DB 48 Ben Lego  Jr LB 48 Zack Pierce Fr LB 51 Tim Johnson  So DL 53 Steve Roach Fr DE 55 Matthew Rice  Fr DT 57 Charles Rush  Fr LB 58 Dethrell Garcia Fr DT 60 Tyler Valoczki Sr DT 62 Randy Buck Sr LB 65 Sam Ruhe Jr DT 69 Jason Robinson  So DT 73 Jimmy Kennedy Sr DE 81 Michael Haynes Sr DE 86 Jeremiah Davis So DE 87 John Bronson  So DT 90 Levi Brown Fr DT 91 Tamba Hali  Fr DL 92 Ed Johnson Fr LB 94 Derek Wake  So DL 95 Mike Sothern Fr DL 96 Jay Alford Fr DE 97 Greg Bauer Fr DT 98 Anthony Adams Sr DT 99 Tim Falls Sr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 4 Robbie Gould  So P 14 David Royer Sr K 25 Matt Huet So P 36 Jeremy Kapinos Fr K 95 David Kimball Jr	Head coach Joe Paterno Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: October 12, 2002

Game summaries

UCF

	1	2	3	4	Total
UCF	3	6	0	15	24
Penn State	10	0	10	7	27

After a sloppy first half, Penn State scored 17 unanswered points in the second half and then withstood a late charge to hold off the Golden Knights for a 27–24 win. Zack Mills was 13 of 20 for 194 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. On defense, Anthony Adams recovered a fumbled snap to set up a field goal, and Derek Wake blocked a field goal attempt. Trailing 27–9 in the fourth quarter, UCF got within three points with 24 seconds remaining but failed to recover the onside kick, and Penn State ran out the clock. ^[21]

Nebraska

	1	2	3	4	Total
Nebraska	0	7	0	0	7
Penn State	0	13	20	7	40

In front of a crowd of 110,753, a new Beaver Stadium attendance record that stood intact for 15 years, (110,823 VS Michigan 2017) Penn State routed the Cornhuskers 40–7, as Larry Johnson and backup quarterback Michael Robinson each had two touchdown runs. Cornerback Rich Gardner had his first career interception and returned it 44 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter. It was Penn State's first victory over a top 10 team since 1999. ^[22]

Louisiana Tech

	1	2	3	4	Total
Louisiana Tech	10	0	7	0	17
Penn State	14	7	28	0	49

Penn State beat the Bulldogs 49–17, despite Tech's quarterback Luke McCown throwing for more than 400 yards but also threw three interceptions and had a fumble lost. Larry Johnson ran for 147 yards on 17 carries and two touchdowns and also had a touchdown reception. Michael Robinson also had three rushing touchdowns. ^[23]

Iowa

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Iowa	17	9	9	0	7	42
Penn State	0	7	6	22	0	35

See also: 2002 Iowa Hawkeyes football team

After trailing the Hawkeyes by 22 points in the fourth quarter, Zack Mills threw for three touchdowns in the final 7:13 to tie the game 35–35 and force overtime, but the Nittany Lions were unable to score in overtime and lost 42–35. For the game, Mills completed 23 of 44 passes for a school record 399 yards and four touchdowns. The team finished with only 54 yards rushing, and Michael Robinson, who had five touchdowns in twelve carries in the past two games, was held to minus-2 yards on four carries. ^[24]

But the play that was most shown repeatedly on sports highlights shows throughout the rest of the season happened after the game. Following a couple questionable calls by the line judge in overtime, Joe Paterno sprinted down the field to catch up with referee Dick Honig as he approached the tunnel and grabbed Honig by the back of the shirt to voice his displeasure with the way the game ended. Paterno was angered that Penn State wide receiver Tony Johnson caught a pass with both feet in bounds according to the stadium's video replay board, but the play was ruled an incompletion. ^[25]

Wisconsin

	1	2	3	4	Total
Penn State	10	11	7	6	34
Wisconsin	0	14	6	11	31

Penn State scored on four of its first five possessions as the Lions beat the Badgers 34–31. Penn State scored on touchdowns from Zack Mills, Larry Johnson, and Sean McHugh and got four Robbie Gould field goals. Defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy and defensive end Michael Haynes each had three sacks, as the Lions sacked Wisconsin quarterback Brooks Bollinger seven times. Wisconsin scored to close it to three points with 1:17 remaining, but Bryan Scott covered up the onside kick to seal the game. ^[26]

Michigan

	1	2	3	4	OT	Total
Penn State	7	0	6	8	3	24
Michigan	0	7	0	14	6	27

The Wolverines beat Penn State 27–24 in overtime. A slow first half gave way to a shootout in the second half. The game was tied 7–7 at halftime, and the teams combined for only 240 yards. Penn State led 13–7 late in the third quarter and looked to seize control of the game after forcing a Michigan punt at their own 20, but a roughing the punter penalty kept the drive alive, and Michigan found the end zone eight plays later. Zack Mills finished the day 19 of 31 for 264 yards and two touchdowns. ^[27]

Joe Paterno expressed his displeasure with the officials for the second time this season as he yelled at referee David Witvoet after regulation. There were a number of odd and questionable actions by the officials during the game, as pointed out by the TV commentators, including the roughing the punter penalty and the referee refusing to ask for measurements when it appeared Michigan had been stopped short of first down. Each time he glanced at the sideline and signaled first down. It was most noticeable in the third quarter when he signaled first down even as Michigan was lining up in short-yardage formation, thinking it was third-and-1.

But Paterno and the coaching staff were most livid about a blown call with 40 seconds remaining in regulation and the score tied at 21–21. Receiver Tony Johnson had just made a leaping catch of a Mills pass at the Michigan 22. The side judge ruled Johnson out of bounds despite replays showing he had both feet at least a yard inbounds. Numerous replays on TV showed the large divot in the field where Johnson's feet had landed. Instead of a field goal opportunity to win the game in regulation, the game was forced into overtime.

Northwestern

	1	2	3	4	Total
Northwestern	0	0	0	0	0
Penn State	7	28	7	7	49

Larry Johnson set Penn State's single-game rushing record as the Nittany Lions shut out the Wildcats 49–0. Johnson rushed for 257 yards on 23 carries and scored twice before sitting out the final 28 minutes. In all, twelve Penn State players carried the ball for a total of 423 yards. The defense recorded its first shutout since the 1999 Alamo Bowl, holding the Wildcats to 9 yards rushing and 202 total yards. ^[28]

Ohio State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Penn State	7	0	0	0	7
Ohio State	0	3	10	0	13

The Buckeyes defense held Zack Mills to only 98 yards passing and intercepted three passes, including one by Chris Gamble returned for a touchdown, to beat the Nittany Lions 13–7. Penn State was held to only 179 yards of offense and eight first downs, fewest under Joe Paterno. ^[29] Despite this, Penn State led 7–3 at halftime and very nearly won the game at the end.

Illinois

	1	2	3	4	Total
Illinois	0	0	0	7	7
Penn State	9	9	0	0	18

Larry Johnson set the school record for rushing yards in a game, beating his own record from two weeks prior, as the Nittany Lions beat the Fighting Illini 18–7. Johnson rushed for 279 yards on 31 carries, including an 84-yard touchdown run. The Penn State defense went 11-plus quarters without allowing a touchdown before Illinois scored with 5:22 remaining. ^[30]

Virginia

	1	2	3	4	Total
Virginia	7	0	0	7	14
Penn State	7	3	10	15	35

The defense held the Cavaliers to only 30 yards rushing as Penn State won 35–14. Zack Mills was 19 of 30 for 227 yards and two touchdowns. The Lions had 289 yards on the ground, including 118 yards on 31 carries and a touchdown by Larry Johnson. Backup quarterback and holder Chris Ganter also scored on a 30-yard run off of a fake field goal. ^[31]

Indiana

	1	2	3	4	Total
Penn State	14	14	10	20	58
Indiana	12	6	0	7	25

Larry Johnson broke two school records as Penn State beat the Hoosiers 58–25. For the third time in five weeks, Johnson set the school's single-game rushing record with 327 yards on 28 carries. Johnson also broke Penn State's single-season rushing record with a total of 1,736 yards with two games left to play. ^[32]

Michigan State

	1	2	3	4	Total
Michigan State	0	0	7	0	7
Penn State	14	34	7	6	61

See also: Land Grant Trophy

Larry Johnson became the ninth player in NCAA history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season ^[33] as Penn State blew out the Spartans 61–7. Johnson finished the day with 279 yards and four touchdowns, all in the first half. Bryant Johnson also scored on an 81-yard punt return and a 41-yard touchdown reception. Penn State had 400 yards of offense at halftime and finished with 536 total yards, including 422 yards rushing. ^[34]

2003 Capital One Bowl – Auburn

	1	2	3	4	Total
Auburn	0	0	7	6	13
Penn State	3	3	0	3	9

See also: 2002 Auburn Tigers football team

The Auburn Tigers rushed for 200 yards, controlled the clock, and outscored the Lions 13–3 in the second half to upset the Nittany Lions 13–9 in the Capital One Bowl. Larry Johnson finished with only 72 yards on 20 carries. Zack Mills was also ineffective, going 8 of 24 for 67 yards and an interception. He was pulled for a couple drives in the third quarter, and backup quarterback Michael Robinson led to the Lions for a field goal to go up 9–7. ^[35]

Rankings

See also: 2002 NCAA Division I-A football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking
— = Not ranked

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Final
AP	24	24	—	—	15	12	20	15	20	18	20	19	16	15	11	10	10	16
Coaches	24	23	25	25	15	12	21	17	21	17	21	19	16	16	12	10	10	15
BCS	Not released									—	—	—	15	15	14	13	12	Not released

Awards

Watchlists

• Michael Haynes

  Ted Hendricks Award semifinalist ^[36] and finalist ^[37]

• Bryant Johnson

  Fred Biletnikoff Award watchlist ^[38]

• Larry Johnson

  Doak Walker Award watchlist, ^[39] semifinalist ^[40] and finalist ^[41]

  Maxwell Award finalist ^[42]

  Walter Camp Player of the Year finalist ^[43]

• Jimmy Kennedy

  Bronko Nagurski Trophy watchlist ^[44]

  Rotary Lombardi Award watchlist ^[45] and semifinalist ^[46]

  Outland Trophy watchlist ^[6]

• Zack Mills

  Davey O'Brien Award watchlist ^[47] and semifinalist ^[48]

• Bryan Scott

  Jim Thorpe Award watchlist ^[49]

Players

• Gino Capone

  Second-team All-Big Ten (conference media selection) ^[50]

  First-team Verizon CoSIDA Academic All-District ^[51]

• Rich Gardner

  Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (September 14) ^[52]

• Robbie Gould

  Big Ten Specialist of the Week (October 5) ^[53]

• Andrew Guman

  Second-team Verizon CoSIDA Academic All-District ^[51]

• Michael Haynes

  Second-team Associated Press All-American ^[54]

  CNNSI.com All-American ^[55]

  FWAA All-American ^[56]

  Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year ^[50]

  First-team All-Big Ten ^[50]

  Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (September 21) ^[57]

  CNNSI.com mid-season first-team All-American ^[37]

• Joe Iorio

  First-team Verizon CoSIDA Academic All-American ^[58]

  First-team Verizon CoSIDA Academic All-District ^[51]

• Bryant Johnson

  First-team All-Big Ten (conference coaches selection) ^[50]

• Larry Johnson

  2002 Doak Walker Award winner ^[59]

  2002 Maxwell Award winner ^[59]

  AFCA All-American ^[60]

  First-team Associated Press All-American ^[54]

  Chevrolet Offensive Player of the Year ^[61]

  FWAA All-American ^[56]

  CNNSI.com All-American ^[55]

  Walter Camp Player of the Year ^[62]

  First-team Walter Camp All-American ^[63]

  First-team All-Big Ten ^[50]

  Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (October 19) ^[64]

  Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (November 2) ^[65]

  Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (November 16) ^[66]

  ESPN.com Player of the Week (November 16) ^[40]

  Sporting News Player of the Week (November 16) ^[40]

  USA Today Player of the Week (November 16) ^[67]

  Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (November 23) ^[68]

  Most Valuable Player, 2003 Senior Bowl ^[69]

• Jimmy Kennedy

  Third-team Associated Press All-American ^[54]

  First-team Walter Camp All-American ^[63]

  Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year ^[50]

  First-team All-Big Ten ^[50]

  Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (October 5) ^[53]

• Shawn Mayer

  Second-team All-Big Ten ^[50]

  Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week (October 26) ^[70]

• Zack Mills

  Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week (September 28) ^[71]

• Matt Schmitt

  First-team Verizon CoSIDA Academic All-District ^[51]

Post season

Penn State finished the season ranked #16 in the final AP college football poll and #15 in the final Coaches college football poll, earning Penn State its 25th Top 15 finish under Joe Paterno. ^[72]

Tailback Larry Johnson would finish the season as the first Nittany Lion to lead the nation in rushing and all-purpose yardage. Johnson become the ninth player in Division I-A history to gain 2,000 yards rushing in the regular season, finishing third in Heisman Trophy balloting. ^[73]

Penn State claimed second place in football attendance for the second consecutive season, averaging 107,239 through eight home games, ranking in the top four for the 12th consecutive year. The Nittany Lions also broke the NCAA record for total season attendance with 1,247,707 during the 13-game schedule, including a Beaver Stadium record of 110,753 for the Nebraska game. ^[74]

NFL draft

A school record six seniors would be drafted in the first two rounds of the 2003 NFL Draft, including another school record four players in the first round. ^[75]

Round	Pick	Overall	Name	Position	Team
1st	12	12	Jimmy Kennedy	Defensive tackle	St. Louis Rams
1st	14	14	Michael Haynes	Defensive end	Chicago Bears
1st	17	17	Bryant Johnson	Wide receiver	Arizona Cardinals
1st	27	27	Larry Johnson	Running back	Kansas City Chiefs
2nd	23	55	Bryan Scott	Free safety	Atlanta Falcons
2nd	25	57	Anthony Adams	Defensive tackle	San Francisco 49ers

All-star games

Game	Date	Site	Players
57th Hula Bowl	February 1, 2003	War Memorial Stadium, Wailuku, Hawaii	Gus Felder, Joe Iorio, Shawn Mayer
54th Senior Bowl	January 18, 2003	Ladd–Peebles Stadium, Mobile, Alabama	Anthony Adams, Michael Haynes, Bryant Johnson, Larry Johnson, Bryan Scott

Instant replay

A few other conference coaches had lobbied for instant replay before, but they had fallen on deaf ears until Joe Paterno, who had been against instant replay citing the length of games as a factor, changed his opinion after a number of questionable officiating calls in the Iowa and Michigan games. Paterno and Penn State athletic director Tim Curley called for a comprehensive review of Big Ten officiating. At the news conference after the Michigan game, Paterno went further and said that the conference should change the way that officials are assigned, referring to the assignment of the officiating crew that worked the Michigan game, three of whom live in the state of Michigan. ^[76]

After the Big Ten concluded its comprehensive review of its officiating, the conference implemented a pilot program during the 2003 season to evaluate the use of instant replay. The pilot was used to gather data and did not interfere with games or overturn any missed calls. ^[77]

For the 2004 season, the Big Ten introduced college football's first instant replay system. A technical advisor in the press box with access to the television feeds will be able to stop a game for a replay review and potentially overturn a play, with no limit on the number of plays that can be reviewed. ^[78]

Notes

• Penn State set a new single season attendance record of 857,911 fans.

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