The Penn State Nittany Lions football statistical leaders are statistical leaders of the Penn State Nittany Lions football program in various categories,[1] including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats, kicking and overall team performance. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, career leaders and all time records. The Nittany Lions represent Pennsylvania State University in the NCAA's Big Ten Conference.

Although Penn State began competing in intercollegiate football in 1887,[1] the school's official record book considers the "modern era" to have begun in 1970. Records from before this year are often incomplete and inconsistent, and they are generally not included in these lists.

These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons:

  • Since 1970, seasons have increased from 10 games to 11 and then 12 games in length.
  • The NCAA didn't allow freshmen to play varsity football until 1972 (with the exception of the World War II years), allowing players to have four-year careers.
  • Bowl games only began counting toward single-season and career statistics in 2002,[2] allowing players in most seasons since then an extra game to accumulate statistics.
  • The Nittany Lions played in the 2016 Big Ten Football Championship Game, giving players in that season yet another game to amass statistics.
  • Starting in 2018 a redshirted player was allowed to play in up to 4 games in a season and still maintain their status allowing players to gain an extra season of statistics.
  • Due to COVID-19 issues, the NCAA ruled that the 2020 season would not count against the athletic eligibility of any football player, giving everyone who played in that season the opportunity for five years of eligibility instead of the normal four.[3]

Passing

Passing yards

Passing touchdowns

Passing attempts

Passing completions

Passing completion percentage

  • Minimum of 100 attempts for career

Interceptions

Longest touchdown pass

Rushing

Rushing yards

Rushing touchdowns

Longest rushing plays

Receiving

Receptions

Receiving yards

Receiving touchdowns

Longest touchdown reception

All-Time
Rank Receiver Passer Yards Year Opponent
1 Daniel George Sean Clifford 95 2018 Kent State
2 K. J. Hamler Trace McSorley 93 2018 Ohio State
3 Bob Higgins Bill Hess 92 1919 Pittsburgh
4 KeAndre Lambert-Smith Sean Clifford 88 2022 Utah (Rose Bowl)
5 Jim Scott Steve Joachim 86 1971 Navy
Jahan Dotson Sean Clifford 86 2021 Maryland
7 Saquon Barkley Trace McSorley 85 2017 Georgia State
8 Sean Clifford KeAndre Lambert-Smith 83[6] 2021 Villanova
9 Eric Hamilton Matt Knizner 82 1982 Pittsburgh
Eric Hamilton Matt Knizner 82 1986 Pittsburgh
Freddie Scott Kerry Collins 82 1994 Rutgers
  • All-time career and single season records for Tight Ends

Total offense

Total offense yards

Touchdowns responsible for

In official NCAA records, "touchdowns responsible for" includes rushing and passing touchdowns, but not receptions or returns—the same statistical categories used to measure total offense.[25]

Defense

Interceptions

Tackles

Sacks

Kicking

Extra Point Attempts

Extra Points Made

Extra Point Percentage

  • Minimum of 40 Attempts

Field Goal Attempts

Field Goals Made

Field Goal Percentage

*Minimum of 40 Attempts

Points

Longest field goal made

All-Time
Rank Player Yards Year Opponent
1 Jordan Stout 57 2019 Pittsburgh
2 Chris Bahr 55 1975 Temple
3 Sam Ficken 54 2013 Kent State
4 Kevin Kelly 53 2007 Iowa
Jordan Stout 53 2019 Idaho
6 Kevin Kelly 52 2008 Syracuse
Jordan Stout 52 2021 Michigan
8 Jake Pinegar 50 2022 Indiana
Jake Pinegar 50 2022 Maryland
Alex Felkins 50[28] 2023 Indiana

Special teams

Longest kickoff return

All-Time
Rank Player Yards Year Opponent Notes
1 Chaz Powell 100 2010 Youngstown State Resulted in Touchdown
Lamont Wade 100 2020 Illinois Resulted in Touchdown
Nicholas Singleton 100 2022 Rutgers Resulted in Touchdown
4 Saquon Barkley 98 2017 Indiana Resulted in Touchdown
5 Larry Johnson 97 2001 Illinois
A.J. Wallace 97 2007 Ohio State Resulted in Touchdown
Saquon Barkley 97 2017 Ohio State Resulted in Touchdown
8 Chaz Powell 95 2011 Indiana State Resulted in Touchdown
9 Derrick Williams 94 2008 Illinois Resulted in Touchdown
Johnathan Thomas 94 2018 Indiana

Longest punt return

All-Time
Rank Player Yards Year Opponent Notes
1 Jahan Dotson 81 2020 Michigan State Resulted in Touchdown
2 Derrick Williams 78 2007 Notre Dame Resulted in Touchdown
3 Derrick Williams 78 2006 Temple Resulted in Touchdown
4 Daequan Hardy 68[29] 2023 UMass Resulted in Touchdown
5 Derrick Williams 63 2008 Wisconsin Resulted in Touchdown
6 DeAndre Tompkins 61 2017 Akron Resulted in Touchdown
7 Daequan Hardy 56[29] 2023 UMass Resulted in Touchdown
8 Jahan Dotson 50 2020 Illinois Helped set up two play touchdown drive

Overall team records

Largest win / loss margin

Longest win streaks

Home & Away
Rank Games First Win Last Win Days Opponent to End Streak Score
1 23 9/21/1968 9/19/1970 728 @ Colorado 41-13
2 20 11/6/1993 9/23/1995 686 Wisconsin 17-9
3 19 10/8/1977 11/24/1978 412 Alabama (Sugar Bowl) 17-7
4 15 10/24/1970 11/20/1971 392 @ Tennessee 31-11
5 13 9/15/1973 9/14/1974 364 Navy 7- 6
13 9/6/1986 9/5/1987 364 Alabama 24-13
7 12 10/25/1919 11/6/1920 378 @Lehigh 7-7
12 10/26/1996 11/1/1997 371 Michigan 34-8
9 11 11/30/1911 10/11/1913 681 @ Washington & Jefferson 17-0
11 9/7/1985 11/23/1985 77 Oklahoma (Orange Bowl) 25-10
11 10/19/1991 10/3/1992 350 Miami (FL) 17-14
11 11/28/1998 10/30/1999 336 Minnesota 24 -23
Home
Rank Games First Win Last Win Days Opponent to End Streak Score
1 29 10/4/1919 10/11/1924 1834 Syracuse 10-6d
2 23 10/28/1899 9/29/1906 Gettysburg 0-0
3 21 10/31/1970 9/14/1974 1414 Navy 7-6
4 18 10/26/1889 09/30/1899 Washington & Jefferson 0-0
5 17 10/7/1939 9/25/1943 1449 Colgate 0-0
6 16 9/3/2016 9/15/2018 742 Ohio State 27-26
7 15 9/25/1915 10/27/1917 763 Lehigh 9-0
15 10/21/1967 9/19/1970 1064 Syracuse 24-7
9 14 9/14/1985 9/5/1987 721 Alabama 24-13
14 9/22/1990 9/26/1992 735 Miami (FL) 17-14
Away
Rank Games First Win Last Win Days Opponent to End Streak Score
1 14 9/29/1967 11/29/1969 792 @ Colorado 41-13
2 12 10/7/1972 10/26/1974 749 @ North Carolina State 12-7
3 10 9/7/1985 9/26/1987 749 @ Syracuse 48-21
10 11/20/1993 10/21/1995 700 @ Northwestern 21-10
5 9 9/2/1977 10/28/1978 421 @ Nebraska 42-17
9 10/6/1979 10/17/1981 742 @ Miami (FL) 17-14
7 8 10/10/1970 11/20/1971 406 @ Tennessee 31-11
8 7 10/11/1947 11/6/1948 392 @ Pittsburgh 7-0
9 6 10/23/1982 10/15/1983 357 @ Boston College 27-17
6 10/26/1996 11/15/1997 385 @ Michigan State 49-14

Longest losing streaks

Longest bowl streak

All-Time
Rank Streak Years Record Head Coach Notes
1 13 Years 1971-1983 9-4 Joe Paterno 1982: Won 1st National Championship in Sugar Bowl vs Georgia 27-23
2 11 Years 1989-1999 8-3 Joe Paterno 1994: Won Big Ten Championship, Won Rose Bowl vs Oregon 38-20
3 7 Years 2005-2011 4-3 Joe Paterno/ Tom Bradley 2005: Won Big Ten Championship, Won Orange Bowl vs Florida State 26-23

2008: Won Big Ten Championship, Lost Rose Bowl vs USC 24-38

2011: Won Big Ten Leaders Division, Lost TicketCity Bowl vs Houston 14-30

Streak Ended with NCAA Sanctions

4 6 Years 2014-2019 3-3 James Franklin 2016 : Won Big Ten Championship, Lost Rose Bowl vs USC 49-52
5 4 Years 1959-1962 3-1 Charles A. "Rip" Engle
6 3 Years 1967-1969 2-0-1 Joe Paterno
3 Years 1985-1987 1-2 Joe Paterno 1986 : Won 2nd national Championship in Fiesta Bowl vs Miami (FL) 14-10

Longest bowl win streak

Rank Streak Years Head Coach Notes
1 5 Years 1979-1983 Joe Paterno 1982: Won 1st National Championship in Sugar Bowl vs Georgia 27-23
2 4 Years 1993-1996 Joe Paterno 1994: Won Big Ten Championship, Won Rose Bowl vs Oregon 38-20
3 3 Years 1959-1961 Charles A. "Rip" Engle
3 Years 2005-2007 Joe Paterno 2005: Won Big Ten Championship, Won Orange Bowl vs Florida State 26-23

Largest bowl win/ loss margin

Largest win margin

Rank Score Margin Bowl Game Opponent Season Year Coach
1 W 41–12 +29 Liberty Bowl Oregon Webfoots 1960 Rip Engle
W 43–14 +29 Outback Bowl Auburn Tigers 1995 Joe Paterno
3 W 42–17 +25 Fiesta Bowl Tennessee Volunteers 1991 Joe Paterno
4 W 30–6 +24 Cotton Bowl Classic Texas Longhorns 1971 Joe Paterno
W 24–0 +24 Alamo Bowl Texas A&M Aggies 1999 Joe Paterno
6 W 38–15 +23 Fiesta Bowl Texas Longhorns 1996 Joe Paterno
7 W 41–20 +21 Cotton Bowl Classic Baylor Bears 1974 Joe Paterno
8 W 31–13 +18 Florida Citrus Bowl Tennessee Volunteers 1993 Joe Paterno
W 38–20 +18 Rose Bowl Oregon Ducks 1994 Joe Paterno
10 W 26–10 +16 Fiesta Bowl USC Trojans 1981 Joe Paterno
11 W 30-15 +15 Gator Bowl Georgia Tech 1960 Rip Engle
12 W 53-39 +14 Cotton Bowl Classic Memphis Tigers 2019 James Franklin
13 W 31-19 +12 Fiesta Bowl Ohio State Buckeyes 1980 Joe Paterno
W 42-30 +12 Fiesta Bowl Arizona State Sun Devils 1977 Joe Paterno
14 W 50-39 +11 Holiday Bowl BYU Cougars 1989 Joe Paterno

Largest loss margin

Rank Score Margin Bowl Game Opponent Season Year Coach
1 L 35–10 -25 Florida Citrus Bowl Clemson Tigers 1987 Joe Paterno
2 L 24–3 -21 Blockbuster Bowl Stanford Cardinal 1992 Joe Paterno
3 L 30–14 -16 TicketCity Bowl Houston Cougars 2011 Tom Bradley
4 L 25-10 -15 Orange Bowl Oklahoma Sooners 1985 Joe Paterno
L 21-6 -15 Florida Citrus Bowl Florida Gators 1997 Joe Paterno
6 L14-0 -14 Sugar Bowl Oklahoma Sooners 1972 Joe Paterno
L 38-24 -14 Rose Bowl USC Trojans 2008 Joe Paterno
8 L 37-24 -13 Outback Bowl Florida Gators 2010 Joe Paterno
9 L 14-3 -11 Rose Bowl USC Trojans 1922 Hugo Bezdek
L 20-9 -11 Gator Bowl Notre Dame Fighting Irish 1976 Joe Paterno
11 L 27-24 -3 Florida Citrus Bowl Kentucky Wildcats 2018 James Franklin
L 52-49 -3 Rose Bowl USC Trojans 2016 James Franklin

References

  1. 1 2 "2017 Penn State Football Yearbook". GoPSUSports.com. Retrieved 2017-08-19.
  2. ↑ "NCAA changes policy on football stats". ESPN.com. Associated Press. 2002-08-28. Retrieved 2014-09-11.
  3. ↑ Cobb, David (August 21, 2020). "NCAA approves blanket waiver for 2020 fall sports athletes to retain year of eligibility". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Sean Clifford". ESPN.com.
  5. 1 2 "Penn State stuns UCF, wins opener on Sam Ficken's game-winning FG". ESPN.com. 2014-08-30.
  6. 1 2 3 4 "Villanova vs. Penn State Box Score". ESPN.com. September 25, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Penn State vs. Maryland Box Score". ESPN.com. September 27, 2019. Retrieved September 28, 2019.
  8. ↑ "No. 7 Penn St. rallies to beat No. 6 Wisconsin 38-31". ESPN.com. 2016-12-04.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Penn State beats Michigan State to reach Big Ten title game". ESPN.com. 2016-11-26.
  10. 1 2 "PSU edges BC on game-winning extra point in OT to win Pinstripe Bowl". ESPN.com. 2014-12-31.
  11. 1 2 3 "Ohio State vs. Penn State Box Score". ESPN.com. October 29, 2022. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  12. 1 2 "USC hits FG at gun, beats Penn State 52-49 in epic Rose Bowl". ESPN.com. 2017-01-02.
  13. ↑ "Iowa vs. Penn State Box Score". ESPN.com. September 23, 2023. Retrieved September 25, 2023.
  14. ↑ "Penn State vs. Maryland Box Score". ESPN.com. November 4, 2023. Retrieved November 6, 2023.
  15. ↑ "Pitt holds off Penn State rally to win 42-39". ESPN.com. 2016-09-10.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Jahan Dotson". ESPN.com.
  17. 1 2 "Parker Washingotn". ESPN.com.
  18. ↑ "Ohio State blows 17-point lead, rebounds to beat Penn State in 2OT". ESPN.com. 2014-10-26.
  19. ↑ "Michigan State takes division with rout of Penn State". ESPN.com. 2016-11-28.
  20. ↑ "Penn State vs. Ohio State Box Score". ESPN.com. October 30, 2021. Retrieved November 1, 2021.
  21. ↑ "Pat Freiermuth". ESPN.com.
  22. ↑ "Ohio State vs. Penn State Box Score". ESPN.com. October 31, 2020. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
  23. ↑ "Ohio State vs. Penn State Box Score". ESPN.com. September 29, 2018. Retrieved September 27, 2021.
  24. ↑ "Barkley's run lifts Penn State over Minnesota 29-26 in OT". ESPN.com. 2016-10-01.
  25. ↑ "2022 Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. p. 12. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Arnold Ebiketie". ESPN.com.
  27. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Jake Pinegar". ESPN.com.
  28. ↑ "Indiana vs. Penn State Box Score". ESPN.com. October 28, 2023. Retrieved October 29, 2023.
  29. 1 2 "Massachusetts vs. Penn State Box Score". ESPN.com. October 14, 2023. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
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