1963 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

American college football season August 2023 February 2026 1963 Penn State Nittany Lions football Independent 16 7–3 Rip Engle 14th Ralph Baker Beaver Stadium The 1963 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented Pennsylvania State University as an independent during the 1963 NCAA University Division football season. Led by fourteenth-year head coach Rip Engle, the Nittany Lions were 7–3 and were 16th in the final coaches' poll. Home games were played on campus at Beaver Stadium in University Park; Penn State was independent in football until 1993. The Nittany Lions were led on the field in 1963 by fifth-year senior quarterback Pete Liske,https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nhhWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EOMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6936%2C3849596 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Uhrhammer Jerry Ducks open against Penn State September 20, 1963 3B https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oBhWAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EOMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6322%2C4081324 Eugene Register-Guard Oregon Uhrhammer Jerry Penn State outpunches Oregon in opener, 17-7 September 22, 1963 1B who had been selected in the NFL and AFL drafts the previous December and went on to play a dozen seasons in pro football. The regular season finale against rival Pittsburgh was postponed two weeks following the assassination of President Kennedy.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=kp1RAAAAIBAJ&sjid=YGwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6642%2C3627863 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Jordan Jimmy 57,331 sellout for Pitt-Penn State tilt November 22, 1963 25https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=a8ZaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=OmwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7316%2C1189762 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Jordan Jimmy 55,000 to see Pitt battle Penn State at stadium today December 7, 1963 12https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yBMrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=Z5wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4147%2C4239378 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI Pitt rallies to edge Penn State 22-21 December 8, 1963 40 Although scoring was off in the 1963 season, the team's defense, headed by 230-pound middle guard (nose tackle in a five man line) Glenn Ressler,Dave Leherr, "Ressler Sparks Penn State's Defensive Line," Somerset [PA] Daily American, Nov. 21, 1963, p. 6. was particularly stout, giving up just 92 points in the first 9 games of the season. The Nittany Lions came within a single point of an upset victory over Pitt in the season finale. Schedule 1963 AP September 21 w y Oregon Multnomah Stadium Portland, OR 17–7 30,355 September 28 w UCLA Beaver Stadium University Park, PA 17–14 34,800 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OBArAAAAIBAJ&sjid=5JsFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4734%2C6417206 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania Associated Press Penn State edges UCLA on field goal, 17-14 September 29, 1963 59https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oLcpAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9E4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6264%2C4737622 Pittsburgh Press McHugh Roy Penn State squeezes September 29, 1963 1, sec. 4 October 5 w y Rice Beaver Stadium University Park, PA 28–7 38,200 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DxcrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B5wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4269%2C2614051 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania Associated Press Penn State gridders trounce Rice by 28-7 October 6, 1963 57 October 12 l 9 Army Beaver Stadium University Park, PA 7–10 48,850 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=FhcrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=B5wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1984%2C6213348 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI Army hands Penn State first defeat, 10-7 October 13, 1963 63 October 19 l y Syracuse Archbold Stadium Syracuse, NY rivalry 0–9 39,687 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wRkrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aJwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5646%2C2613653 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI Syracuse shuts out Penn State October 20, 1963 53 October 26 w West Virginia Beaver Stadium University Park, PA 20–9 45,750 rivalry https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=yBkrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=aJwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=2121%2C5904326 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI Weber nets TD as Penn State defeats Mounts October 27, 1963 33 November 2 w y Maryland Byrd Stadium College Park, MD rivalry 17–15 35,500 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=OhMrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d5wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4190%2C969426 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI Penn State edges Maryland in 17-15 battle November 3, 1963 41 November 9 w y Ohio State 10 Ohio Stadium Columbus, OH rivalry 10–7 83,519 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QRMrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=d5wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=4551%2C4557478 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI Underdog Penn State nips Ohio State, 10-7 November 10, 1963 34 November 16 w Holy Cross Beaver Stadium University Park, PA 28–14 24,200 https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KY4jAAAAIBAJ&sjid=FZwFAAAAIBAJ&pg=5207%2C1261852 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania UPI Penn State trounces Holy Cross November 17, 1963 37 December 7 l y Pittsburgh 4 Pitt Stadium Pittsburgh, PA rivalry 21–22 52,349 References Penn State Category:Penn State Nittany Lions football seasons enn State Nittany Lions football