2012 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

American college football season August 2012 February 2026 2012 Penn State Nittany Lions football Penn State Athletics wordmark.svg 250 Big Ten Conference Big Ten Leaders Division 8–4 6–2 Bill O'Brien 1st Ted Roof 1st Game Captains Spread option 4–3 Beaver Stadium The 2012 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2012 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bill O'Brien in his first season and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, US. It was a member of the Big Ten Conference and played in the Leaders Division. Penn State was ineligible to play in a bowl game for the 2012 season due to sanctions imposed in wake of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal. O'Brien was hired as Penn State's 15th head football coach, replacing Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno.https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/7434520/penn-state-nittany-lions-officially-hires-bill-obrien-new-coach Penn State hires Bill O'Brien as coach ESPN.com January 6, 2011 January 6, 2011 He was introduced as the head coach at a press conference on January 7, 2012.http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/010612aab.html Penn State Selects Bill O'Brien To Lead Football Program Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics January 7, 2012 January 8, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20161121235418/http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/010612aab.html November 21, 2016 dead The team added player names to the back of their jerseys to recognize the players who stayed with the program despite adversity, and also wore a blue ribbon to support child abuse victims.Penn State to Add Names to Back of Football Jerseys Joe Juliano http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/colleges/Penn-State-to-add-names-to-back-of-football-jerseys.html The Philadelphia Inquirer August 7, 2012 August 17, 2012 After losing their first two games, the Nittany Lions finished their season winning eight of their final 10 to finish with a record of eight wins and four losses (8–4). Schedule 2012 AP Eastern September 1 12:00 p.m. l y Ohio Beaver Stadium University Park, PA ESPN 14–24 97,186 September 8 12:00 p.m. l y y Virginia Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA ABC 16–17 56,087 September 15 3:30 p.m. w y Navy Beaver Stadium University Park, PA ABC/ESPN2 34–7 98,792 September 22 3:30 p.m. w y Temple Beaver Stadium University Park, PA ABC/ESPN2 24–13 93,680 September 29 12:00 p.m. w y Illinois Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL ESPN 35–7 46,734 October 6 12:00 p.m. w y Northwestern 24 Beaver Stadium University Park, PA ESPN 39–28 95,769 https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore?gameId=322800213 Northwestern Wildcats vs. Penn State Nttany Lions – Box Score ESPN.com October 6, 2012 October 8, 2012 October 20 8:00 p.m. w y Iowa Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA BTN 38–14 70,585 October 27 5:30 p.m. l Ohio State 9 Beaver Stadium University Park, PA rivalry ESPN 23–35 107,818 November 3 3:30 p.m. w y Purdue Ross–Ade Stadium West Lafayette, IN ESPNU 34–9 40,098 November 10 3:30 p.m. l y Nebraska 18 Memorial Stadium Lincoln, NE ABC 23–32 85,527 November 17 12:00 p.m. w Indiana Beaver Stadium University Park, PA BTN 45–22 90,358 November 24 3:30 p.m. w Wisconsin Beaver Stadium University Park, PA ESPN2 24–21 OT 93,505 Coaching staff Bill O'Brien – head coach and offensive coordinatorhttp://www.altoonamirror.com/page/content.detail/id/557190/O-Brien-completes-coaching-staff.html?nav=5017 O'Brien Completes Coaching Staff Altoona Mirror Corey Giger January 13, 2012 January 14, 2012 Jim Bernhardt– special assistant/player developmenthttp://blog.pennlive.com/bobflounders/2012/01/penn_state_coach_bill_obrien_a.html Bob Flounders The Patriot-News Penn State Coach Bill O'Brien Adds Craig Fitzgerald, Jim Bernhardt to Nittany Lions' Coaching Staff January 30, 2012 January 30, 2012 John Butler – defensive backs http://blog.pennlive.com/bobflounders/2012/01/report_penn_state_head_coach_b_2.html Bob Flounders The Patriot-News January 11, 2012 January 11, 2012 Reports: Penn State Head Coach Bill O'Brien Adds Assistant John Butler, A Coach With A Special Teams Background, to Nittany Lions' Staff Craig Fitzgerald – strength and conditioning Charlie Fisher – quarterbacks coachSnyder Audrey New Era Dawns at PSU http://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/college/s_782271.html Pittsburgh Tribune-Review February 18, 2012 February 18, 2012 Stan Hixon – assistant head coach and wide receivershttp://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/breaking/penn-states-obrien-adds-4-more-assistants-216806/ Penn State's O'Brien Adds 4 More Assistants Ron Musselman Pittsburgh Post-Gazette January 10, 2012 January 9, 2012July 2026 medicmedic Larry Johnson – defensive linehttp://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/breaking/psus-obrien-meets-with-team-retains-vanderlinden-as-coach-216655/ PSU Hires Running Backs Coach Ron Mussleman Pittsburgh Post-Gazette January 8, 2012 January 8, 2012July 2026 medicmedic Charles London – running backs and recruiting coordinatorhttp://pennstate.scout.com/2/1150222.html Q&A: Coach O'Brien Fight On State January 20, 2012 January 19, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120119212444/http://pennstate.scout.com/2/1150222.html January 19, 2012 dead Mac McWhorter – offensive line Ted Roof – defensive coordinator John Strollo – tight ends Ron Vanderlinden – linebackershttp://triblive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_775677.html Vanderlinden to Remain Assistant at PSU Pittsburgh Tribune-Review January 8, 2012 January 9, 2012 Brian Bell – Assistant Strength and Conditioning Roster Wide receiver Shawney Kersey left the team on September 12, 2012 for "personal reasons".Moyer Josh Penn State Nittany Lions' Shawney Kersey leaves team https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/8369269/penn-state-nittany-lions-shawney-kersey-leaves-team ESPN September 12, 2012 September 17, 2012 On September 28, 2012, quarterback and tight end Paul Jones left the Penn State football team.Moyer Josh Penn State Nittany Lions' Paul Jones becomes latest to bolt from football team https://www.espn.com/college-football/story/_/id/8429103/penn-state-nittany-lions-paul-jones-becomes-latest-bolt-football-team NittanyNation – ESPN ESPN Internet Ventures 12 July 2013 26 September 2012 2012 Penn State Nittany Lions y Bill Belton 1 TB SO y Shane McGregor 2 QB SR Shane Phillips 6 WR F y Eugene Lewis 7 WR FR y Geno Lewis Allen Robinson 8 WR SO y Michael Zordich 9 RB SR y Matt McGloin 11 QB Sr y y Steven Bench 12 QB FR Tyler Lucas 13 WR F y Garrett Venuto 14 QB J y Alex Kenney 15 WR SO y Matthew Mege 17 WR J y Jesse James 18 TE F y Jesse James (tight end) Malik Golden 20 WR FR y Trevor Williams 21 WR FR y Trevor Williams (American football) Akeel Lynch 22 TB FR y Derek Day 24 TB SR Curtis Dukes 26 TB J y Zach Zwinak 28 RB SO y y Andre Dupree 30 FB JR y Jack Haffner 32 FB FR Colin Bryan 33 RB FR Dominic Salamone 34 FB FR Pat Zerbe 35 FB J y Deron Thompson 36 RB F y Evan Lewis 37 WR SR y J.R. Refice 41 FB J y P.J. Byers 45 FB SR Anthony Stanko 50 G FR Matt Stankiewtich 54 C SR Wendy Laurent 55 C FR Anthony Alosi 56 G T F y Adam Gress 58 T J y Ty Howle 60 C SR y y Frank Figueroa 62 C J y John Urschel 64 G JR y y Miles Dieffenbach 65 C SO y Angelo Mangiro 66 G F y Bryan Davie 68 G SO y Nate Cadogan 70 T J y Mark Arcidiacono 73 G J y Eric Shrive 75 G J y Donovan Smith 76 T F y y Patrick Christie 77 G SO y Mike Farrell 78 T SR Kevin Blanchard 79 T F y Matt Zanellato 80 WR F y Brian Irvin 82 TE SR Brent Wilkerson 83 TE FR Matt Lehman 84 TE J y Brandon Moseby-Felder 85 WR J y Bryce Wilson 86 TE F y Kyle Carter 87 TE F y y Jonathan Warner 88 WR FR Garry Gilliam 89 TE J y y Jake Kiley 2 CB FR Da'Quan Davis 3 CB FR Adrian Amos 4 CB SO y Nyeem Wartman 5 LB FR Gerald Hodges 6 LB SR y Stephen Obeng-Agyapong 7 S J y Gary Wooten 8 LB FR Malcolm Willis 10 S J y Stephon Morris 12 CB SR Jordan Lucas 14 S FR y Mike Wallace 14 CB J y Patrick Flanagan 15 CB SO y Devin Pryor 16 CB SO y Deion Barnes 18 DE F y y Bryant Harper 21 S FR T.J. Rhattigan 22 LB F y Ryan Keiser 23 S SO y Jacob Fagnano 27 S SR Jeff Cully 29 S JR y Charles Idemudia 30 LB FR Brad Bars 31 DE SO y y Michael Yancich 33 LB SR y Ben Kline 38 LB F y Jesse Della Valle 39 CB SO y Glenn Carson 40 LB J y Michael Mauti 42 LB SR y y Mike Hull 43 LB SO y y Mike Hull (linebacker) Adam Cole 46 LB FR Jordan Hill 47 DL SR y Jordan Hill (American football) Jordan Kerner 48 DE F y Brennan Franklin 49 LB FR Drew Boyce 51 LB F y Brent Smith 52 DE FR Derek Dowrey 53 DT FR James Van Fleet 54 LB SR Pete Massaro 59 DE SR y Brian Gaia 72 DT FR Kyle Baublitz 84 DT SO y C.J. Olaniyan 86 DE SO y Tyrone Smith 88 DT SO y Sean Stanley 90 DE SR DaQuan Jones 91 DT JR y Albert Hall 92 DE FR James Terry 93 DT SR y Evan Schwan 94 DE FR Carl Nassib 95 DE F y y Cody Castor 96 DT SR Anthony Zettel 98 DE F y y Austin Johnson 99 DT FR y Austin Johnson (defensive lineman) Reynolds Parthemore 29 P FR Joe Baker 32 P SR Michael Fuhrman 44 LS SR Alex Butterworth 45 P J Kevin DiSanto 48 K SO y Emery Etter 57 LS J y Joe Marvin 63 LS FR Sam Ficken 97 PK SO y http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/mtt/psu-m-footbl-mtt.html October 20, 2012 Bill O'Brien (head coach/offensive coordinator) Ted Roof (defensive coordinator) Stan Hixon (assistant head coach/wide receivers) John Butler (Secondary coach) Charlie Fisher (quarterbacks coach) Larry Johnson (defensive line coach) Charles London (running backs coach) Mac McWhorter (offensive line coach) John Strollo (tight ends coach) Ron Vanderlinden (linebackers coach) Craig Fitzgerald (strength and conditioning coach) Tim Kelly (graduate assistant) Game summaries September 1 vs. Ohio 2012 Ohio Bobcats football team Seattle Seahawks; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Penn State vs. Ohio -Game Summary September 1 12:00 p.m. EDT Ohio 0 3 14 7 Penn State 7 7 0 0 Beaver Stadium 97,186 ESPN Dave Pasch, Brian Griese and Jenn Brown First quarter PSU- Bill Belton 6-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Ficken XP good, 0:03 (PSU 7–0) Second quarter Ohio- Matt Weller 22-yard field goal, 10:22 (PSU 7–3) PSU- Matt Lehman 14-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Ficken XP good, 1:29 (PSU 14–3) Third quarter Ohio- Landon Smith 43-yard pass from Tyler Tettleton, Weller XP good, 10:40 (PSU 14–10) Ohio- Tyler Tettleton 1-yard run, Weller XP good, 3:49 (Ohio 17–14) Fourth quarter Ohio- Donte Foster 5-yard pass from Tyler Tettleton, Weller WP good, 2:55 (Ohio 24–14) Top passer Matt McGloin- 27/48, 260 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rusher Bill Belton- 13 rushes, 53 yards Top receiver Allen Robinson- 9 catches, 97 yards The Ohio University Bobcats spoiled head coach Bill O'Brien's PSU debut defeating the Nittany Lions 24–14. Penn State led 14–3 at the half due to passing touchdowns by QB Matt McGloin to Bill Belton (6 yard) and Matt Lehman (14 yard). Ohio came out of the half-time intermission with 21 unanswered points from passing scores from QB Tyler Tettleton to Landon Smith (43 yard) and Donte Foster (5 yard) and a Tettleton run (1 yard). Penn State committed several costly turnovers including a muffed punt by linebacker Gerald Hodges which set up an Ohio TD and an interception thrown with a minute left by Matt McGloin which essentially put the nail in the coffin. Beau Blankenship led the way for the Bobcats rushing for 109 yards on 31 carries and catching 7 passes for 72 yards. Allen Robinson led the Lions catching 9 passes for 92 yards. Penn State tight end Kyle Carter also caught 6 passes for 72 yards.Ohio Bobcats vs. Penn State Nittany Lions http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/box-score/201209010034/ohio-bobcats--penn-state-nittany-lions September 1, 2012 September 4, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120904002936/http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/box-score/201209010034/ohio-bobcats--penn-state-nittany-lions dead September 8 at Virginia 2012 Virginia Cavaliers football team Seattle Seahawks; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Penn State at Virginia -Game Summary September 8 12:00 p.m. EDT Penn State 7 0 0 9 Virginia 0 3 7 7 Scott Stadium 56,087 ABC Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham, Jerry Punch First quarter PSU- Kyle Carter 8-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Ficken XP good, 8:33 (PSU 7–0) Second quarter UVA- Drew Jarrett 46-yard field goal, 3:56 (PSU 7–3) Third quarter UVA- Jeremiah Mathis 1-yard pass from Michael Rocco, Jarrett XP good, 9:22 (UVA 10–7) Fourth quarter PSU- Allen Robinson 30-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Ficken XP blocked, 13:10 (PSU 13–10) PSU- Sam Ficken 32-yard field goal, 10:55 (PSU 16–10) UVA- Jake McGee 6-yard pass from Michael Rocco, Jarrett XP good, 1:28 (UVA 17–16) Top passer Matt McGloin- 19/35, 197 yards, 2 TD Top rusher Derek Day- 18 carries, 47 yards Top receiver Allen Robinson- 10 catches, 89 yards, TD Penn State was without starting running back Bill Belton due to injury, so senior Derek Day got the start. Penn State's opening drive of the game lasted 17 plays and 75 yards and took up about 6 minutes resulting in an 8-yard TD pass from QB Matt McGloin to Kyle Carter. Their first-half offense was thwarted, however, when they could not convert on 2 FG attempts. Drew Jarrett's 46-yard FG put Virginia on the scoreboard with 3:56 remaining in the first half. True freshman Steven Bench took over QB duties for Penn State late in the first half when McGloin left the field after being hit in the elbow on 2 consecutive series. Virginia's opening drive of the second half resulted in a 1-yard TD pass from QB Michael Rocco to Jeremiah Mathis. Penn State's FG woes continued in the third quarter when Sam Ficken missed a 20-yard FG which would have tied the game. In the fourth quarter, McGloin completed a long pass to Allen Robinson, who made the diving catch but was shaken up after the play. Ficken's PAT attempt was blocked. Penn State's final scoring drive began when Michael Mauti recovered a Virginia fumble deep in UVA territory. On the ensuing drive, Ficken attempted a 32-yard field goal and, for the first time on the day, made it. Rocco's 6-yard pass to Jake McGee and the ensuing PAT gave Virginia a 1-point lead with 1:28 remaining in the contest. Ficken missed a 43-yard field goal as time expired.Penn State Nittany Lions vs. Virginia Cavaliers http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/football/ncaaf/game/PennSt_Virginia/2012/09/08#box-score September 8, 2012 USA Today September 15 vs. Navy 2012 Navy Midshipmen football team Seattle Seahawks; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Penn State vs. Navy -Game Summary September 15 3:30 p.m. EDT Navy 0 0 0 7 Penn State 14 6 7 7 Beaver Stadium 98,792 ESPN2/ABC First quarter PSU- Jesse James 2-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Ficken XP good, 11:25 (PSU 7–0) PSU- Allen Robinson 45-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Ficken XP good, 6:40 (PSU 14–0) Second quarter PSU- Allen Robinson 2-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Ficken XP missed, 8:59 (PSU 20–0) Third quarter PSU- Allen Robinson 25-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Ficken XP good, 2:23 (PSU 27–0) Fourth quarter PSU- Mike Hull 74-yard fumble return, Ficken XP good, 14:13 (PSU 34–0) Navy- Gee Gee Greene 12-yard run, Sloan XP good, 10:03 (PSU 34–7) Top passer Matt McGloin- 13/21, 231 yards, 4 TD Top rusher Michael Zordich- 11 rushes, 50 yards Top receiver Allen Robinson- 5 catches, 136 yards, 3 TD Top tackler Michael Mauti-12Penn State Alumni Association Football Letter 75 3 4 Penn State http://www.alumni.psu.edu/fbl 20 September 2012 17 September 2012 In the game where new head coach Bill O'Brien celebrated his first victory at Penn State,United States Naval Academy Midshipment vs. Penn State Nittany Lions http://content.usatoday.com/sportsdata/football/ncaaf/game/Navy_PennSt/2012/09/15#box-score September 15, 2012 USA Today the Lions overpowered Navy 34–7. Senior quarterback Matt McGloin threw for 231 yards (13–21) and 4 touchdowns including three to sophomore wide receiver Allen Robinson who had 5 catches for 136 yards. For the second consecutive game, Penn State was without starting halfback Bill Belton. Fifth year senior Michael Zordich, who has spent his career at PSU playing fullback carried the ball 11 times for 50 yards. Teammate Curtis Dukes carried 11 times for 47 yards. Navy turned the ball over several times including a fumble which was recovered by Linebacker U Mike Hull and returned for a 74-yard touchdown. Gerald Hodges also recorded an interception.Armas Genero Penn State Beats Navy 34–7 for Bill O'Brien's 1st Win http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/15/penn-state-navy-bill-obrien-first-win_n_1887236.html September 17, 2012 Huffington Post September 15, 2012 September 22 vs. Temple 2012 Temple Owls football team Seattle Seahawks; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Penn State vs. Temple -Game Summary September 22 3:30 p.m. EDT Temple 0 3 3 7 Penn State 7 7 7 3 Beaver Stadium 93,680 ESPN2/ABC First quarter PSU- Allen Robinson 41-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Ficken XP good, 0:06 (PSU 7–0) Second quarter Temple- Brandon McManus 33-yard field goal, 10:29 (PSU 7–3) PSU- Matt McGloin 1-yard run, Ficken XP good, 0:22 (PSU 14–3) Third quarter PSU- Matt McGloin 2-yard run, Ficken XP good, 4:57 (PSU 21–3) Temple- Brandon McManus 42-yard field goal, 1:37 (PSU 21–6) Fourth quarter PSU- Sam Ficken 21-yard field goal, 2:29 (PSU 24–6) Temple- Matt Brown 1-yard pass From Chris Coyer, McManus XP good, 1:33 (PSU 24–13) Top passer Matt McGloin- 24/36, 318 yards, TD, INT Top rusher Zach Zwinak- 18 carries, 94 yards Top receiver Allen Robinson- 5 catches, 82 yards, TD Top tackler Michael Mauti-9 Led by a strong effort by senior quarterback Matt McGloin who ran for two touchdowns and threw for another, the Lions defeated Temple 24–13. With running back Bill Belton out for the third straight game, it was up to McGloin to lead the team around the goal line. He did, with a one-yard rushing touchdown, followed by a two yarder. He also threw a touchdown to sophomore wide receiver Allen Robinson, who recorded 5 catches for 82 yards and a score. Sophomore Zach Zwinak saw the first extensive action of his career at running back; he ran for 94 yards on 18 carries. Fullback Michael Zordich added 15 carries of his own for 75 yards. Kicker Sam Ficken, who had missed 4 field goals and an extra point the previous week, converted on all 3 extra points and a 21-yard field goal. Defensively, the Lions were led by another strong effort from senior linebacker Michael Mauti, who recorded 9 tackles, and defensive tackle Jordan Hill, who added 7 tackles and a sack.Temple Owls vs. Penn State Nittany Lions – Recap – September 22, 2012 https://www.espn.com/college-football/recap?gameId=322660213 ESPN September 23, 2012 September 29 at Illinois 2012 Illinois Fighting Illini football team Seattle Seahawks; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Penn State at Illinois -Game Summary September 29 12:00 p.m. EDT Penn State 14 7 7 7 Illinois 0 0 7 0 Memorial Stadium 46,734 ESPN Dave Pasch, Brian Griese First quarter PSU- Zach Zwinak 1-yard run, Ficken XP good, 10:41 (PSU 7–0) PSU- Matt McGloin 1-yard run, Ficken XP good, 6:29 (PSU 14–0) Second quarter PSU- Matt Lehman 21-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Ficken XP good, 3:11 (PSU 21–0) Third quarter ILL- Spencer Harris 22-yard pass from Josh Ferguson, Zalewski XP good, 10:22 (PSU 21–7) PSU- Matt McGloin 1-yard run, Ficken XP good 3:15 (PSU 28–7) Fourth quarter PSU- Zach Zwinak 1-yard run, Ficken XP good 14:03 (PSU 35–7) Top passer Matt McGloin- 18/30, 211 yards, TD Top rusher Zach Zwinak- 19 rushes, 100 yards, 2 TD Top receiver Matt Lehman- 5 receptions, 70 yards, TD Top tacklers Gerald Hodges, Glenn Carson- 9CBSSports.com GameTracker http://www.gopsusports.com/gametracker/launch/gt_mfootbl.html?event=1085932&school=psu&sport=mfootbl&camefrom=&startschool=& Football September 29, 2012 After getting a quick three and out on Penn State's first series, Illinois muffed the punt and set up Penn State with great field position. Kicker Sam Ficken attempted a field goal, which he made, but a running into the kicker penalty on Illinois, Penn State was set up inside the 5-yard line. Zach Zwinak ran the ball for a 1-yard touchdown. Later in the quarter, Matt McGloin ran for a score. Taylor Zalewski missed a short field goal late in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, Sam Ficken missed a 47 yarder of his own. In the second quarter, Matt McGloin threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to Matt Lehman, his tenth of the year. As Lehman was falling into the end zone, an Illinois defender hammered Lehman helmet to helmet and was ejected. At the end of the first half, quarterback Nathan Scheelhaase threw an interception to Michael Mauti who returned the ball 99 yards and was stopped at the one-yard line with one second left. Sam Ficken's 18 yard was blocked to end the half. On a trick play, receiver Josh Ferguson threw a 22-yard touchdown to Spencer Harris in the third quarter. Matt McGloin capped a long drive late in the third quarter with a 2-yard touchdown run, his second of the game. Michael Mauti intercepted Nathan Scheelhaase for the second time of the day near the end of the third quarter. Zach Zwinak went over the century mark with his second touchdown run of the day early in the fourth quarter to put Penn State up 35–7.July 2013 October 6 vs. Northwestern 2012 Northwestern Wildcats football team Seattle Seahawks; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Penn State vs. #24 Northwestern -Game Summary October 6 12:00 p.m. EDT #24 Northwestern 0 14 14 0 Penn State 3 7 7 22 Beaver Stadium 95,769 ESPN Dave Pasch, Brian Griese and Jenn Brown First quarter PSU- Sam Ficken 21-yard field goal, 3:41 (PSU 3–0) Second quarter PSU- Zach Zwinak 1-yard run, Sam Ficken XP good, 9:34 (PSU 10–0) NW- Venric Mark 2-yard run, Jeff Budzien XP good, 6:23 (PSU 10–7) NW- Tony Jones 10-yard pass from Trevor Siemian, Jeff Budzien XP good, 0:30 (NW 14–10) Third quarter PSU- Allen Robinson 8-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Sam Ficken XP good, 7:17 (PSU 17–14) NW- Kain Colter 10-yard run, Jeff Budzien XP good, 3:12 (NW 21–17) NW- Venric Mark 75-yard punt return, Jeff Budzien XP good. 0:50 (NW 28–17) Fourth quarter PSU- Allen Robinson 6-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Michael Zordich run for two-point conversion good, 9:49 (NW 28–25) PSU- Matt McGloin 5-yard run, Sam Ficken XP good, 2:37 (PSU 32–28) PSU- Michael Zordich 3-yard run, Sam Ficken XP good, 1:30 (PSU 39–28) Top passer Matt McGloin- 35/51, 282 yards, 2 TD Top rusher Zach Zwinak- 28 rushes, 121 yards, TD Top receiver Allen Robinson- 9 receptions, 85 yards, TD Top tackler Gerald Hodges- 11 tackles In the Lions' first game against a ranked opponent, they defeated Northwestern 39–28 at Beaver Stadium. Penn State won the toss and elected to receive. Their first drive showed promise, but a false start penalty pushed them back and forcing them to punt. Alex Butterworth's punt was downed at the Northwestern 1. The Wildcats were forced into a quick three-and-out. The ensuing drive for the Lions included two fourth down conversions on their way to inside the five-yard line where, rather than risking a third fourth down on the drive, the Nittany Lions settled for a 21-yard field goal try by Sam Ficken. On Penn State's fifth drive of the game, which began at the Northwestern 40, they slowly drove down the field using the no-huddle offense, converting on fourth and short at one point for their third 4th down conversion of the game. The drive was capped by a one-yard touchdown plunge by Zach Zwinak to give Penn State a 10–0 lead. Northwestern's ensuing drive managed to pick up a couple first downs, but ultimately stalled and they were forced to punt for a fifth time. Penn State, however, muffed this punt and Northwestern recovered at the Penn State 17. Three plays later, Northwestern scored its first touchdown of the game on a two-yard run by Venric Mark to make the score 10–7. After another exchange of punts, Penn State drove from its 21-yard line to the Northwestern 34 where the drive stalled and Penn State was forced to 4th and 4. Penn State elected to try to convert its fourth 4th down of the game, but they failed this time. Northwestern took advantage of this to drive down the field, aided by a controversial pass interference call, and scored another touchdown before the half on a Trevor Siemian pass. At the end of the first half, Penn State trailed 14–10. Northwestern opened the second half on offense and after one first down was forced to punt. Penn State then moved the ball 80 yards in 12 plays and scored a touchdown on an 8-yard pass from Matt McGloin to Allen Robinson to take a 17–14 lead. Northwestern responded in kind with a touchdown scored on a 10-yard run by Kain Colter to put Penn State down again, this time by a score of 21–17. Penn State's next drive also stalled, and the ensuing Penn State punt resulted in a disaster when Northwestern's Venric Mark returned it 75 yards for a touchdown to widen the gap to 28–17. Penn State responded to this score with its own 18 play 82-yard drive that ended on a touchdown pass from McGloin to Robinson on 4th and 4 from the Northwestern 6. A successful two-point rush by Michael Zordich trimmed the deficit to 25–28 with just under 10 minutes to play. Penn State forced a Northwestern three-and-out, but a good Northwestern punt backed up Penn State to its own 15. Penn State drove, in 13 plays, down the field to the Northwestern 4, along the way converting on another 4th down to make it 5 for 6 on 4th downs. On 2nd and Goal, McGloin was stripped of the ball from behind, but managed to fall on it for a loss of one. One 3rd and Goal, McGloin escaped the pass rush and dove into the end zone to give the Lions a 32–28 lead with 2:37 to play. Northwestern had all three timeouts for what ultimately would be its last chance, but ran four plays and turned the ball over on downs. Penn State ran three consecutive handoffs to Michael Zordich, who took the second one all the way to the three and the third into the end zone to make the score 39–28, the final score. July 2013 October 20 at Iowa 2012 Iowa Hawkeyes football team Seattle Seahawks; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Penn State at Iowa -Game Summary October 20 8:00 p.m. EDT Penn State 14 10 7 7 Iowa 0 0 0 14 Kinnick Stadium 70,585 Big Ten Network Eric Collins, Derek Rackley First quarter PSU- Jesse James, 31-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Sam Ficken XP good, 7:24 (PSU 7–0) PSU- Allen Robinson, 8-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Sam Ficken XP good, 2:43 (PSU 14–0) Second quarter PSU- Sam Ficken, 34-yard field goal, 7:19 (PSU 17–0) PSU- Bill Belton, 11-yard run, Sam Ficken XP good, 5:53 (PSU 24–0) Third quarter PSU- Bill Belton, 3-yard run, Sam Ficken XP good, 14:33 (PSU 31–0) Fourth quarter PSU- Bill Belton, 5-yard run, Sam Ficken XP good, 14:25 (PSU 38–0) IOWA- Jordon Cotton, 92-yard kickoff return, Mike Meyer XP good, 14:14 (PSU 38–7) IOWA- Keenan Davis, 18-yard pass from James Vandenberg, Mike Meyer XP good, 4:11 (PSU 38–14) Top passer Matt McGloin- 26–38, 289 yards, 2 TD Top rusher Bill Belton- 16 rushes, 103 yards, 3 TD Top receivers Kyle Carter- 6 receptions 85 yards; Allen Robinson- 6 receptions, 39 yards, TD Top tackler Jordan Hill- 9 tackles, sack October 27 vs. Ohio State 2012 Ohio State Buckeyes football team Seattle Seahawks; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Penn State vs. Ohio State -Game Summary October 27 5:30 p.m. EDT #9 Ohio State 0 7 21 7 Penn State 0 7 3 13 Beaver Stadium ESPN Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman ESPN Recap First quarter No scoring Second quarter PSU- Mike Yancich, blocked punt recovered in end zone, Sam Ficken XP good, 6:15 (PSU 7–0) OSU- Carlos Hyde, 1-yard run, Drew Basil XP good, 0:34 (TIE 7–7) Third quarter OSU- Ryan Shazier, 17-yard interception return, Drew Basil XP good, 13:41 (OSU 14–7) PSU- Sam Ficken, 27-yard field goal, 9:50 (OSU 14–10) OSU- Braxton Miller, 1-yard run, Drew Basil XP good, 3:30 (OSU 21–10) OSU- Braxton Miller, 1-yard run, Drew Basil XP good, 0:40 (OSU 28–10) Fourth quarter PSU- Matt Lehman, 2-yard pass from Matt McGloin, two-point conversion attempt failed, 9:49 (OSU 28–16) OSU- Jake Stoneburner, 72-yard pass from Braxton Miller, Drew Basil XP good, 6:11 (OSU 35–16) PSU- Kyle Carter, 20-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Sam Ficken XP good, 1:41 (OSU 35–23) Top passer Matt McGloin- 27/45, 327 yards, 2 TD, INT Top rusher Zach Zwinak- 12 rushes, 42 yards Top receiver Kyle Carter- 6 receptions, 77 yards, TD Top tackler Gerald Hodges- 14 November 3 at Purdue 2012 Purdue Boilermakers football team Seattle Seahawks; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Penn State at Purdue -Game Summary November 3 3:30 p.m. EDT Penn State 10 10 14 0 Purdue 3 0 0 6 Ross–Ade Stadium 40,098 ESPNU Tom Hart, John Congemi ESPN Recap First quarter PUR- Sam McCartney, 21-yard field goal, 12:59 (PUR 3–0) PSU- Sam Ficken, 27-yard field goal, 6:03 (TIE 3–3) PSU- Michael Zordich, 6-yard run, Sam Ficken XP good, 3:53 (PSU 10–3) Second quarter PSU- Sam Ficken, 25-yard field goal, 3:47 (PSU 13–3) PSU- Michael Zordich, 5-yard run, Sam Ficken XP good, 1:16 (PSU 20–3) Third quarter PSU- Jesse James, 12-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Sam Ficken XP good, 12:19 (PSU 27–3) PSU- Brandon Moseby-Felder, 41-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Sam Ficken XP good, 8:28 (PSU 34–3) Fourth quarter PUR- Antavian Edison, 2-yard pass from Caleb TerBush, 0:00 (PSU 34–9) Top passer Matt McGloin- 22/36, 321 yards, 2 TD Top rusher Zach Zwinak- 21 rushes, 134 yards Top receiver Brandon Moseby-Felder- 6 receptions, 129 yards, TD Top tackler Gerald Hodges, Stephon Morris- 6 November 10 at Nebraska 2012 Nebraska Cornhuskers football team Seattle Seahawks; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Penn State at Nebraska -Game Summary November 10 3:30 p.m. EDT #18 Nebraska 3 3 14 12 Penn State 7 13 3 0 Memorial Stadium 85,527 ESPN2/ABC Sean McDonough, Chris Spielman, Quint Kessenich ESPN Recap First quarter PSU- Zach Zwinak, 50-yard run, Sam Ficken XP good, 13:14 (PSU 7–0) NEB- Brett Maher, 32-yard field goal, 6:17 (PSU 7–3) Second quarter NEB- Brett Maher, 27-yard field goal, 12:29 (PSU 7–6) PSU- Sam Ficken, 27-yard field goal, 6:58 (PSU 10–6) PSU- Jesse James, 10-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Sam Ficken XP good, 2:42 (PSU 17–6) PSU- Sam Ficken, 38-yard field goal, 1:08 (PSU 20–6) Third quarter NEB- Imani Cross, 1-yard run, Brett Maher XP good, 11:48 (PSU 20–13) NEB- Imani Cross, 2-yard run, Brett Maher XP good, 9:37 (TIE 20–20) PSU- Sam Ficken, 38-yard field goal, 6:01 (PSU 23–20) Fourth quarter NEB- Jamal Turner, 5-yard pass from Taylor Martinez, Brett Maher XP good, 10:57 (NEB 27–23) NEB- Penalty on Penn State in the end zone, 5:02 (NEB 29–23) NEB- Brett Maher, 33-yard field goal, 0:23 (NEB 32–23) Top passer Matt McGloin- 18/37, 240 yards, TD, INT Top rusher Zach Zwinak- 21 rushes, 141 yards, TD Top receiver Allen Robinson- 6 receptions, 97 yards Top tackler Gerald Hodges, Glenn Carson- 14Penn State vs Nebraska (Nov 10, 2012) http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/stats/2012-2013/psuneb.html 9 December 2012 November 17 vs. Indiana 2012 Indiana Hoosiers football team Seattle Seahawks; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Penn State vs. Indiana -Game Summary November 17 12:00 p.m. EDT Indiana 0 13 9 0 Penn State 7 21 14 3 Beaver Stadium Big Ten Network Kevin Kugler, Chris Martin, J. Lehman ESPN Recap First quarter PSU- Allen Robinson, 26-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Sam Ficken XP good, 4:26 (PSU 7–0) Second quarter IU- Mitch Ewald, 26-yard field goal, 14:44 (PSU 7–3) IU- Ted Bolser, 2-yard pass from Cameron Coffman, Mitch Ewald XP good, 13:20 (IND 10–7) PSU- Allen Robinson, 53-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Sam Ficken XP good, 8:56 (PSU 14–10) IND- Mitch Ewald, 44-yard field goal, 7:06 (PSU 14–13) PSU- Allen Robinson, 10-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Sam Ficken XP good, 2:25 (PSU 21–13) PSU- Zach Zwinak, 16-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Sam Ficken XP good, 0:31 (PSU 28–13) Third quarter IND- Stephen Houston, 79-yard pass from Cameron Coffman, XP failed, 13:04 (PSU 28–19) IND- Mitch Ewald, 46-yard field goal, 8:36 (PSU 28–22) PSU- Zach Zwinak, 1-yard run, Sam Ficken XP good, 5:33 (PSU 35–22) PSU- Michael Zordich, 4-yard run, Sam Ficken XP good, 0:17 (PSU 42–22) Fourth quarter PSU- Sam Ficken, 28-yard field goal, 3:40 (PSU 45–22) Top passer Matt McGloin- 22/32, 397 yards, 4 TD, INT Top rusher Zach Zwinak- 29 rushes, 133 yards, TD Top receiver Allen Robinson- 10 receptions, 197 yards, TD Top defender Gerald Hodges- 12 tackles, interception Receiver Allen Robinson caught three touchdown passes in the first half. Senior linebackers Michael Mauti and Gerald Hodges each left in the first half due to injury. Hodges subsequently returned and made an interception late in the second quarter where he tipped the ball to himself and made a diving catch. Mauti was expected to miss significant time with a left knee injury. Quarterback Matt McGloin set both a single-season record for most passing yards in school history and broke Zack Mills' record for most career touchdown passes.July 2013 November 24 vs. Wisconsin 2012 Wisconsin Badgers football team Seattle Seahawks; New York Giants;text-align:center; autocollapse Penn State vs. Wisconsin-Game Summary November 24 3:30 p.m. EDT Wisconsin 14 0 0 7 0 Penn State 7 0 6 8 3 Beaver Stadium 93,505 ESPN2 ESPN Recap First quarter WIS- Melvin Gordon, 57-yard pass from Curt Phillips, Kyle French XP good, 13:11 (WIS 7–0) PSU- Zach Zwinak, 3-yard run, Sam Ficken XP good, 8:17 (TIE 7–7) WIS- Montee Ball, 17-yard run, Kyle French XP good, 6:27 (WIS 14–7) Second quarter no scoring Third quarter PSU- Sam Ficken, 23-yard field goal, 10:55 (WIS 14–10) PSU- Sam Ficken, 32-yard field goal, 2:58 (WIS 14–13) Fourth quarter PSU- Jesse James, 41-yard pass from Matt McGloin, Zach Zwinak run for two-point conversion, 13:32 (PSU 21–14) WIS- Jeff Duckworth, 4-yard pass from Curt Phillips, Kyle French XP good, 0:18 (TIE 21–21) Overtime PSU- Sam Ficken, 36-yard field goal (PSU 24–21) Top passer Matt McGloin- 19/37, 200 yards, TD Top rusher Zach Zwinak- 36 rushes, 179 yards, TD Top receiver Jesse James- 3 receptions, 90 yards, TD Top defender Glenn Carson- 13 tackles, Jordan Hill- 12 tackles, 2 sacks Awards Despite the Lions' ineligibility to play in bowl games, several players were named to the All-Conference Team or received other individual awards. Bill O'Brien – Big Ten Coach of the Year, National Coach of the Year (ESPN, Maxwell Football Club, Bear Bryant Award)Mauti, O'Brien win national honors http://bwi.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1446841&PT=4&PR=2 BlueWhiteIllustrated,.com Stats, LLC. December 9, 2012 Penn State Sports Information December 8, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20131230233644/http://bwi.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1446841&PT=4&PR=2 December 30, 2013 deadAT&T ESPN All-America Team https://www.espn.com/blog/ncfnation/post/_/id/73690/att-espn-all-america-team College Football Nation Blog – ESPN ESPN Internet Ventures December 9, 2012 ESPN.com staff December 8, 2012Snyder Audrey Bill O'Brien takes home the Maxwell Football Club's top collegiate coaching honor http://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/index.ssf/2012/12/bill_obrien_takes_home_the_max.html#incart_river December 20, 2012 The Patriot-News Harrisburg December 19, 2012Penn State's O'Brien wins 'Bear' Bryant award for coaching http://www.cbssports.com/collegefootball/story/21570930/penn-states-obrien-wins-bear-bryant-award-for-coaching NCAA Football – CBSSports.com News, Scores, Stats, Schedule and BCS Rankings CBS Interactive January 18, 2013 Matt McGloin – Burlsworth Trophy (top player in college football who began his career as a walk-on); Honorable Mention All Big Ten Zach Zwinak – Honorable Mention All Big Ten Allen Robinson – First Team All Big Ten, Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year Kyle Carter – First Team All Big Ten Matt Stankiewitch – First Team All Big Ten John Urschel – First Team All Big Ten Mike Farrell – Honorable Mention All Big Ten Sean Stanley – Honorable Mention All Big Ten Deion Barnes – Honorable Mention All Big Ten, Thompson–Randle El Freshman of the YearPenn State's Deion Barnes wins Big Ten Freshman of the Year award http://www.centredaily.com/2012/11/27/3416769/penn-states-deion-barnes-win-big.html December 9, 2012 Centre Daily Times November 27, 2012 State College, PA https://web.archive.org/web/20121201082928/http://www.centredaily.com/2012/11/27/3416769/penn-states-deion-barnes-win-big.html December 1, 2012 dead mdy-all Jordan Hill – First Team All Big Ten, Big Ten Sportsmanship Honoree Michael Mauti – First Team All Big Ten, Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year, First Team All-American (ESPN) Gerald Hodges – Second Team All Big Ten Adrian Amos – Honorable Mention All Big Ten Stephon Morris – Honorable Mention All Big Ten Big Ten Award Winners http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/big10/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/2012FBAllB1GAndAwardWinners.pdf Big Ten Football Big Ten Conference November 27, 2012 February 3, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160203213815/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/big10/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/2012-13/misc_non_event/2012FBAllB1GAndAwardWinners.pdf deadGross Mike Penn State's Mauti and Robinson win all-Big Ten honors http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/786352_Penn-State-s-Mauti-and-Robinson-win-all-Big-Ten-honors.html November 27, 2012 Lancaster New Era November 27, 2012 January 27, 2013 https://archive.today/20130127185127/http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/786352_Penn-State-s-Mauti-and-Robinson-win-all-Big-Ten-honors.html dead2012 All-Big Ten Conference Football Teams http://btn.com/2012/11/26/your-2012-all-big-ten-conference-football-team/ Big Ten Network November 27, 2012 Post-season Four players were invited to the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine, held February 20 to 26 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana: Jordan Hill, Gerald Hodges, Michael Mauti, and Matt Stankiewitch.http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/020713aaa.html Four Nittany Lions Invited to NFL Scouting Combine Penn State Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics February 7, 2013 February 8, 2013 February 11, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130211010033/http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/020713aaa.html deadSnyder Audrey Invitation only: Four Penn State players receive invitations to NFL Scouting Combine http://www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/index.ssf/2013/02/invitation_only_four_penn_stat.html July 12, 2013 The Patriot-News Harrisburg February 7, 2013 All-star games Game Date Site Players 2013 Casino del Sol College All-Star Game January 11, 2013 Kino Veterans Memorial StadiumTucson, Arizona Mike Farrellhttp://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/010413aaa.html Farrell and Stanley Earn All-Star Game Invites Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics January 4, 2013 January 5, 2013 January 7, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130107031723/http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/010413aaa.html dead 2013 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl January 19, 2013 The Home Depot CenterCarson, California Michael ZordichSean StanleyPete Massarohttp://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/011313aaa.html Massaro Third Nittany Lion Invited to NFLPA All-Star Game Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics January 13, 2013 January 14, 2013 January 15, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130115201745/http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/011313aaa.html dead 2013 East–West Shrine Game January 19, 2013 Tropicana FieldSt. Petersburg, Florida Gerald Hodgeshttp://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/011013aab.html Hodges and Stankiewitch Set to Play in 88th East-West Shrine Game Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics January 10, 2013 January 11, 2013 January 20, 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130120122722/http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/011013aab.html deadMatt Stankiewitch 2013 Senior Bowl January 26, 2013 Ladd–Peebles Stadium,Mobile, Alabama Jordan Hill 2013 Texas vs The Nation February 2, 2013 Allen, Texas Matt McGloinhttp://bleacherreport.com/tb/d9cxC Penn State Football: McGloin, Zordich, accept All-Star game bids Bleacher Report Greg Pickel January 21, 2013May 2026 medicmedic References Penn State Category:Penn State Nittany Lions football seasons Penn State Nittany Lions football