GAME #1 SEPTEMBER 2, 2017 - NOON University Park, Pa. Beaver Stadium (106,572) Series: Penn State, 5-0 2016 BIG TEN CHAMPIONS Last Meeting: Penn State, 21-3 September 6, 2014 - Beaver Stadium 867 WINS 47 BOWL GAMES 28 BOWL WINS 99 1ST TEAM Complete Series Info on Page 7 (8th in Nation) (T-9th in Nation) (T-5th in Nation) ALL-AMERICANS THE MATCHUP PxP: Mark Jones PENN STATE NITTANY LIONS Analyst: Rod Gilmore AKRON ZIPS 0-0, 0-0 Big Ten Sideline: Quint Kessenich 0-0, 0-0 MAC Head Coach: . James Franklin PxP: Steve Jones Head Coach: . Terry Bowden Record at Penn State (3rd season): . 25-15 Analyst: Jack Ham Record at Akron (6th season): . 24-37 Career Record (6th season): . 49-30 Sideline: Derrick Williams Career Record (24th season): . 164-99-2 Local: 93 .7 FM/1450 AM vs . Akron . 1-0 Web: GoPSUsports .com vs . Penn State: . 0-2 Sirius/XM/Internet: 81/81/81 INSIDE THE GAME BY THE NUMBERS BREAKDOWN (RETURNERS FROM ‘16) NO. 6 PENN STATE OPENS 2017 SEASON RUSHING The reigning Big Ten Champions will open their 131st season of football, as Penn 9,000+ Penn State: Saquon Barkley 272 for 1,496 yds (106 .9), 18 TD State hosts Akron in Beaver Stadium for its 2017 season opener . The telecast will begin New season ticket Akron: Van Edwards 100 for 492 yds (44 .7), 3 TD at noon on ABC . holders PASSING Penn State will have the luxury of returning depth and experience this season . A total Penn State: Trace McSorley 224-of-387, 3,614 yds (258 .1), 29 TD/8 INT of 44 letterwinners and 18 starters are back from a team that won Penn State’s fourth Akron: Thomas Woodson 146-of-242, 2,079 yds (259 .9), 18 TD/6 INT Big Ten Championship and earned its fourth Rose Bowl appearance . Accordingly, Penn RECEIVING State’s No . 6 preseason ranking in both major polls is its highest since 1999 . 131st Penn State: Mike Gesicki 48 for 679 yds (48 .5), 5 TD A prolific offense was a hallmark of the 2016 team and key returners include a pair Season of football Akron: Austin Wolf 36 for 550 yds (45 .8), 5 TD of Big Ten preseason honorees, running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Trace DEFENSE McSorley . Barkley set a sophomore record for rushing yards en route to multiple Penn State: Marcus Allen 110 tkls, 6 .0 TFL, 3 PBU, 1 FF prestigious honors in 2016, while McSorley was perhaps the biggest surprise, breaking #6 Akron: Ulysees Gilbert 122 tkls, 11 .5 TFL, 4 .0 sack, 3 PBU, 2 FF Penn State’s single-season passing yard and passing touchdown records in his first Ranking in both the AP PSU TEAM UA season as a starter . McSorley will have plenty of targets to throw to with record-setting and Coaches Polls 37 .6 SCORING/GAME 27 .4 tight end Mike Gesicki joining Barkley on preseason All-America teams and he will have 171 .9 RUSHING/GAME 132 .2 the protection of a veteran offensive line . 226-391-8 PASSING (C-A-INT) 217-396-14 Linebacker Jason Cabinda and safety Marcus Allen lead the defense with their names 260 .7 PASSING/GAME 255 .2 appearing on several watch lists . All three levels of the unit lost players to the NFL, but 4th 432 .6 TOTAL OFFENSE/GAME 387 .4 more than 72 percent of the tackles to return . Season for head coach James Franklin +1 TURNOVER MARGIN -8 Penn State will be looking to extend a seven-game winning streak in Beaver Stadium, 25 .4 PTS ALLOWED/GAME 33 .6 playing its first three games of the season at home . 151 .3 OPP . RUSH YDS/GAME 224 .7 Akron will be seeking its first win over the Nittany Lions after coming up short in its 292-472-10 OPP . PASSING 217-396-14 first five attempts . Veteran coach Terry Bowden guides the Zips, while linebacker Ulysees 2 216 .6 OPP . PASS YDS/GAME 241 .3 Gilbert III leads the defense and is on the Bronko Nagurski preseason watch list . AP Preseason All-Americans 367 .9 OPP . TOTAL OFFENSE/GAME 466 .0 2017 SCHEDULES PENN STATE AKRON Overall (B1G): 0-0 (0-0 East) Home: 0-0 Road: 0-0 Ntrl: 0-0 Overall (MAC): 0-0 (0-0 East) Home: 0-0 Road: 0-0 Ntrl: 0-0 PSU Rank Opponent (Rank) Time/Result TV Attend. Rank Opponent (Rank) Time/Score TV Attend. September September 2 (6/6) Akron Noon ABC 2 at Penn State (6/6) Noon ABC 9 Pittsburgh 3:30 p .m . ABC 9 Arkansas-Pine Bluff 6:30 p .m . ESPN3 16 Georgia State 7:30 p .m . BTN 16 Iowa State Noon CBS-SN 23 at Iowa * TBD 23 at Troy TBD 30 Indiana * TBD 30 at Bowling Green * TBD October October 7 at Northwestern * Noon 7 Ball State * 3:30 p .m . 21 Michigan * TBD 14 at Western Michigan * 3:30 p .m . 28 at Ohio State * 3:30 p .m . FOX 21 at Toledo * TBD November 28 Buffalo * 11:30 a .m . CBS-SN 4 at Michigan State * TBD November 11 Rutgers * Noon 7 at Miami (Ohio) * 7:30 p .m . ESPN2/ESPNU 18 Nebraska * TBD 14 Ohio * TBD ESPN2/ESPNU 25 at Maryland * TBD 21 Kent State * 7 p .m . ESPNU/ESPN3 * - B1G game All times Eastern Rankings: AP/Coaches * - MAC game All times Eastern Rankings: AP/Coaches TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 2 . Quick Facts/NFL Notes 10 . Preseason Honors/Barkley Record Countdown 15 . Generations of Greatness Page 3 . Opponent Tracker/B1G Standings/Media Info Page 11-12 . Offense Notes 16 . Future Schedules Page 4-5 . Head Coach James Franklin 11 . Breaking Records/McSorely Record Countdown Page 17 . Starts Chart/Career Starts Page 6 . Leadership/National Polls 12 . Classroom Success/Gesicki Record Countdown Page 18 . Depth Chart/Pronunciations/Asst . Coaches Page 7 . The Series vs . Akron Page 13 . Defense Notes Page 19-20 . Numerical Roster Page 8 . Akron Notes 13 . Hamilton Record Breakdown Page 21-22 . Alphabetical Roster 8 . This Day in History/Record Breakdown Page 14 . Special Teams Notes Page 23 . The Last Time . Page 9-10 . Highlights 14 . Community Service Page 24-26 . Record Watch 9 . Winningest Programs/AtThe Start Page 14-16 . Season Notes Page 27-31 . 2016 Statistics 2 2017 PENN STATE FOOTBALL GAME NOTES PROGRAM NOTES B1G BEST 131st SEASON OF GRIDIRON EXCELLENCE OFFENSIVE POTW: First Selection Sept. 4 Penn State is in its 131st season of intercollegiate football • and owns an 867-385-42 record, to rank No . 8 nationally in all-time victories . WINNING RECORD Penn State is one of eight teams that have had a winning season the last 12 consecutive years . Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Boise State, USC, Florida State and LSU have also accomplished the feat . According to ESPN Stats & Info, Penn State holds the FBS record for most consecutive DEFENSIVE POTW: First Selection Sept. 4 seasons without a losing record at 49 (1939-1987) . ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE • A total of 389 of Penn State football student-athletes, including 19 in 2016, have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors since 1993 for owning at least a 3 .0 grade point average and being a letterwinner . ONE OF NATION’S TOUGHEST HOME VENUES Penn State owns a superlative 278-72 ( .794) record inside Beaver Stadium, the nation’s second-largest facility, which SPECIAL TEAMS POTW: First Selection Sept. 4 opened in 1960 and has a capacity of 106,572 . QUICK FACTS • UNIVERSITY NAME . The Pennsylvania State University LOCATION . University Park, Pa . FOUNDED . 1855 ENROLLMENT . 47,261 NICKNAME . .. Nittany Lions FRESHMAN POTW: First Selection Sept. 4 COLORS . Blue & White CONFERENCE . Big Ten • DIVISION . NCAA Division I STADIUM . Beaver Stadium (106,572) STADIUM SURFACE . Natural Grass PRESIDENT . Dr . Eric Barron ATHLETICS DIRECTOR . Sandy Barbour HEAD COACH . James Franklin (4th Season) FOOTBALL OFFICE . 814-865-0412 LIONS IN THE NFL TICKET OFFICE . 1-800-NITTANY 35 NITTANY LIONS ON NFL CAMP ROSTERS Arizona Cardinals (1): A .Q . Shipley (8) FOOTBALL HISTORY A total of 35 Penn State football alumni are populating the Atlanta Falcons (1): Jack Crawford (6) training camp rosters of 22 National Football League teams . Buffalo Bills (1): Gerald Hodges (5) FIRST YEAR . 1887 The Nittany Lions are perennially a top-15 program in Chicago Bears (1): Adrian Amos (3) ALL-TIME RECORD . 867-385-42 (131st Season) producing players in the NFL . In addition, seven former Nittany Cincinnati Bengals (1): Brandon Bell (1) 8th in victories Lions are members of NFL coaching staffs . Cleveland Browns (1): Carl Nassib (2) ALL-TIME BIG TEN RECORD . 121-72 (25th Season) The Miami Dolphins and San Francisco 49ers are currently Dallas Cowboys (1): Sean Lee (8) ALL-TIME BOWL RECORD 28-17-2 ( .617) carrying a league-high three former Nittany Lions each . Ninth- Detroit Lions (2): Jordan Hill (5), Anthony Zettel (2) year veteran Cameron Wake is joined by Mike Hull and Jordan Indianapolis Colts (1): Garrett Sickels (1) T-5th in bowl victories Lucas in Miami and 13th-year veteran Robbie Gould and Garry Jacksonville Jaguars (2): Paul Posluszny (11), Allen YEARS IN POST SEASON PLAY . 47 Giliiam have joined eighth-year vet NaVorro Bowman in San Robinson (4) T-9th in bowl appearances Francisco . Kansas City Chiefs (2): Sam Ficken (1), Tamba Hali (12), BEAVER STADIUM RECORD . 278-72 ( .794) Gould is the Lions elder statesman, and is followed by Ross Travis (2; former MBB player) Chiefs All-Pro linebacker Tamba Hali in his 12th season, Los Angeles Chargers (1): Trevor Williams (2) ASSISTANT COACHES Jaguars linebacker Paul Posluszny (11th), Wake and Cowboys Miami Dolphins (3): Mike Hull (3), Jordan Lucas (2), BRENT PRY .