CFP New Year’s Six Records Memphis vs. Penn State Saturday, December 28, 2019 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas SIXTH YEAR OF THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYOFF • This is the sixth season of the College Football Playoff, with today’s Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic serving as the 31st New Year’s Six matchup under the new system. These records do not include CFP National Championships. • Today’s game was the first of the New Year’s Six games to be played this season. PENN STATE IN THE NEW YEAR’S SIX • This was the third New Year’s Six appearance for Penn State since its implementation, and the Nittany Lions now boast a 2-1 record in those games. The Nittany Lions defeated Washington in the Fiesta Bowl following the 2017 season and lost to USC in the Rose Bowl following the 2016 season. • This marked the Big Ten’s 15th New Year’s Six appearance, a number that will increase to 17 following Ohio State’s game against Clemson in the CFP Semifinal at the Fiesta Bowl and Wisconsin’s game against Oregon in the Rose Bowl in the coming days. The conference is now 9-6 in New Year’s Six bowl games. MEMPHIS IN THE NEW YEAR’S SIX • This marked the first New Year’s Six appearance for Memphis, who earned a berth as the highest-ranked Group of Five conference champion. • The American Athletic Conference has been the Group of Five representative in four of the six years of the CFP, and the conference now owns a 2-2 record in the New Year’s Six. OFFENSES GO OFF IN THE FIRST HALF • The 58 combined points by Penn State (35) and Memphis (23) in the first half is a New Year’s Six record. The previous high was 53 points by USC (25) and Penn State (28) in the second half of the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2, 2017. • The 38 combined points by Penn State (28) and Memphis (10) in the second quarter is a New Year’s Six record. The mark surpassed the 35 points scored by Penn State (21) and USC (14) in the second quarter of the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2, 2017. CFP New Year’s Six Records Memphis vs. Penn State Saturday, December 28, 2019 AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas • Penn State’s 28 points in the second quarter tie the New Year’s Six record for most points in a quarter. The Nittany Lions also had 28 points against USC in the third quarter of the Rose Bowl on Jan. 2, 2017. RILEY PATTERSON KICKS HIS WAY INTO THE RECORD BOOKS • Memphis kicker Riley Patterson’s 21 points (6 FG, 3 PATs) are the most by a kicker in a New Year’s Six bowl game. The mark surpasses the 16 points by LSU’s Cole Tracy (4 FGs, 4 PATs) in last season’s Fiesta Bowl against UCF. The mark is also an all-time record across all bowl games. • Patterson’s six field goals also break LSU kicker Tracy’s mark for the most made field goals in a New Year’s Six bowl game. The mark is also an all-time record across all bowl games. • Patterson’s 51-yard field goal in the third quarter is the second longest field goal in a New Year’s Six bowl game, trailing only Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship’s 55- yarder against Oklahoma in the CFP Semifinal at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1, 2018. MOST COMBINED RUSHING TOUCHDOWNS • The eight total rushing touchdowns by Memphis (3) and Penn State (5) are a combined record for a New Year’s Six bow game. Two previous games had seven combined rushing touchdowns. BRADY WHITE HAS SECOND MOST PASSING YARDS • Memphis quarterback Brady White’s 454 passing yards are the second most in a New Year’s Six bowl game, only trailing the 550 yards by Baylor’s Bryce Petty against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 1, 2015. JOURNEY BROWN JOURNEYS INTO THE RECORD BOOKS • Penn State running back Journey Brown’s 202 rushing yards are the second most in a New Year’s Six bowl game, trailing the 230 by Ohio State’s Ezekiel Elliott against Alabama in the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 2015. .