Penn State hits the bye week at 2-0 in Big Ten play and 4-2 overall. A couple of young stars have propelled the offense during the team's four-game winning streak and a pair of veteran defenders have helped the Nittany Lions turn around a disturbing early-season third-down trend. We go inside the numbers here.
4
Years it had been since Penn State had last defeated a ranked opponent in Beaver Stadium before Saturday's 39-28 win over No. 24 Northwestern. The Nittany Lions had gone 0-4 against ranked teams at home since a 49-18 rout of Michigan State in the 2008 regular season finale.
4.9
Yards per carry over the last three games by sophomore running back
Zach Zwinak.
41
Catches this season by sophomore wide receiver
Allen Robinson, who is 21 receptions away from O.J. McDuffie's single-season record of 63, set in 1992.
11
Combined catches (for 82 yards) by running backs Zwinak,
Bill Belton and
Michael Zordich. Penn State's running backs had caught a total of 13 passes in the first five games of the season.
11
Conversions on either third down or fourth down by the Nittany Lions on 12 third-down chances in the second half.
22
Fourth-quarter points by Penn State in Saturday's win. The Nittany Lions had scored a total of 26 fourth-quarter points in their first five games.
30.3
Penn State's net punting average, which ranks the Nittany Lions last in the Big Ten.
30.7
Northwestern's third-down conversion rate (4-of-13) against the Penn State defense on Saturday. The Wildcats had entered the game with a conference-best 54.3 conversion rate on third down.
5, 10
Respective rankings of Penn State linebackers
Michael Mauti and
Gerald Hodges in tackles among all Big Ten players. Mauti has 57 stops on the season, Hodges has 50.
38:08
Collective time of possession advantage (109:04-70:56) the Nittany Lions have enjoyed over their last three opponents -- Northwestern, Illinois and Temple.
