Nittany Lions have commanding record vs. Scarlet Knights

Penn State football and coach James Franklin will look to salvage what remains of their 2023 regular season with a game Saturday against Rutgers at Beaver Stadium.

If history is any indication, things will go just fine for the No. 12 Nittany Lions.

There is no team in the Big Ten — not even Maryland, whom Penn State leads 42-3-1 all time — that the Nittany Lions own quite like Rutgers. Though coach Greg Schiano’s 6-4 Scarlet Knights team is likely the best team yet of his second stint in Piscataway, New Jersey, he and his players will fight against more than just the team lining up against them on Saturday.

REQUIRED READING: Here are 6 offensive coordinator candidates to replace Penn State football’s Mike Yurcich

In a series that dates back to Nov. 9, 1918, two days before the armistice ending World War I was signed, the Nittany Lions have a 31-2 record against Rutgers. In fact, Penn State has lost just once since the series-opening game in 1918 (a 26-3 Rutgers victory).

According to odds from BetMGM, the Nittany Lions are a 20.5-point favorite in the 34th all-time meeting between what are now conference foes. If they manage to avoid an upset, they’ll continue what is already an astonishingly lopsided tradition.

Here’s a look at the history between Penn State and Rutgers, and how the Nittany Lions have compiled such a large advantage:

Penn State vs. Rutgers series history

New Jersey has played an integral role in the historical success of Penn State as a bordering and populous state with a strong pool of high school football talent. Players from the state have helped the Nittany Lions for decades, from Franco Harris to, more recently, Tamba Hali and Mike Gesicki.

As that pipeline was established and fortified, Penn State dominated the flagship university of the state it so aggressively recruited. The Nittany Lions…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/penn-state-rutgers-football-history-110446139.html

Author : York Daily Record

Publish date : 2023-11-16 11:04:46

Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.