The fact that the two schools have been playing for over a century is made more interesting by this chart, which gives an overview of how much each school has won in NCAA championship games. On average Illinois currently wins 2 championships every 3 years and Penn State averages 1 year winning a title per 8
The “Penn State vs Illinois Football 2021” is a game that will be played on September 3, 2021. The two teams are playing for the Governor’s Cup. They have been competing since 1897 and this is their first meeting in over 100 years.
Unranked Illinois overcame No. 7 Penn State in a game that tested the players and spectators’ stamina after nine — yes, nine — extra sessions.
In the ninth overtime, after Khalan Tolson intercepted Sean Clifford’s throw, Brandon Peters found Casey Washington in the end zone for the game-winning convert.
Penn State is the most recent ranking team to fall to an unranked foe. This season, Alabama, Coastal Carolina, and other teams have faced the same fate.
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Little passing, little scoring, and some history created some fascinating data in this game between Illinois and Penn State, many of which showed how bad the Nittany Lions lost. Let’s look at some of the stats that helped to define this game.
9: There are nine quarters, plus nine overtimes. Penn State and Illinois both made history by playing the longest game in FBS history. In a college football game, they played the most overtime sessions ever. The previous best was seven, which occurred five times in games that were not low-scoring contests. In five of the seven overtime games, both sides scored at least 50 points.
38: The Battle The Illini struggled to throw the ball, gaining just 38 passing yards in the whole game. Only UCLA against Texas in 2010 (27 yards) and Florida against Georgia in 2014 have had less passing yards in a victory over an AP top-10 opponent (27 yards).
Penn State closed as 25.5-point favorites over Illinois, according to Caesars Sportsbook. Only once since the FCS/FBS split in 1978 have the Nittany Lions lost a game after closing as 20-point favorites, and that was last season against Maryland.
357 yards running: Illinois pummeled Penn State on the ground Saturday afternoon, rushing for 357 yards. The Nittany Lions’ defense has never done anything like this before. Penn State has only given up more running yards twice: in 1997 against Michigan State (452) and in 2013 against Ohio State (408).
Oct. 23: Not only was it the date of the longest game in college football history between Illinois and Penn State, but it also had historical importance for both teams.
The Fighting Illini defeated No. 9 Michigan on Oct. 23, 1999, led by then-Wolverines quarterback and seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady. It was a significant victory, since Illinois had to rally from a 27-7 hole in the third quarter to win.
What difference does it make? Illinois’ victory against Penn State on Saturday marked the club’s first road win over an AP top-10 team.
For Nittany Lions supporters, though, this day will live in infamy. Penn State was defeated 6-4 by Iowa on this day in 2004. Minimal scores and a slugfest on the field were eerily similar to Saturday’s game versus Illinois.
1: Teams who win the turnover fight and halt their opponent’s passing offense usually win in football, but that wasn’t the case for Penn State on Saturday. The Nittany Lions were the only team in the last decade to win by three or more turnovers and keep their opponent to fewer than two yards per pass attempt while still losing.
This report was supported by ESPN Stats & Information.
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