UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Sophomore running back Saquon Barkley was the Associated Press’ Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and James Franklin was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year to headline the list of Penn State’s Associated Press All-Big Ten selections. Barkley was a unanimous All-Big Ten first-team running back.
(Photo by Paul Burdick. Check out more of Burdick’s work here)
In addition to Barkley, sophomore quarterback Trace McSorley (Ashburn, Va.) and junior kicker Tyler Davis (St. Charles, Ill.) garnered Associated Press All-Big Ten second team accolades.
Saquon Barkley, RB, So./So., 5-11, 223, Coplay, Pa./Whitehall
- Selected as Big Ten Graham-George Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
- Is the fourth Nittany Lion to win Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, joining Kerry Collins (1994), Curtis Enis (1997) and Michael Robinson (2005).
- Named the Ameche-Dayne Big Ten Running Back of the Year
- Is the first Penn State player to win Running Back of the Year (award established in 2011).
- Is the first sophomore to win Running Back of the Year in Big Ten history.
- Is the first Penn State running back to earn All-Big Ten first team honors since Evan Royster in 2009.
- Second career All-Big Ten honor (second team in 2015).
- Sits No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 9 in the FBS in total touchdowns (19).
- Is No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 32 nationally in all-purpose yards (128.15 ypg).
- Is No. 9 nationally and is tied for the Big Ten lead in rushing touchdowns (16).
- Ranks No. 3 in the Big Ten and is No. 33 in the FBS in rushing yards per game (100.2 ypg).
- Is No. 5 in the Big Ten and No. 79 nationally in yards per carry (5.27 ypc).
- Is No. 29 nationally and No. 3 in the conference in scoring (8.8 ppg).
- Ranks 14th on Penn State’s career rushing list with 2,378 yards.
- Is just the eighth player in Penn State history with multiple 1,000-yard seasons.
- Sits No. 14 on the career rushing touchdowns chart (23).
- Has 39 rushes of 10 or more yards in 2016.
- Had a streak of 14 consecutive games with at least one rush of 20 yards snapped at Rutgers (11/19), a streak that was the second-longest in college football in the last 20 years (19 – LaMichael James, Oregon (2008-10).
- Became the first Penn State player since Larry Johnson in 2002 (289 yards vs. Michigan State and 327 yards at Indiana) to post back-to-back game with 200-plus all-purpose yards, gaining 211 vs. Iowa (11/5) and 277 at Purdue (10/29).
- Became the 15th different Penn Stater with a 200-yard rushing game vs. Maryland (10/8) with 202 yards.
- After posting 207 yards on the ground at Purdue (10/29), he is the first Penn Stater with multiple 200-yard rushing games since Larry Johnson had four in 2002.
- Owns the sophomore scoring record with 102 points, passing Kevin Kelly’s previous mark of 96 points (2006).
- Broke the sophomore rushing touchdowns record with his 14th score of 2016 at Rutgers (11/19) in the third quarter and now has 15 rushing scores.
- Named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 10 after his 200-yard rushing performance vs. Maryland.
- Named CBS National Player of the Week and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after totaling 277 all-purpose yards at Purdue (10/29).
- Became the first two-time B1G Offensive Player of the Week since Daryll Clark won the award twice in 2009.
- Named to the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week following his performance at Purdue (10/29).
- Named Rose Bowl Game Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after piling up 211 all-purpose yards vs. Iowa (11/5).
- Is currently No. 10 on the single season rushing yardage chart with 1,302 yards.
- Ranks No. 6 on Penn State’s single season all-purpose yards list with 1,666 yards, the highest total since Larry Johnson’s 2,665 yards in 2002.
Head Coach James Franklin – 3rd Season
- First Conference Coach of the Year honor.
- Guided the Nittany Lions to their first Big Ten Championship since 2008 and fourth overall (1994, 2005, 2008).
- Selected as Big Ten Coach of the Year by the media.
- Fifth time a Penn State head coach has won the Dave McLain Coach of the Year, joining Joe Paterno (1994, 2005, 2008) and Bill O’Brien (2012).
- Led the Nittany Lions to the Big Ten East title, its second divisional title (2011).
- Nittany Lions are ranked fifth in the CFP poll, the AP and Coaches polls.
- Guided the Nittany Lions to 11 wins this season, the sixth 11-win season since Penn State joined the Big Ten.
- Nittany Lions are riding a nine-game winning streak, the longest since 2009.
- Led Penn State to its second eight-win Big Ten season, joining the 8-0 1994 team.
- Penn State has won eight consecutive Big Ten games for the first time since that perfect 1994 season.
- The 11 wins are the most for Franklin in his career.
- Has guided his team to a bowl berth in each of his six seasons as a head coach, making him one of 12 active FBS coaches to do so.
Trace McSorley, QB, Jr./So., 6-0, 205, Ashburn, Va./Briar Woods
- Earned second team All-Big Ten honors.
- First Penn State quarterback to earn All-Big Ten first or second team honors since Daryll Clark (first team) in 2009.
- Leads all FBS passers in yards per completion (16.31 ypc).
- Leads the Big Ten and is No. 14 in the FBS in passing efficiency (156.6).
- Sits No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 25 nationally in total offense (285.5 ypg).
- Ranks No. 32 nationally and No. 3 in the Big Ten in passing yards per game (258.5).
- Is No. 25 in the NCAA and No. 1 in the Big Ten with 25 passing touchdowns.
- Ranks No. 6 in the FBS and No. 1 in the Big Ten in yards per pass attempt (9.4 ypa).
- Is the third Penn State quarterback to pass for 3,000 yards in a season, joining Matt McGloin (2012) & Daryll Clark (2009).
- Broke the Penn State sophomore season passing record with 3,360, supplanting the record of 3,266 yards by Matt McGloin in 2012.
- Has a school-record five 300-yard passing game this season. Matt McGloin (2012) and Christian Hackenberg (2013 and 2014) previously held the mark with four apiece.
- Has 10th 200-yard passing game of the season, moving him into a tie with Kerry Collins (1994) for second place.
- Has a touchdown pass in 14 consecutive games, tying the Penn State record held by Kerry Collins (1993-94).
- Had 384 passing yards break the Big Ten Championship game passing record of 304 set by Michigan State’s Connor Cook against Ohio State in 2013.
- Broke the Penn State season record for touchdown passes with 25 on the season with four touchdowns passes versus Wisconsin. He breaks the record of 24 set by Daryll Clark (2009) and Matt McGloin (2012).
- Became just the third Penn State quarterback to register more than 400 yards of total offense in a game, logging 408 total offense yards (335 passing, 73 rushing) vs. Minnesota (10/1).
- Named to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week after his showing vs. Maryland (10/8).
- Named to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week after his showing at Rutgers (11/19).
- Following his effort vs. Michigan State (11/26), was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, the Rose Bowl Game Big Ten Player of the Week, earned a Helmet Sticker from ESPN’s College Football Final and was one of eight quarterbacks named to the Manning Award Stars of the Week list.
- Is just the fourth Penn State quarterback to lead his team to 10 wins in his first year as the starting quarterback, joining Daryll Clark in 2008 (11), Tom Shuman in 1973 (12-0) and Chuck Burkhart in 1968 (11-0).
- Owns the Penn State’s single season total offense record (3,348).
- His six rushing touchdowns are the most by a Penn State quarterback since Daryll Clark had seven in 2009.
- His 352 rushing yards in 2016 are the most by a Penn State quarterback since Michael Robinson (806 yds) in 2005.
- Has six games with a passing and rushing touchdown in 2016, which ranks second nationally to Lamar Jackson of Louisville (9).
Tyler Davis, K/P, Sr./Jr., 5-11, 180, St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North
- Named first team All-Big Ten by the coaches and second team All-Big Ten by the media.
- Is the first Nittany Lion kicker to earn first team honors since Kevin Kelly in 2008.
- Leads the team in scoring with 121 points via 22 field goals and 55 extra points.
- Is 22-for-24 in field goals and a perfect 55-for-55 in extra points.
- Ranks No. 2 in the B1G and No. 9 in the FBS in field goals per game (1.69 fgpg).
- Ranks No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 8 nationally with a .917 field goal percentage.
- Is No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 21 nationally in scoring (9.3 ppg).
- Off to the best kicking start in Penn State history.
- Joins Brett Conway (62, 1994) and Kevin Kelly (60) as the only place kickers with 50-plus made extra points in a single season.
- Is tied for No. 2 on Penn State’s single season field goals made charts (22).
- Ranks No. 5 on the PSU single season scoring charts (121 points).
- Davis and Saquon Barkley are the are the first set of teammates to score 100 points in the same season.
- Ranks No. 12 on Penn State’s career field goals made charts with 30.
- Owns the school record for consecutive field goals made with 18, breaking Sam Ficken’s mark of 15 straight makes between the 2012 and 2013 seasons.
- Had his consecutive field goals made streak snapped on a first quarter blocked kick vs. Ohio State.
- The 18-straight made field goals were tied for the longest streak in the Big Ten since Brad Craddock (UMD) converted 24 straight in from 2013-14.
- The 18 consecutive field goals are tied for the fourth-longest streak in Big Ten history.
- Named one of three Lou Groza Award Stars of the Week on Oct. 3, 2016, following his effort vs. Minnesota, which included a game-tying field goal in the final seconds of regulation.
- Earned Big Ten Co-Special Teams Player of the Week (McCarron – Iowa) following a 4-for-4 effort on field goal attempts and a career-high 15 points at Rutgers (11/19).