2001 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

2001 Penn State Nittany Lions football
Conference	Big Ten Conference
2001 record	5–6 (4–4 Big Ten)
Head coach	Joe Paterno (36th season)
Offensive coordinator	Fran Ganter
Defensive coordinator	Tom Bradley
Home stadium	Beaver Stadium (c. 107,282; grass)
Seasons

2001 Big Ten football standings
	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
#12/12 Illinois †		7	–	1					10	–	2
#20/20 Michigan		6	–	2					8	–	4
Ohio State		5	–	3					7	–	5
Iowa		4	–	4					7	–	5
Purdue		4	–	4					6	–	6
Indiana		4	–	4					5	–	6
Penn State		0*	–	4					0*	–	6
Michigan State		3	–	5					7	–	5
Wisconsin		3	–	5					5	–	7
Minnesota		2	–	6					4	–	7
Northwestern		2	–	6					4	–	7
† – BCS representative as champion *All wins for Penn State (5-6, 4-4) vacated due to scandal. Rankings from AP Poll / Coaches' Poll

The 2001 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2001 NCAA Division I-A football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

Schedule

Penn State did not play Big Ten teams Minnesota and Purdue this year. Also, due to the events of 9/11, the Virginia game was rescheduled from September 13, 2001, to December 1, 2001.

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	8:00 p.m.	No. 2 Miami*	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ABC	L 7–33	109,313
September 22	12:00 p.m.	Wisconsin	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ABC	L 6–18	107,253
September 29	12:00 p.m.	at Iowa	Kinnick Stadium Iowa City, IA	ESPN	L 18–24	69,422
October 6	3:30 p.m.	No. 15 Michigan	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ABC	L 0–20	107,879
October 20	3:30 p.m.	at No. 22 Northwestern	Ryan Field Evanston, IL	ABC	W 38–35	42,512
October 27	12:00 p.m.	Ohio State	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA (rivalry)	ESPN	W 29–27	108,327
November 3	12:00 p.m.	Southern Miss*	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ESPN2	W 38–20	106,158
November 10	3:30 p.m.	at No. 15 Illinois	Memorial Stadium Champaign, IL	ABC	L 28–33	70,904
November 17	12:00 p.m.	Indiana	Beaver Stadium University Park, PA	ESPN+	W 28–14	106,527
November 24	3:30 p.m.	at Michigan State	Spartan Stadium East Lansing, MI (Land Grant Trophy)	ESPN	W 42–37	72,658
December 1	12:00 p.m.	at Virginia*	Scott Stadium Charlottesville, VA	ESPN	L 14–20	57,005
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game All times are in Eastern time

Roster

2001 Penn State Nittany Lions football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class QB 3 Ganter, ChrisChris Ganter 1.0 !Fr QB 4 Senneca, MattMatt Senneca File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr RB 5 Johnson, LarryLarry Johnson File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr TE 6 Luke, R. J.R. J. Luke File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr QB 7 Mills, ZackZack Mills File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr RB 8 McCoo, EricEric McCoo 7.0 !Sr WR 11 Johnson, TonyTony Johnson 3.0 !So QB 12 Robinson, MichaelMichael Robinson 1.0 !Fr WR 13 Palmer, KintaKinta Palmer 1.0 !Fr WR 17 Phillips, TerranceTerrance Phillips 1.0 !Fr WR 19 Smith, GeraldGerald Smith File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr WR 20 Drummond, EddieEddie Drummond 7.0 !Sr RB 22 Gilmore, PetePete Gilmore File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr WR 24 Johnson, BryantBryant Johnson 5.0 !Jr RB 26 Gasparato, MikeMike Gasparato File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr WR 28 Phillips, AnwarAnwar Phillips 1.0 !Fr WR 31 Terrell, ErnieErnie Terrell 1.0 !Fr FB 31 Glover, TerrenceTerrence Glover File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So FB 33 Lukac, MikeMike Lukac File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So RB 34 Easy, OmarOmar Easy 7.0 !Sr RB 35 Heffelfinger, AricAric Heffelfinger 1.0 !Fr WR 36 Drenning, MikeMike Drenning File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr FB 39 Jefferson, PaulPaul Jefferson 3.0 !So FB 42 Blosser, MickMick Blosser 7.0 !Sr RB 44 Upton, RickyRicky Upton File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So RB 45 Senk, AdamAdam Senk 1.0 !Fr WR 48 Maraire, MunyaradziMunyaradzi Maraire 5.0 !Jr G 50 Lenda, TylerTyler Lenda File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr OL 52 Fairchild, BrianBrian Fairchild 1.0 !Fr OL 53 McHugh, TommyTommy McHugh 1.0 !Fr G 54 Davis, ScottScott Davis File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr G 55 Ransom, GregGreg Ransom 7.0 !Sr C 56 Stryker, GeoffGeoff Stryker 7.0 !Sr OL 57 Hunt, CarlCarl Hunt 1.0 !Fr C 59 Rickenbach, EricEric Rickenbach File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr C 61 Costlow, DavidDavid Costlow File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So OL 62 Daise, NickNick Daise 1.0 !Fr C 63 Iorio, JoeJoe Iorio 5.0 !Jr T 64 Schmitt, MattMatt Schmitt 7.0 !Sr G 66 Evangelista, B. J.B. J. Evangelista File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr G 67 Nabavi, JonathanJonathan Nabavi File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So T 70 Marmo, NickNick Marmo File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr G 71 Hartings, JoeJoe Hartings File:Redshirt.svg 4.5 !Sr T 72 Felder, GusGus Felder 7.0 !Sr OL 74 Reed, TylerTyler Reed 1.0 !Fr T 75 McKelvy, ChrisChris McKelvy 3.0 !So T 76 Jones, DamoneDamone Jones File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So OL 77 Smith, E.Z.E.Z. Smith 1.0 !Fr WR 80 Shirley, ScottScott Shirley File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So WR 81 Stryker, JasonJason Stryker File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr FB 82 McHugh, SeanSean McHugh 3.0 !So WR 83 Scott, RyanRyan Scott File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr WR 84 Delich, SteveSteve Delich File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr TE 85 Gilmore, JohnJohn Gilmore File:Redshirt.svg 4.5 !Sr WR 88 Kranchick, MattMatt Kranchick File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So TE 89 Richardson, AndrewAndrew Richardson 1.0 !Fr TE 90 Smolko, IsaacIsaac Smolko 1.0 !Fr TE 91 Pawlikowski, MikeMike Pawlikowski File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr TE 93 Williams, CaseyCasey Williams File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So	Defense Pos. # Name Class CB 1 Branch, BruceBruce Branch 7.0 !Sr LB 2 Toles, DeryckDeryck Toles File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So DE 3 Graham, RonRon Graham 7.0 !Sr S 9 Crenshaw, SamSam Crenshaw 7.0 !Sr LB 10 Neumeyer, JesseJesse Neumeyer 1.0 !Fr CB 13 Sanden, ScottScott Sanden 1.0 !Fr S 15 Yisrael, YaacovYaacov Yisrael File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So LB 16 Ryland, AndyAndy Ryland File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So DB 18 Guman, AndrewAndrew Guman 1.0 !Fr LB 21 Finney, ShamarShamar Finney 7.0 !Sr S 23 Mayer, ShawnShawn Mayer File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr CB 25 Gardner, RichRich Gardner File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So DB 26 McCready, NolanNolan McCready 1.0 !Fr DB 27 Harrell, ChrisChris Harrell 1.0 !Fr LB 28 Holt, ErikErik Holt File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr S 28 Millon, JamesJames Millon File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr DB 29 Cronin, PaulPaul Cronin 1.0 !Fr LB 29 Pinckney, RyanRyan Pinckney File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr DB 30 Dare, EricEric Dare File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So CB 32 Scott, BryanBryan Scott 5.0 !Jr LB 35 Benfatti, DaveDave Benfatti 7.0 !Sr DB 36 Zemaitis, AlanAlan Zemaitis 1.0 !Fr LB 37 Stewart, LaMarLaMar Stewart 1.0 !Fr S 38 Mitchell, JimiJimi Mitchell File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr LB 40 Cosby, T.C.T.C. Cosby File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr LB 41 Williams, TomTom Williams File:Redshirt.svg 4.5 !Sr DB 43 Taliaferro, AdamAdam Taliaferro 1.0 !Fr DB 44 Mills, MarcusMarcus Mills 1.0 !Fr CB 45 Humphrey, TomTom Humphrey 7.0 !Sr DB 46 Vendemia, GeoGeo Vendemia 1.0 !Fr LB 47 Capone, GinoGino Capone File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So DB 48 Lago, BenBen Lago 3.0 !So LB 49 Jens, DaveDave Jens File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So LB 51 Johnson, TimTim Johnson File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr DE 53 Crosby, JasonJason Crosby File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr LB 58 Garcia, DethrellDethrell Garcia 1.0 !Fr DL 59 Rush, CharlesCharles Rush 1.0 !Fr DT 60 Valoczki, TylerTyler Valoczki File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr DT 62 Buck, RandyRandy Buck File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr LB 65 Ruhe, SamSam Ruhe 3.0 !So DT 69 Robinson, JasonJason Robinson File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr DT 73 Kennedy, JimmyJimmy Kennedy File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr DT 78 Noll, ErikErik Noll File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr DE 80 Paxson, ScottScott Paxson 1.0 !Fr DE 81 Haynes, MichaelMichael Haynes File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr DE 84 Rice, MatthewMatthew Rice 1.0 !Fr DE 86 Davis, JeremiahJeremiah Davis File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr DE 87 Bronson, JohnJohn Bronson File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr DE 92 Chisley, LavonLavon Chisley 1.0 !Fr DE 92 Gholston, T. J.T. J. Gholston File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr LB 94 Wake, DerekDerek Wake 3.0 !So DE 96 Jones, BobBob Jones File:Redshirt.svg 4.5 !Sr DL 97 Bauer, GregGreg Bauer 1.0 !Fr DT 98 Adams, AnthonyAnthony Adams File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr DT 99 Falls, TimTim Falls File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P 14 Royer, DavidDavid Royer File:Redshirt.svg 3.5 !Jr K 16 Gould, RobbieRobbie Gould 1.0 !Fr K 19 Savage, MikeMike Savage File:Redshirt.svg 2.5 !So K 33 Huet, MattMatt Huet File:Redshirt.svg 1.5 !Fr P 39 Schmidt, WoodyWoody Schmidt 1.0 !Fr K 95 Kimball, DavidDavid Kimball 3.0 !So	Head coach Joe Paterno Coordinators/assistant coaches Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: December 11, 2001

Post season

NFL draft

Two Nittany Lions were drafted in the 2002 NFL Draft.

Round	Pick	Overall	Name	Position	Team
4th	9	107	Omar Easy	Fullback	Kansas City Chiefs
6th	24	196	John Gilmore	Tight end	New Orleans Saints