← The College Football Belt
Reign #298 · Game 1,527 of 1,634
September 8, 2018 Week 2 · Regular Season Belt changed hands

Penn State takes the belt, 51–6, on the road at Pittsburgh.

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Recap

Penn State dominated Pittsburgh 51-6 in a dominant performance that saw the Nittany Lions seize control early and never relinquish it. KJ Hamler set the tone with a 32-yard touchdown run just over a minute into the game, and Penn State's offense continued to pile on scores throughout the afternoon. Pittsburgh managed an early touchdown on a 13-yard Qadree Ollison run, but the Panthers' offense sputtered badly, managing just 314 total yards and committing three turnovers. Penn State's defense capitalized on Pittsburgh's mistakes, including a crucial interception by Amani Oruwariye in the first quarter and forcing fumbles late in the first half. By the fourth quarter, the game was completely decided, with Penn State scoring at will behind Trace McSorley's efficient play and a punishing ground game led by Miles Sanders.

Written by Claude from the box score and play-by-play on this page — a plain-English recap of the numbers below, not a substitute for them.

Full Box Score

Team stats

CFBD box score
 PittsburghPenn State
Total yards314390
Rushing yards259211
Passing yards55179
First downs1523
3rd down conv.4/154/12
Turnovers32
Penalties–yards14–1164–45
Time of possession34:2225:38

Full team box score from CFBD’s /games/teams data. This section only appears for belt games from 2003 onward — CFBD doesn’t have team-level stats that far back.

Play By Play

Key plays

CFBD play-by-play
WhenTeamYardsPlay
Q1 12:40Penn State+22 ydTrace McSorley pass complete to Jonathan Holland for 22 yds to the Pitt 42 for a 1ST down
Q1 12:14Penn State+32 ydKJ Hamler run for 32 yds for a TD (Jake Pinegar KICK)
Q1 12:05Pittsburgh+38 ydShocky Jacques-Louis run for 38 yds to the PnSt 37 for a 1ST down
Q1 7:09Pittsburgh+13 ydQadree Ollison run for 13 yds for a TD (Two-Point Conversion failed)
Q1 5:34Penn State+45 ydJake Pinegar 45 yd FG MISSED
Q1 7:09Pittsburgh+27 ydAlex Kessman kickoff for 52 yds , KJ Hamler return for 27 yds to the PITTSBURGH 38 PITTSBURGH Penalty, Face Mask (15 yards) (Jazzee Stocker) to the Pitt 45
Q1 2:50Pittsburgh+20 ydKenny Pickett run for 5 yds to the PnSt 43 for a 1ST down PENN ST Penalty, Unnecessary Roughness (Shareef Miller) to the PnSt 42 for a 1ST down
Q1 1:05Pittsburgh+0 ydKenny Pickett pass intercepted Amani Oruwariye return for no gain to the PnSt 1
Q1 0:50Penn State+31 ydMiles Sanders run for 41 yds to the PnSt 42 for a 1ST down PENN ST Penalty, Illegal Block (Brandon Polk) to the PnSt 32 for a 1ST down
Q2 12:20Pittsburgh+63 ydQadree Ollison run for 63 yds to the PnSt 33 for a 1ST down
Q2 8:49Pittsburgh+35 ydAlex Kessman 35 yd FG MISSED
Q2 7:30Penn State+3 ydRicky Slade run for 3 yds to the PnSt 31 Ricky Slade fumbled, forced by Quintin Wirginis, recovered by Pitt Rashad Weaver
Q2 0:59Pittsburgh-7 ydKirk Christodoulou run for a loss of 7 yards to the Pitt 35 Kirk Christodoulou fumbled, recovered by PnSt Jarvis Miller
Q2 0:40Penn State+21 ydMiles Sanders run for 21 yds to the Pitt 14 for a 1ST down
Q2 0:26Penn State+14 ydTrace McSorley pass complete to KJ Hamler for 14 yds for a TD (Jake Pinegar KICK)
Q3 15:00Pittsburgh+28 ydAlex Kessman kickoff for 65 yds , KJ Hamler return for 28 yds to the PnSt 28
Q3 8:36Penn State+4 ydTrace McSorley run for 4 yds for a TD (Jake Pinegar KICK)
Q3 10:00Penn State+16 ydTrace McSorley pass complete to Jonathan Holland for 3 yds Jonathan Holland fumbled, forced by Dane Jackson, recovered by PnSt for a 1ST down PITTSBURGH Penalty, Roughing Passer (Patrick Jones II) to the Pitt 11 for a 1ST down
Q3 7:38Pittsburgh+0 ydPITTSBURGH Penalty, Offensive Holding (Stefano Millin) to the Pitt 0 for a SAFETY
Q3 0:28Pittsburgh+39 ydKirk Christodoulou punt for 36 yds , DeAndre Thompkins returns for 39 yds for a TD (Jake Pinegar KICK)
Q4 14:09Pittsburgh+39 ydKirk Christodoulou punt for 39 yds , DeAndre Thompkins returns for a loss of 1 yard to the PnSt 36
Q4 11:40Penn State+11 ydTrace McSorley pass complete to Mac Hippenhammer for 11 yds for a TD (Jake Pinegar KICK)
Q4 13:59Penn State+20 ydTrace McSorley run for 20 yds to the Pitt 44 for a 1ST down
Q4 13:30Penn State+20 ydMiles Sanders run for 20 yds to the Pitt 24 for a 1ST down
Q4 6:17Penn State+4 ydMark Allen run for 4 yds for a TD (Jake Pinegar KICK)
Q4 4:32Pittsburgh+13 ydKenny Pickett pass complete to Shocky Jacques-Louis for 13 yds Shocky Jacques-Louis fumbled, forced by Jonathan Sutherland, recovered by PnSt Ayron Monroe
Q4 4:21Penn State+34 ydSean Clifford pass complete to Brandon Polk for 34 yds for a TD (Jake Pinegar KICK)
Q4 1:00Penn State+6 ydRicky Slade run for 2 yds to the Pitt 43 Ricky Slade fumbled, forced by Rashad Weaver, recovered by Pitt Rashad Weaver , return for 6 yds to the Pitt 43
Q4 0:30Pittsburgh+22 ydA.J. Davis run for 22 yds to the PnSt 35 for a 1ST down

Scoring plays, turnovers, and gains of 20+ yards, pulled from CFBD’s play-by-play. This section only appears for belt games with play-by-play on file (2003 onward).

Box Score

Player stats

CFBD player stats

Passing

PlayerC/ATTYDSAVGTDINT
Kenny PickettPittsburgh9/18553.101
Trace McSorleyPenn State14/301454.820
Sean CliffordPenn State1/13434.010

Rushing

PlayerCARYDSAVGTDLONG
Qadree OllisonPittsburgh211195.7163
A.J. DavisPittsburgh6528.7022
Shocky Jacques-LouisPittsburgh23919.5038
Kenny PickettPittsburgh14302.1011
Darrin HallPittsburgh7284.008
George AstonPittsburgh1-2-2.000
Kirk ChristodoulouPittsburgh1-7-7.000
Miles SandersPenn State161187.4041
Trace McSorleyPenn State5367.2120
KJ HamlerPenn State13232.0132
Ricky SladePenn State4133.304
Mark AllenPenn State7121.7110

Receiving

PlayerRECYDSAVGTDLONG
Shocky Jacques-LouisPittsburgh22110.5013
George AstonPittsburgh2147.008
Taysir MackPittsburgh199.009
Darrin HallPittsburgh144.004
Dontavius Butler-JenkinsPittsburgh144.004
Qadree OllisonPittsburgh231.503
Brandon PolkPenn State24522.5134
KJ HamlerPenn State34013.3118
Jonathan HollandPenn State22512.5022
Juwan JohnsonPenn State22311.5012
Danny DaltonPenn State2178.509
Mac HippenhammerPenn State11111.0111
Mark AllenPenn State177.007
Miles SandersPenn State166.006
Pat FreiermuthPenn State155.005
Show more stats (7 more categories)

Defense

PlayerTOTSOLOSACKSTFLPDQB HURTD
Quintin WirginisPittsburgh9712.5000
Dennis BriggsPittsburgh6600000
Dane JacksonPittsburgh4401100
Oluwaseun IdowuPittsburgh4301000
Rashad WeaverPittsburgh4301.5000
Jazzee StockerPittsburgh3300100
Damarri MathisPittsburgh3301000
Dewayne HendrixPittsburgh3100.5000
Saleem BrightwellPittsburgh2200000
Shane RoyPittsburgh2101.5100
George AstonPittsburgh1100000
Tre TiptonPittsburgh1100000
Damar HamlinPittsburgh1100100
Patrick Jones IIPittsburgh1100010
Jason PinnockPittsburgh1100000
Kirk ChristodoulouPittsburgh1100000
Shocky Jacques-LouisPittsburgh1100000
Elijah ZeisePittsburgh1000000
Phil CampbellPittsburgh1000000
Amir WattsPittsburgh1000000
Kevin GivensPenn State7502010
Micah ParsonsPenn State7500000
Shaka ToneyPenn State5512000
Jan JohnsonPenn State520.50.5000
Garrett TaylorPenn State5200000
Tariq Castro-FieldsPenn State5100000
Zech McPhearsonPenn State4301000
Cam BrownPenn State4301010
Daniel JosephPenn State4211000
Lamont WadePenn State4200000
Amani OruwariyePenn State3300200
Yetur Gross-MatosPenn State310.50.5010
Shareef MillerPenn State2212000
Dae'Lun DarienPenn State2200010
Ellis BrooksPenn State2200000
Jonathan SutherlandPenn State2200000
Ayron MonroePenn State2100000
Robert WindsorPenn State2100000
Antonio SheltonPenn State2100000
PJ MustipherPenn State2100000
Nick ScottPenn State2000000
Jake CooperPenn State1100000
Connor McGovernPenn State1100000
Mac HippenhammerPenn State1100000
Jesse LuketaPenn State1100000
Koa FarmerPenn State1000000
Jarvis MillerPenn State1000000
DeAndre ThompkinsPenn State0000001

Fumbles

PlayerFUMLOSTREC
Rashad WeaverPittsburgh002
Rafael Araujo-LopesPittsburgh200
Kirk ChristodoulouPittsburgh110
Shocky Jacques-LouisPittsburgh110
Jarvis MillerPenn State001
Ayron MonroePenn State001
Ricky SladePenn State220
Jonathan HollandPenn State100

Interceptions

PlayerINTYDSTD
Amani OruwariyePenn State100

Kick Returns

PlayerNOYDSAVGLONGTD
Maurice FfrenchPittsburgh22211.0110
Rafael Araujo-LopesPittsburgh11212.0120
KJ HamlerPenn State37324.3280

Kicking

PlayerFGPCTLONGXPPTS
Alex KessmanPittsburgh0/10.000/00
Jake PinegarPenn State0/10.007/77

Punt Returns

PlayerNOYDSAVGLONGTD
Rafael Araujo-LopesPittsburgh3-5-1.700
DeAndre ThompkinsPenn State23819.0391

Punting

PlayerNOYDSAVGTBIn 20LONG
Kirk ChristodoulouPittsburgh620233.70042
Blake GillikinPenn State521342.60452

Full player stats from CFBD’s /games/players data. This section only appears for belt games from 2003 onward — CFBD doesn’t have player-level stats that far back.