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1971 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
| 1971 Penn State Nittany Lions football |
|---|
| Independent |
| No. 11 |
| No. 5 |
| 11–1 |
| Joe Paterno (6th season) |
| I formation |
| Jim O'Hora (6th season) |
| 4–3 |
| Dave Joyner |
| Charlie Zapiec |
| Beaver Stadium |
The 1971 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University as an independent during the 1971 NCAA University Division football season. Led by sixth-year head coach Joe Paterno, the Nittany Lions compiled a record of 11–1 and defeated Texas in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Penn State played home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 18 | 2:00 p.m. | at Navy | No. 14 | Navy–Marine Corps Memorial StadiumAnnapolis, MD | W 56–3 | 26,855 | ||
| September 25 | at Iowa | No. 12 | Iowa StadiumIowa City, IA | ABC | W 44–14 | 44,303 | ||
| October 2 | 1:30 p.m. | Air Force | No. 9 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | W 16–14 | 50,459 | ||
| October 9 | 1:30 p.m. | Army | No. 9 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | W 42–0 | 49,887 | ||
| October 16 | at Syracuse | No. 9 | Archbold StadiumSyracuse, NY (rivalry) | W 31–0 | 41,382 | |||
| October 23 | TCU | No. 7 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | W 66–14 | 51,896 | |||
| October 30 | at West Virginia | No. 6 | Mountaineer FieldMorgantown, WV (rivalry) | W 35–7 | 37,000 | |||
| November 6 | Maryland | No. 6 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry) | W 63–27 | 50,144 | |||
| November 13 | NC State | No. 5 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | W 35–3 | 50,477 | |||
| November 20 | at Pittsburgh | No. 6 | Pitt StadiumPittsburgh, PA (rivalry) | W 55–18 | 39,539 | |||
| December 4 | at No. 12 Tennessee | No. 5 | Neyland StadiumKnoxville, TN | ABC | L 11–31 | 59,542 | ||
| January 1, 1972 | vs. No. 12 Texas | No. 10 | Cotton BowlDallas, TX (Cotton Bowl) | CBS | W 30–6 | 72,000 | ||
| HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |
Alberto Vitiello, a 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) junior college transfer, kicked a 22-yard field goal with four minutes to help Penn State escape with a 16–14 victory over Air Force.
Four Nittany Lions were selected in the 1972 NFL draft.
| Round | Pick | Overall | Name | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 13 | 13 | Franco Harris | Running back | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 2nd | 22 | 48 | Lydell Mitchell | Running back | Baltimore Colts |
| 4th | 15 | 93 | Charles Zapiec | Linebacker | Dallas Cowboys |
| 5th | 13 | 117 | Bob Parsons | Punter | Chicago Bears |
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