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1996 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
| 1996 Penn State Nittany Lions football |
|---|
| Big Ten Conference |
| No. 7 |
| No. 7 |
| 11–2 (6–2 Big Ten) |
| Joe Paterno (31st season) |
| Fran Ganter (13th season) |
| Pro-style |
| Jerry Sandusky (20th season) |
| 4–3 |
| Kim Herring |
| Brandon Noble |
| Wally Richardson |
| Barry Tielsch |
| Beaver Stadium |
The 1996 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by 31st-year head coach Joe Paterno, the Nittany Lions compiled an overall record of 11–2 with a mark of 6–2 in conference play, tying for third place in the Big Ten. Penn State was invited to the Fiesta Bowl, where the Nittany Lions defeated Texas. The team played home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| .mw-parser-output .tooltip-dotted{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}August 25 | 2:00 p.m. | vs. No. 7 USC* | No. 11 | Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ (Kickoff Classic) | ABC | W 24–7 | 77,716 |
| September 7 | 3:30 p.m. | Louisville* | No. 7 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | ABC | W 24–7 | 95,670 |
| September 14 | 12:00 p.m. | Northern Illinois* | No. 6 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | ESPN Plus | W 49–0 | 95,589 |
| September 21 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. Temple* | No. 5 | Giants StadiumEast Rutherford, NJ | ESPN Plus | W 41–0 | 24,847 |
| September 28 | 3:30 p.m. | at Wisconsin | No. 3 | Camp Randall StadiumMadison, WI | ABC | W 23–20 | 79,607 |
| October 5 | 3:30 p.m. | at No. 3 Ohio State | No. 4 | Ohio StadiumColumbus, OH (rivalry, College GameDay) | ABC | L 7–38 | 94,241 |
| October 12 | 12:30 p.m. | Purdue | No. 10 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | ESPN | W 31–14 | 96,653 |
| October 19 | 12:30 p.m. | Iowa | No. 10 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | ESPN2 | L 20–21 | 96,230 |
| October 26 | 12:30 p.m. | at Indiana | No. 17 | Memorial StadiumBloomington, IN | ESPN | W 48–26 | 37,354 |
| November 2 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 11 Northwestern | No. 15 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA | ABC | W 34–9 | 96,596 |
| November 16 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 16 Michigan | No. 11 | Michigan StadiumAnn Arbor, MI (rivalry) | ABC | W 29–17 | 105,898 |
| November 23 | 3:30 p.m. | Michigan State | No. 7 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry) | ABC | W 32–29 | 96,263 |
| January 1, 1997 | 8:00 p.m. | vs. No. 20 Texas* | No. 7 | Sun Devil StadiumTempe, AZ (Fiesta Bowl) | CBS | W 38–15 | 65,106 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time |
Three Nittany Lions were drafted in the 1997 NFL draft.
| Round | Pick | Overall | Name | Position | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd | 28 | 58 | Kim Herring | Free safety | Baltimore Ravens |
| 3rd | 30 | 90 | Brett Conway | Placekicker | Green Bay Packers |
| 7th | 33 | 234 | Wally Richardson | Quarterback | Baltimore Ravens |
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