Penn State entered Week 8 as a big favorite in front of a homecoming crowd with Bret Bielema and his Illinois program arriving in Happy Valley, but the Illini hung tough and handed Penn State a monumental loss in the James Franklin era. In a game that set the new FBS record for most overtimes played, Penn State came up on the wrong end of history, and that makes for a box score you may want to just ignore as the Nittany Lions look to regroup.
But let’s take a look at some of the key stats from both sides of the football as Illinois powered their way on the ground and Penn State’s offense lacked any ability to fight back once being punched in the mouth.