Explosive Scoring
Penn State’s All-Time Highest Scoring Teams—
Penn State teams that scored 500+ points in a single season
Bowl/Post-Season Games Included/All Scoring Included
1994—564 points in 12 games (12-0, 8-0)—Coach: Joe Paterno/QB: Kerry Collins (officially 526 pts. in 11 games under pre-2002 “unofficial bowl” rules/38 pts. scored in Rose Bowl)—Only Penn State team to score 500+ pts. in regular season—Most points scored in a single game: 63 in victory over Ohio State
2017—534 points in 13 games (11-2, 7-2)—Coach: James Franklin/QB: Trace McSorley (officially recognized as #1 in this category ahead of the 1994 team/35 pts. scored in Fiesta Bowl)—Most points scored in a single game: 66 in victory at Maryland
2024—530 points in 16 games (13-3, 8-1)—Coach: James Franklin/QB: Drew Allar (130 points were scored in 4 post-season games including a Big Ten Championship & 2 Bowls—crossed 500 pts. in 15th game)—Most points scored in a single game: 56 in victory over Kent State
2016—526 points in 14 games (11-3, 8-1)—Coach: James Franklin/QB: Trace McSorley (“officially” tied with 1994 team/87 pts. were scored in Big Ten Championship & Rose Bowl)—Most points scored in a single game: 62 in victory at Purdue
2008—506 points in 13 games (11-2, 7-1)—Coach: Joe Paterno/QB: Daryll Clark (scored 24 pts. in Rose Bowl)—Most points scored in a single game: 66 in victory over Coastal Carolina
Nearest Teams to 500 points in single season—
1971—484 points in 12 games (11-1)—Coach: Joe Paterno/QB: John Hufnagel (including “unofficial” 30 pts. in Cotton Bowl)—Most points scored in a single game: 66 in victory over TCU
1991—474 points in 13 games (11-2)—Coach: Joe Paterno/QB: Tony Sacca (including “unofficial” 42 pts. in Fiesta Bowl)—Scored Paterno-era best 81 pts. in victory over Cincinnati
2023—471 points in 13 games (10-3, 7-2)—Coach: James Franklin/QB: Drew Allar (“officially” nearest to 500 ahead of 1971 & 1991 teams/25 pts. scored in Peach Bowl/OC Mike Yurcich fired after 10 games—94 pts. were scored over final 3 games)—Most points scored in a single game: 63 in victories over Delaware & UMass (under Yurcich)
2019—465 points in 13 games (11-2, 7-2)—Coach: James Franklin/QB: Sean Clifford (53 pts. scored in Cotton Bowl)—Scored Franklin-era best 79 pts. in victory over Idaho
LINK HERE TO HISTORY/CHAMPIONSHIPS WON BY PENN STATE
LINK TO QUARTERBACKS WIN-LOSS LEADERS
LINK TO COACHES WON-LOSS RECORDS
Most Points Scored in a Single Game: 109 in 1920 vs. Lebanon Valley in 109-7 win (Coach: Hugo Bezdek/Captain: Harold “Bill” Hess)—Penn State was 7-0-2 in 1920 but only scored a total of 259 points that season (28.8 ppg)
Penn State teams that averaged 40+ pts./game over a single season—
Since 1966/Includes Bowls & Post-Season Games/All Scoring Included
1994—47.0 ppg (47.8 ppg without Rose Bowl vs. Oregon)—Paterno with Collins (47.0 ppg without High 63 vs. Ohio State & without Low 31 at Michigan)
2017—41.1 ppg (41.6 ppg without Fiesta Bowl vs. Washington)—Franklin with McSorley
1971—40.3 ppg (41.3 ppg without Cotton Bowl vs. Texas)—Paterno with Hufnagel
2008—38.9 ppg (40.2 ppg without Rose Bowl vs. USC)—Paterno with Clark
Others of Note: 2016—37.6 ppg (36.6 ppg without 2 post-season games) Franklin with McSorley / 1973—37.3 ppg (39.2 ppg without Orange Bowl) Paterno with Shuman / 2023—36.2 ppg (37.2 ppg without Peach Bowl) Franklin with Allar / 1991—36.5 ppg (36.0 ppg without Fiesta Bowl) Paterno with Sacca
Note: The 2024 season (13-3) had the most games & wins in a single PSU season all-time (to date) but only averaged 33.13 ppg (33.33 ppg without the 4 post-season games)—Franklin with Allar (Andy Kotelnicki OC)
Single Seasons with 5 or more games of 40+ points scored—
All-time/Includes Bowls & Post-Season Games/All Scoring Included
1916—5 games of 40+ pts. scored (8-2)—Coach: Dick Harlow/Captain: Hal Clark (only pre-Paterno team to achieve this)—3 of the 5 games were 50+ pts. scored (both Penn State losses ironically were by shutout at UPenn & at Pitt)
1971—6 games of 40+ pts. scored (11-1)—Coach: Joe Paterno/QB: John Hufnagel (4 games were 50+ pts./2 games 60+)
1973—5 games of 40+ pts. scored (12-0)—Coach: Joe Paterno/QB: Tom Shuman
1977—5 games of 40+ pts. scored (11-1)—Coach: Joe Paterno/QB: Chuck Fusina
1992—5 games of 40+ pts. scored (7-5)—Coach: Joe Paterno/QBs: John Sacca, Kerry Collins, Wally Richardson—fewest wins of any team on this list
1994—7 games of 40+ pts. scored (12-0)—Coach: Joe Paterno/QB: Kerry Collins (a PSU best 5 games 50+ pts., 2 games 60+ pts./other 5 games all 30+ pts. scored)
1995—5 games of 40+ pts. scored (9-3)—Coach: Joe Paterno/QB: Wally Richardson
2002—5 games of 40+ pts. scored (9-4)—Coach: Joe Paterno/QB: Zack Mills
2008—7 games of 40+ pts. scored (11-2)—Coach: Joe Paterno/QB: Daryll Clark (Paterno’s 8th & final season on this list)
2016—5 games of 40+ pts. scored (11-3)—Coach: James Franklin/QB: Trace McSorley (scored 40+ pts. in Rose Bowl and lost/Joe Moorhead OC)
2017—6 games of 40+ pts. scored (11-2)—Coach: James Franklin/QB: Trace McSorley (4 games 50+ pts., 1 game 60+/Joe Moorhead OC)
2022—5 games of 40+ pts. scored (11-2)—Coach: James Franklin/QB: Sean Clifford (6 of remaining 8 games were 30+ pts. scored including 1 loss/Mike Yurcich OC)
2023—5 games of 40+ pts. scored (10-3)—Coach: James Franklin/QB: Drew Allar (3 games 50+ pts & 9 total games at 30+ pts./Mike Yurcich OC fired after 8-2 start with 4 games of 40+ pts.)
Seasons of note missing from this list: 1982 (3 games 40+/2 50+), 1986 (3 games 40+), 1991 (4 games 40+/2 50+/1 80+), 2005 (4 games 40+/1 60+), 2019 (4 games 40+/3 50+/1 70+) & 2024 (3 games 40+/1 50+)
Note: Of the 13 teams on this list, 9 won 10 or more games—All four Big Ten-era Rose Bowl teams made the list
Nittany Notes:
Penn State teams with 70+ Total TDs in a single season—
1994—75 TDs in 12 games with QB Kerry Collins (“Officially” 70 TDs in 11 games/5 TDs were scored in the Rose Bowl win over Oregon)—Only PSU team to score 70 total TDs in the regular season
2017—72 TDs in 13 games with QB Trace McSorley (including 5 TDs in Fiesta Bowl win over Washington)—72 is “officially” the Penn State total TD season record
2024—69 TDs in 16 games with QB Drew Allar (17 TDs in 4 post-season games)
Half-a-Hundred Bowl Game Scoring for Penn State—
53 points—2019 Cotton Bowl win vs. Memphis (53-39) with QB Sean Clifford—PSU scored bowl record-tying 7 total TDs (6 on offense)
50 points—1989 Holiday Bowl win vs. BYU (50-39) with QB Tony Sacca—PSU scored 6 total TDs (5 on offense)
>PSU has scored 40+ points in bowl games on 8 occasions (Record: 7-1)—Lone loss was 2017 Rose Bowl vs. USC (52-49) in only bowl in which State allowed 50+ points—PSU scored bowl record-setting 7 total TDs in 2017 Rose Bowl (all on offense) with QB Trace McSorley
>1st PSU 40+ point bowl game was 1960 Liberty Bowl win vs. Oregon (41-12)—PSU scored then bowl record-setting 6 total TDs (all on offense) with alternating QBs Galen Hall & Dick Hoak
