1964 Penn State Nittany Lions football team

1964 Penn State Nittany Lions football
ConferenceIndependent
Ranking
CoachesNo. 14
Record6–4
Head coach
CaptainBill Bowes
Home stadiumBeaver Stadium
1964 NCAA University Division independents football records
Conf. Overall
Team W   L   T W   L   T
No. 3 Notre Dame   –   9 – 1 – 0
Florida State   –   9 – 1 – 1
Colgate   –   7 – 2 – 0
Georgia Tech   –   7 – 3 – 0
Syracuse   –   7 – 4 – 0
Villanova   –   6 – 2 – 0
Boston College   –   6 – 3 – 0
Southern Miss   –   6 – 3 – 0
New Mexico State   –   6 – 4 – 0
Penn State   –   6 – 4 – 0
Memphis State   –   5 – 4 – 0
Utah State   –   5 – 4 – 1
Holy Cross   –   5 – 5 – 0
Buffalo   –   4 – 4 – 1
Colorado State   –   5 – 6 – 0
Air Force   –   4 – 5 – 1
Miami (FL)   –   4 – 5 – 1
Xavier   –   4 – 5 – 1
Army   –   4 – 6 – 0
West Texas State   –   4 – 6 – 0
San Jose State   –   4 – 6 – 0
Pittsburgh   –   3 – 5 – 2
Navy   –   3 – 6 – 1
Dayton   –   3 – 7 – 0
Detroit   –   3 – 7 – 0
Boston University   –   2 – 7 – 0
Houston   –   2 – 6 – 1
Texas Western   –   0 – 8 – 2
Rankings from AP Poll

The 1964 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 1964 NCAA University Division football season. The team was coached by Rip Engle and played its home games in Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.

The team started the season poorly, giving up more than 20 points in each of four losses in their first five games before coming together defensively in the second half of the season. A total of just 24 points were given up in the final five games, helping the Nittany Lions to win out and finish the year with a winning record.

Particularly notable for the Nittany Lions in 1964 would be a 27–0 upset shutout of #2 ranked Ohio State at Columbus.

Penn State lineman Glenn Ressler, a particularly stout defender who would go on to have a 10-year career in the National Football League, would receive the Maxwell Award as college football's best all-around player of 1964.[1]

Penn State's strong play down the stretch against top-level competition was sufficient to secure for it the 1964 Lambert Trophy, awarded annually to the top collegiate football team in the East despite the school's 6–4 season record.[2]

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentSiteResultAttendanceSource
September 19No. 10 Navy
L 8–2144,648[3]
September 26at UCLA
L 14–2134,636[4]
October 3Oregon
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA
L 14–2244,803[5]
October 10at Army
W 6–232,268[6]
October 17No. 7 Syracuse
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
L 14–2146,900[7]
October 24at West Virginia
W 37–826,000[8]
October 31Maryland
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
W 17–933,500[9]
November 7at No. 2 Ohio State
W 27–084,279[10]
November 149:00 p.m.at Houston
W 24–725,000[11]
November 21Pittsburgh
  • Beaver Stadium
  • University Park, PA (rivalry)
W 28–050,170[12]

References

  1. ^ "Ressler Gains Maxwell Honors," Sunbury [PA] Daily Item, Nov. 17, 1964, p. 18.
  2. ^ "Penn State Wins Lambert Trophy as Football Titleholder of East," Lancaster [PA] Intelligencer Journal, Nov. 24, 1964, p. 26.
  3. ^ "Navy whips Penn State, 21–8". The Miami Herald. September 20, 1964. Retrieved March 15, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ Wolf, Al (September 27, 1964). "It wasn't easy, but Bruins win one, too". The Los Angeles Times. ProQuest 155004039.
  5. ^ Uhrhammer, Jerry (October 4, 1964). "Berry passes Oregon by Penn State, 22-14". Eugene Register-Guard. Oregon. p. 1B.
  6. ^ "Penn State surprises Army, 6–2". Tulsa Daily World. October 11, 1964. Retrieved March 15, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ "Syracuse scores over Penn State". Trenton Evening Times. October 18, 1964. Retrieved March 15, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Penn State romps over WVA, 37–8". The Danville Register. October 25, 1964. Retrieved January 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  9. ^ "Penn State downs Terps, 17–9". Daily Press. November 1, 1964. Retrieved January 20, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ "Penn State Dumps OSU From Unbeaten Ranks, 27–0". The Sunday Times Recorder. November 8, 1964. p. 1D – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ "Lions Seek 4 Straight At Houston". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. November 14, 1964. p. 12. Retrieved June 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
  12. ^ "Penn State trounces Pitt by 28 to 0". Richmond Times-Dispatch. November 22, 1964. Retrieved March 15, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  13. ^ "Schedule/Results (1964 Penn State)". NCAA Statistics. National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
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