Skip to content
Link copied to clipboard

Penn State will take on 10-2 Mississippi in the Peach Bowl

The matchup on Dec. 30 will mark the first between Penn State and the Rebels.

    by Seth Engle
    Published 

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — No. 10 Penn State will make its Peach Bowl debut against No. 11 Ole Miss on Dec. 30, the program’s second consecutive New Year’s Six bowl game and the fifth of coach James Franklin’s nine-year tenure. The bowls were announced Sunday after a controversial College Football Playoff lineup was announced.

Franklin has led Penn State to a 10-2 record, with losses to No. 1 Michigan and No. 8 Ohio State since defeating Utah in the Rose Bowl last season. The Nittany Lions have also claimed notable victories over Iowa (10-3) and West Virginia (8-4).

The matchup will mark the first between Penn State and the Rebels, who finished the regular season with a 10-2 record under coach Lane Kiffin. The game will be played at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta with a noon kickoff.

Despite falling shy of another College Football Playoff berth, the Nittany Lions have made significant strides, specifically on the defensive side of the ball. Penn State finished the second regular season under defensive coordinator Manny Diaz ranked No. 1 nationally in total defense, No. 1 in sacks, and No. 2 in pass defense.

» READ MORE: Penn State hires Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki

The Nittany Lions posted three shutouts in 2023, a tally that the program hadn’t achieved since 1978. Those wins came against Michigan State, UMass, and Big Ten West champion Iowa.

Opposite Penn State’s defensive dominance, the team’s struggles on offense ultimately led to losses against the Wolverines and Buckeyes. The Nittany Lions are 16th in the country with 34.8 points per game, but they rank No. 73 with 5.3 yards per play, a lack of explosiveness that led to the firing of offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich after the loss to Michigan.

Franklin acted quickly after the dismissal of Yurcich and hired Andy Kotelnicki, formerly of Kansas, to become his next offensive coordinator on Friday. Kotelnicki likely won’t coach in the bowl game, but he will likely be in attendance, similar to Diaz when he appeared on the sidelines of the Outback Bowl in 2021, shortly after his hiring.

This article has been updated to correct a reference to the three schools shut out by Penn State.