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70 Penn State Lions Trivia Questions, Answers, and Fun Facts

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1 Who did Penn State play in its first collegiate football game?
Answer: Bucknell

In their first year of football (1887), Penn State played two games. Both games were against Bucknell, and both games were victories for Penn State.
  From Quiz: Nittany Lions
2 Which University or College did Joe Paterno attend?
Answer: Brown

Him and his brother George played for Brown University.
    Your options: [ Penn State ] [ Nebraska ] [ Boston College ] [ Brown ]
  From Quiz: Joe Paterno
3 Who defeated Penn State in the 1990 Blockbuster Bowl?
Answer: Florida State

Florida State defeated Penn State 24-17 in the 1990 Blockbuster Bowl.
  From Quiz: Penn State in the 1990s
4 Which bowl game did Penn State go to in the 1986 season?
Answer: Fiesta Bowl

This was the year Penn State won the National Championship.
    Your options: [ Sugar Bowl ] [ Orange Bowl ] [ Fiesta Bowl ] [ Cotton Bowl ]
  From Quiz: Penn State Football Bowl Game
5 Who is the Head Coach of Penn State's football team who started coaching in 1966 and won 2 National Championships in the 1982 and 1986 season?
Answer: Joe Paterno

In the 2001 football season, he broke the record for all time Division 1-A College Football Wins.
  From Quiz: Penn State Football
6 What is Joe Paterno's middle name?
Answer: Vincent

His full name is Joseph Vincent Paterno.
  From Quiz: Joe Paterno
7 What year did Penn State begin play in the Big Ten?
Answer: 1993
  From Quiz: Penn State in the 1990s
8 Which bowl game did Penn State go to in the 1982 season?
Answer: Sugar Bowl

In this year they won their 1st National Championship.
    Your options: [ Orange Bowl ] [ Cotton Bowl ] [ Sugar Bowl ] [ Fiesta Bowl ]
  From Quiz: Penn State Football Bowl Game
9 What is the nickname for Penn State's football team?
Answer: Nittany Lions

Their nickname comes from an Indian named Nittany.
  From Quiz: Penn State Football
10 Penn State's most common opponent is Pitt (they have played 96 times). Who is Penn State's second most common opponent?
Answer: Syracuse

PSU's most common opponents are: Pitt (96 meetings), Syracuse (68), West Virginia (59), Bucknell (38), and Maryland (37).
  From Quiz: Nittany Lions
11 Who did Penn State play in their first game as a member of the Big Ten?
Answer: Minnesota

Penn State defeated Minnesota 38-20 in their first game as a Big Ten member.
  From Quiz: Penn State in the 1990s
12 Which bowl game did Penn State go to in the 1994 season?
Answer: Rose Bowl

Penn State was undefeated that season.
    Your options: [ Fiesta Bowl ] [ Citrus Bowl ] [ Rose Bowl ] [ Roses Bowl ]
  From Quiz: Penn State Football Bowl Game
13 Who was the quarter-back of Penn State's 1986 National Championship football team?
Answer: John Shaffer

He played a great season in 1986 which led Penn State to the National Championship.
  From Quiz: Penn State Football
14 Who was the first Big Ten team, that Penn State has faced in a Bowl game?
Answer: Ohio State

Penn State beat Ohio State in the 1980 Fiesta Bowl, by the score of 31-19.
  From Quiz: Nittany Lions
15 Which season did Joe Paterno and his Nittany Lions win their first National Championship?
Answer: 1982

They won the game off a long bomb Hail Mary for a touchdown.
    Your options: [ 1986 ] [ 1968 ] [ 1978 ] [ 1982 ]
  From Quiz: Joe Paterno
16 In 1994, Penn State had a 12-0 record. What game did Penn State win after being down 21 points in the 1st quarter?
Answer: Illinois

Penn State defeated the Illini after being down 21-0. Brian Milne scored the game winning touchdown with 0:57 remaining.
  From Quiz: Penn State in the 1990s
17 Which bowl did Penn State go to in the 1999 season?
Answer: Alamo Bowl

Penn State beat Texas A and M 24-0 in that game.
    Your options: [ San Antonio Bowl ] [ Cotton Bowl ] [ Alamo Bowl ] [ Texas Bowl ]
  From Quiz: Penn State Football Bowl Game
18 In which year in the 1990 decade did Penn State's football team go undefeated?
Answer: 1994

That year Nebraska won the National Championship while Penn State fans thought they should have been there.
    Your options: [ 1996 ] [ 1999 ] [ 1994 ] [ 1997 ]
  From Quiz: Penn State Football
19 What was Joe Paterno's college major at Brown University?
Answer: English

His favorite poet is Virgil.
  From Quiz: Nittany Lions
20 Who was Penn State's starting quarterback in the 1996 season?
Answer: Wally Richardson

Wally Richardson started for the Nittany Lions in 1996.
  From Quiz: Penn State in the 1990s
21 Penn State has won every Fiesta Bowl they have gone to under Coach Joe Paterno's record.
Answer: True

They went to this bowl game in the 1977, 1980, 1981, 1986, 1991, and 1996 seasons.
  From Quiz: Penn State Football Bowl Game
22 In which year did the Penn State football team win their first National Championship?
Answer: 1982

That year Penn State won the championship in the Sugar Bowl led by Todd Blackledge and Curt Warner.
    Your options: [ 1994 ] [ 1986 ] [ 1982 ] [ 1978 ]
  From Quiz: Penn State Football
23 Who ended Penn State's 12 game winning-streak in the 1997 season?
Answer: Michigan

Michigan defeated Penn State on November 8th, 1997 in Happy Valley.
  From Quiz: Penn State in the 1990s
24 Which bowl did Penn State go to in the 1998 season?
Answer: Outback Bowl

Penn State beat Kentucky in that game.
    Your options: [ Alamo Bowl ] [ Orange Bowl ] [ Outback Bowl ] [ Citrus Bowl ]
  From Quiz: Penn State Football Bowl Game
25 What are the colors of Penn State's football team?
Answer: Blue,White

Penn State's first colors were Black,Pink.
  From Quiz: Penn State Football
26 What team did Penn State once play in Cleveland's Municipal Stadium?
Answer: Illinois

Penn State beat Illinois in Cleveland, by a score of 20-9 during the 1959 season.
  From Quiz: Nittany Lions
27 In what bowl game did Florida defeat Penn State?
Answer: Citrus

Florida defeated Penn State 21-6 in the 1998 Citrus Bowl.
  From Quiz: Penn State in the 1990s
28 Which bowl did Penn State go to in the 1996 season?
Answer: Fiesta Bowl

They beat Texas 38-15 in that game.
    Your options: [ Super Bowl ] [ Alamo Bowl ] [ Fiesta Bowl ] [ Sugar Bowl ]
  From Quiz: Penn State Football Bowl Game
29 Who did Penn State's football team play in their bowl game in the 1999 season?
Answer: Texas A and M

Penn State thought they would go to the National Championship that year but the last 3 games ended unsuccessfully and found themselves playing Texas A and M in the Alamo Bowl.
  From Quiz: Penn State Football
30 Against who did Penn State open the 1998 season against?
Answer: Southern Mississippi

Penn State played Southern Mississippi and defeated them 34-6 on opening day.
  From Quiz: Penn State in the 1990s
31 Penn State has won every Orange Bowl they have gone to.
Answer: False

Penn State lost to Oklahoma in 1985.
  From Quiz: Penn State Football Bowl Game
32 How many wins did Penn State's football team get in their 2001 season?
Answer: 5

Penn State needed to beat Virginia in their last game to go to a bowl game but the QB threw an interception which gave Virginia the win.
  From Quiz: Penn State Football
33 Who scored the game-winning touchdown for Penn State at Miami in 1999?
Answer: Chafie Fields

Chafie Fields scored on a 79 yard touchdown pass from Kevin Thompson with just 1:47 remaining.
  From Quiz: Penn State in the 1990s
34 How many times did Penn State play Florida in a bowl game in the 1990 decade?
Answer: 1

They played Florida in the 1997 season.
  From Quiz: Penn State Football Bowl Game
35 What is the name of Penn State's football stadium?
Answer: Beaver Stadium

Renovation of the stadium ended before the 2001 season started and looked great for Penn State's first game.
  From Quiz: Penn State Football
36 Penn State defeated Texas A and M in the 1999 Alamo Bowl. What was the score of that game?
Answer: 24-0

The Lions shut out the Aggies 24-0 in Jerry Sandusky's last game as defensive coordinator of Penn State.
  From Quiz: Penn State in the 1990s
37 Penn State won the National Championship in the 1986 season. Who did Penn State beat in the championship game?
Answer: Miami

Penn State beat them 14-10 in that game off of an interception with about 15 seconds left in the game.
  From Quiz: Penn State Football Bowl Game
38 Who is Penn State's oldest state rival?
Answer: Pittsburgh Panthers

They have been a long time rival and their games are always fierce and competetive.
  From Quiz: Penn State Football
39 In November of 1981, #11 Penn State when into Pitt Stadium to play #1 Pitt. Dan Marino led the Panthers out to an early 14-0 lead. What was the final result of that game?
Answer: PSU scores 48 unanswered points to win 48-14

Many Penn Staters consider this the greatest game in PSU football history.
  From Quiz: Nittany Lions
40 In what year did Penn State first play in the Rose Bowl?
Answer: 1923

USC won the 1923 game by a score of 14-3. John Wayne (yes, that John Wayne) was a "bench warmer" on that Trojan squad. Penn State's next trip to Pasadena was in 1995, when they beat Oregon to cap off an undefeated 1994 season.
  From Quiz: Nittany Lions
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