PSU season snapshot: 1948
A daily series featuring each Penn State football season from 1947-2019:
Year: 1948
Coach: Bob Higgins
Final record: 7-1-1
Final ranking: AP No. 18
Regular-season wins: Bucknell, Syracuse, West Virginia, Colgate, Penn, Temple, Washington State
Regular-season losses: Pitt
Regular-season ties: Michigan State
Bowl game: None
Team stat leaders: Fran Rogel rushed for 602 yards; Elwood Petchel passed for 628 yards and also intercepted 4 passes; Sam Tamburo caught 17 passes for 301 yards
All-American: End Sam Tamburo
Neil Rudel’s take: A few firsts: The team took its first plane trip (to Washington State) and played in front of its biggest crowd at home (24,579 vs. Michigan State, 14-14 tie) and overall (71,180 vs. Penn at Franklin Field, 13-0 win). Of the Lions’ nine games, only the opener against Bucknell was not against a ranked opponent. Still, with only five bowl games (Rose, Cotton, Orange, Sugar, Gator), PSU was shut out of the bowl picture.