UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Penn State football student-athletes Mike Hull (Canonsburg) and Anthony Zettel (West Branch, Michigan) have been named first-team All-Big Ten as selected by BTN.com.
The All-Big Ten teams as selected by the conference coaches and media panel will be announced on Monday at 6 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
Hull and Zettel have been instrumental in helping Penn State rank in the FBS Top 10 in rushing defense (first, 84.8 ypg), total defense (third, 269.8 ypg), scoring defense (ninth, 17.7 ppg), pass efficiency defense (third, 99.71) and third down conversion pct. defense (sixth, .301). Coach James Franklin’s Nittany Lions, Clemson and Wisconsin are the only teams ranked in Top 10 in all five of the above categories.
Penn State has held 11 of 12 opponents under 300 yards of total offense, with only Northwestern (361) cracking the 300-yard mark.
A senior co-captain, Hull leads the Big Ten in tackles with 134 total tackles (11.2 tpg), averaging at least 1.9 tpg more than every other Big Ten player. He ranks seventh nationally in stops and also leads the Big Ten in tackles in conference games only (96, 12 tpg). Hull has recorded 10.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, one interception, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and three pass break-ups.
An All-America candidate, Hull has led Penn State in tackles in 11 of 12 games this season, with eight double figure games and three games with nine stops. He made a career-high 19 tackles vs. Ohio State, had 16 stops vs. Northwestern and 13 in Saturday’s game with No. 10 Michigan State. The former Canon-McMillan High School All-American ranks No. 6 on Penn State career tackles list with 288 and also is No. 6 on the Penn State season tackles list with 134. Hull is on pace to become just the fifth Penn State player since 1975 to average at least 11 tackles per game, joining Greg Buttle (1974, ’75), Andre Collins (1989), Shawn Mayer (2002) and Dan Connor (2007).
A junior, Zettel leads the team with 15 tackles for loss (14 solos; minus-65 yards) and 8 sacks (minus-46 yds). He is tied for No. 4 in the Big Ten in sacks and No. 4 in tackles for loss for the nation’s No. 1 ranked rushing defense. Zettel has made 36 tackles (23 solo), is tied for the team lead with three interceptions, has one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and five pass break-ups, which rank No. 3 on team.
Shifted from defensive end to tackle last spring, All-America candidate Zettel has three interceptions this season, all in Big Ten games, the most by a Penn State defensive lineman since at least 1982. The former Ogemaw Heights High School standout tied his career-high with 3 TFL (minus-10), with one sack, and grabbed his third interception of the season vs. Michigan State. Zettel grabbed his second interception of the season vs. Ohio State, returning it 40 yards for a touchdown, for Penn State’s first “pick six” since 2009.
The Nittany Lions concluded their regular season on Saturday and will be participating in their 45th bowl game all-time, with the bowl match-ups announced Sunday, Dec. 7.
As a benefit of membership, Nittany Lion Club members can request bowl tickets by logging onto Account Manager at GoPSUsports.com/bowlcentral to review the listing of the Big Ten-affiliated bowl games the Nittany Lions could be selected to play in. Nittany Lion Club members can then select the bowls they are interested in purchasing tickets for. Credit cards will not be charged until Penn State’s bowl destination and opponent are announced on Dec. 7.
Nittany Lion Club members also can call 800-NITTANY, weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m., to request bowl tickets. NLC members have until 5 p.m. Dec. 9 to request their bowl tickets. The ability to request tickets does not guarantee a Nittany Lion Club member will receive tickets from Penn State’s allotment.
Should any tickets from Penn State’s bowl allotment remain available after the Nittany Lion Club sale, the public can purchase bowl tickets starting at 10 a.m. Dec. 10 at GoPSUsports.com/bowlcentral or 800-NITTANY.
Penn State season ticket renewals also are underway for the 2015 campaign. There will not be any increase in the price of Penn State football season tickets or Nittany Lion Club donation levels for next season. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing 2015 season tickets as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office (weekdays, 10 a.m-6 p.m.).
Penn State Football is on Twitter (@PennStateFball) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/PSUFball).