Lions’ strong season makes Mustipher glad he returned
PJ Mustipher has experienced much during his five college football seasons, from going 11-2 and winning the Cotton Bowl in 2019 to back-to-back mediocre records in 2020-21 and his season-ending knee injury last year.
Mustipher’s time at Penn State is coming to a close, but he has some unfinished business.
“To be here at 9-2 and to get this 10th win would mean the world because we’re getting this program turning in the right
direction,” he said. “The future is bright. We just gotta finish this year strong. That means the most to me.
“One of the reasons why I came back [from the injury] was to win football games. We’ve done that this year. We just gotta keep it up.”
The 11th-ranked Nittany Lions (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten) have much at stake besides regaining the Land Grant Trophy when they play Michigan State (5-6, 3-5) on Saturday at 4 p.m. (TV-FS1) at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State can post a 10-win season and strengthen its case for a New Year’s Six bowl berth. It would be the first time in three years and the fourth since 2016 that the Lions did both.
“Being a senior and sitting here at nine wins, that’s special even though our goal is not to go 9-2; it’s to win every game,” Mustipher said. “Hats off to the locker room and everybody who’s putting in the work.”
The 6-foot-4, 318-pound Mustipher, a defensive tackle and team captain, has started every game after suffering a knee injury in the first quarter at Iowa in October 2021. He calls his decision to return “worthwhile” and something he wouldn’t “trade for the world.”
“When you get in a locker room like ours, I’m telling you, it’s special, man,” Mustipher said. “When I think about why I came back, all I can think about are my teammates.”
His leadership and experience have been paramount to the success of a defense that has limited opponents to 323.6 total yards and 112.4 rushing yards per game, compared to 352.5 and 152.7 last year.
The defense has played effectively since allowing 418 rushing yards in a 41-17 loss at Michigan last month. The Lions have held Minnesota, Ohio State, Indiana, Maryland and Rutgers to an average of 257.8 total yards and 70 rushing yards per game.
“We’ve struggled with bouncing back from stuff in the past,” Mustipher said. “We would let a loss linger and it affected us down the road and we’d never recover. I told the team [after the loss to Michigan], ‘We have no time for that. We gotta bounce back.’
“I think they carried my message, but that’s who everybody is.”
Mustipher is one of at least seven players who will be playing their final home game. Penn State did not release how many Lions will be recognized on Senior Day.
They’re looking to even the series with Michigan State, which has been depleted by injuries and then eight suspensions stemming from a postgame incident inside the Michigan Stadium tunnel following the Wolverines’ 29-7 win last month.
Seven of the eight players were charged Wednesday for their alleged roles in the incident. Five of the seven have started at least one game this season: linebacker/defensive end Jacoby Windmon, defensive ends Brandon Wright and Zion Young, and defensive backs Justin White and Angelo Grose.
“Since I’ve been here we’ve played extremely physical games with Michigan State,” Mustipher said. “They have a great program. I love competing against those guys.
“I know they got the trophy now. We’ll line up on Saturday and hopefully we can bring it back to State College.”
Mustipher was unclear on whether he will play in Penn State’s bowl game, but he was certain of the Lions’ future. He compared the current freshmen to his recruiting class in 2018, which included Micah Parsons, Jahan Dotson, Odafe Oweh, Pat Freiermuth, Rasheed Walker, Jesse Luketa and Will Levis.
He’s one of only six players remaining at Penn State from that class, along with Juice Scruggs, Nick Tarburton, Bryce Effner, Charlie Katshir and Jake Pinegar.
Sean Clifford and Jonathan Sutherland began their careers a year earlier.
“I don’t know if they’re going to be better than that class, but I do hope so,” Mustipher said. “I want them to get to a national championship and a Big Ten championship.
“I tell them all the time that I’m going to be mad if they don’t. The program’s in good hands.”
Rich Scarcella’s pick Penn State 42, Michigan State 17
The Nittany Lions are rolling into their regular-season finale and show no signs of stopping. The Spartans, on the other hand, are reeling from injuries and the suspensions of eight players.
Penn State should have success running the football considering Michigan State allowed 481 yards on the ground to Indiana and Rutgers the last two weeks. Expect the Lions to send out their seniors with a comfortable victory.