After nine -- yes, nine -- overtime periods, unranked Illinois defeated No. 7 Penn State won 20-18 in a game that required endurance.
After Sean Clifford, Penn State's quarterback, was intercepted by Khalan Tolson in ninth overtime, Brandon Peters found Casey Washington inside the end zone and converted the winning touchdown.
Penn State is the latest unranked school to be beaten by a ranked one. Alabama, Coastal Carolina, and many other schools have experienced the same fate.
This contest between Penn State and Illinois had very little passing, scoring and history. Many of the stats show how devastating this loss was for the Nittany Lions. Let's look at some of the key statistics that shaped this game.
9: Four quarters -- plus nine overtimes. This was the longest FBS game ever, with Penn State and Illinois making history. They had the longest overtime period in college football. They had previously played seven overtime periods, and that was five times. Those games were not low-scoring. In all seven overtime games, both teams scored at most 50 points.
38: The Fighting Illini failed to pass the ball well and accumulated 38 passing yards during the contest. Only two other teams have had fewer passing yards against an AP Top-10 opponent than UCLA in 2010, and Florida against Georgia, 2014.
25.5: According Caesars Sportsbook Penn State was 25.5 points ahead of Illinois. The only other loss for the Nittany Lions since 1978's FCS/FBS split was last season against Maryland.
357: Penn State was hammered by Illinois, who ran for 357 yards on Saturday afternoon. This is a historic feat for the defense of the Nittany Lions. Penn State actually gave up more rushing yards twice, in 1997 against Michigan State (452) or in 2013, against Ohio State (408).
October 23: This is the date that Penn State and Illinois played in the longest college football game ever. However, Oct. 23 also has historical significance for both of these teams.
The Fighting Illini defeated No. 23 on Oct. 23, 1999. 9 Michigan, led then by Tom Brady, a former quarterback of the Wolverines and seven-time Super Bowl winner. It was a huge win as Illinois had to overcome a 27-7 deficit to win the third quarter.
What is the significance of this? It's important because Saturday's victory over Penn State was Illinois’ first road win against an AP team in the top 10.
For Nittany Lions fan, however, this date is forever etched in infamy. This day in 2004 saw Penn State lose a game against Iowa 6-4. It was very similar to Saturday's match against Illinois, with minimal points and a fierce field battle.
1: In football, the team that wins the turnover battle and stops their opponent's passing attack win gets the victory. But that was not the case Saturday at Penn State. In the last 10 years, the Nittany Lions were the first team to win the turnover fight by at least three and to hold their foe to less that 2 yards per pass attempt. However, they still lose.
ESPN Stats & Information contributed this story.
