Carter is also the second Nittany Lion to receive the Bednarik Award’s defensive player of the week honors, as now-injured safety Kevin Winston Jr. did so after Week 1. In the offseason, Carter was named to watch lists for both the Bednarik Award and the Nagurski Trophy. Both are given annually to college football’s best defensive player.

Despite the success that Illinois had prior to the game, the oddsmakers were still all over Penn State in this one. The Nittany Lions came into this game as massive favorites as the line favored them by 17.5 points, but the Fighting Illini ended up showing that they can compete with the best teams in the Big Ten.

When Penn State coach James Franklin recruited La Salle College high school standout Abdul Carter, Franklin wanted Carter to be a defensive end. Carter, a four-star recruit, committed to Penn State, but he and his dad resisted a position change from linebacker.