Penn State’s trip to Northwestern on Friday night comes with a little extra familiarity on the other sideline.
The Nittany Lions head to Ryan Field for an 8 p.m. EDT kickoff on Oct. 2, trying to bounce back after a loss to Wisconsin in Week 4. Northwestern is in the same spot after falling to Indiana, but the Wildcats have a few reasons to be especially fired up for this one: it’s the first game at the new Ryan Field, and they’ve also got Jerry Neuheisel on staff as quarterbacks coach.
That name should ring a bell in Happy Valley.
Neuheisel spent the last eight seasons at UCLA, was promoted to assistant head coach in Dec. 2024, and then became interim head coach three games into the season after the Bruins fired DeShaun Foster. UCLA opened 0-4, then stunned Penn State, 42-37, in Week 6 - a loss that helped define the Nittany Lions’ disappointing 2025 season.
Now Neuheisel is back in Penn State’s path, this time on Northwestern’s sideline. He was the interim offensive coordinator when UCLA beat the Nittany Lions last year, and the Wildcats have every reason to believe his presence matters again.
Penn State looks very different now. Matt Campbell is the head coach, the staff has been overhauled, and the roster has changed plenty too. That means Neuheisel is dealing with a new group this time around, but the motivation to beat Penn State twice in a row is still there.
Northwestern also brings a quarterback who has been humming along through the first three games. Aidan Chiles has completed 53 of 75 passes for 807 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s averaging 269.0 passing yards per game, and against Indiana he went 22-of-30 for 293 yards and two scores, good for 9.8 yards per attempt.
The Wildcats put up 23 points in that game, and every one of them came after halftime. Sixteen came in the fourth quarter alone, which made the final margin feel a lot closer than it might have otherwise. Indiana held on, but Northwestern’s ability to keep pushing late is exactly the kind of thing Penn State has struggled to stop.
That’s the wrinkle here. The Nittany Lions have not exactly been sharp when games get tight.
Against Indiana, Penn State’s defense gave up one touchdown in the first half, forced three turnovers, then allowed 17 points after halftime, including 14 in the fourth quarter. Colton Joseph finished with 235 passing yards and two touchdowns.
So while Penn State is trying to get back on track, Northwestern has a quarterback playing clean football, a new stadium to christen, and a coach who already knows what it feels like to knock off the Nittany Lions. If Penn State hasn’t solved its late-game issues, Neuheisel and the Wildcats may have a real shot at making this one uncomfortable again.
In Other News...
Penn State Wrestling Schedule Sets Up A Season Fans Will Judge Fast
Penn State wrestling now has its 2026-27 roadmap, and it is the kind of schedule that will have fans forming opinions early. The slate includes home and away duals, invitational stops and the usual late-season grind, with nonconference matchups against teams such as Bloomsburg, Oklahoma, Lehigh and West Virginia helping set the tone before the Big Ten stretch arrives.
Once the conference portion begins, the calendar tightens in the way Penn State supporters know so well, with several Big Ten opponents waiting along the way before the season ends at the Big Ten and national championships. For a program measured against the highest standard in the sport, this is the sort of schedule that will not need long to tell everyone where the team stands. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Has A New Defensive Concern Ahead Of Northwestern
Penn States preparation for Northwestern picked up a small but notable wrinkle when the Big Ten-mandated availability report listed cornerback Daryus Dixson as questionable. The report is part of the conferences standard lead-up to game day, with teams required to update player status multiple times before kickoff, and this latest release offered the first clearer look at who might and might not be available when the Nittany Lions take the field.
Several other players on both sides also appeared on the report in varying categories, including questionable, out and doubtful, leaving some uncertainty across the board as kickoff approaches. The final update will come two hours before the game, which is where Penn States defensive picture, along with a few other lingering personnel questions, should become much clearer. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Campbell Faces Bigger Penn State Debate After Wisconsin Collapse
Practice has become part of the playing-time conversation for Matt Campbell, and he made it clear this week that it is not just what players do on Saturdays that matters. He said both practice performance and game performance factor into those decisions, a reminder that his evaluations are being shaped by more than the box score as Penn State tries to steady itself after a frustrating stretch.
Campbell also stood by his play-calling in the game where Penn State let a 17-0 lead slip away, saying the balance between aggression and caution was deliberate even if the execution was not there in the biggest moments. He sounded confident in his players talent and pointed to the mental side of the job as a key part of the issue, which leaves the larger question of how the Nittany Lions translate that belief into cleaner finishes still hanging in the air. [Read more 🡒]