White Out week brings the biggest stage on Penn State’s calendar, and it arrives with the Nittany Lions in a tricky spot. Penn State is 3-2 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play heading into Saturday night’s prime-time matchup with No. 18 USC at Beaver Stadium.
The challenge is obvious: can a Penn State team that has stumbled through conference play keep pace with a Trojans offense that piled up 224 points in its first five games?
One of the most interesting angles in this matchup is on the sideline. Penn State defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn knows USC well, because he spent the previous two seasons in that same job with the Trojans.
That includes working around head coach Lincoln Riley and quarterback Jayden Maiava, a third-year USC quarterback viewed as a top NFL prospect. Maiava threw for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, and this year he has already tossed 15 touchdown passes while completing 68.6 percent of his throws.
That familiarity could matter, because slowing USC’s attack is no small task. At the same time, Penn State’s defense is coming off a rough outing against Northwestern on Friday, when Lynn’s group gave up 413 rushing yards and four rushing touchdowns in a 34-13 loss.
Penn State’s offense, meanwhile, has lost some of its spark. The Lions have produced only two explosive plays - gains of 20 yards or more - over the past two weeks.
One came against Wisconsin, a 22-yard gain, and the other against Northwestern, a 26-yard play. In their first three games, Penn State had 18 explosive plays.
The absence of injured wide receiver Koby Howard has been a real factor. Through the first three games, Howard caught 12 passes for 344 yards and two touchdowns. Seven of those receptions turned into explosive plays, and he also added a 20-yard touchdown run.
There is also the matter of who Penn State has been facing. Wisconsin and Northwestern brought far more defensive talent than the non-conference opponents the Lions opened against: Marshall, Temple and Buffalo. The question now is whether another Penn State receiver can step into the gap against USC.
USC’s defense has had its own ups and downs, but it showed more fight last Saturday in a 25-21 home win over Washington. The Trojans came away with five sacks, and defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart added a 48-yard fumble return for a touchdown late in the third quarter.
Penn State enters the game trying to avoid an 0-3 start in Big Ten play. The Lions have been outscored 51-16 over their last six quarters, and head coach Matt Campbell, his staff and the players are staring at their biggest test yet.
The recent history is not encouraging. Penn State’s last 0-3 start in conference play came during last season’s 0-6 opening to Big Ten competition, and the Lions did not get their first conference win until Nov. 15, when they beat Michigan State 28-10. Before that, Penn State dropped its first five games in the Covid-shortened 2020 season before finishing 4-5 with wins over Michigan, Rutgers, Michigan State and Illinois.
In Other News...
Penn State Fans Wont Like What An In-State Rival Coach Said
Pat Narduzzi had plenty to say after Pitts close win over Virginia Tech, and much of it was bound to land with Penn State fans as a familiar jab from across the state. The Pitt coach addressed a controversial missed field goal in that game, then turned his attention to the AP Top 25, questioning Penn States placement despite the recent losses that have piled up for the Nittany Lions.
Narduzzi also used the moment to make a case for his own program, pointing to Pitts undefeated start and current ranking as proof his team deserves more respect. It was the latest reminder that the tension between Pitt and Penn State remains very much alive, with Narduzzi continuing a public back-and-forth that has long carried extra weight in a rivalry shaped by him and former Penn State coach James Franklin. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Early Big Ten Slide Suddenly Looks Like A Bigger Problem
Two weeks into Big Ten play, the leagues shape is already starting to tell a familiar story at the top, with the conference heavyweights still looking the part while some of the preseason contenders are scrambling to catch up. Penn State is in that second group after an uneven start that has made the early standings feel less like a snapshot and more like a warning sign, especially with the Big Tens path to multiple College Football Playoff bids depending on its best teams stacking wins and avoiding the kind of stumbles that can linger all fall.
The Nittany Lions are not alone in that bind, but their position carries extra weight because expectations were so high before league play began. Washington is facing its own early trouble, and several coaching situations around the conference are already under a sharper spotlight, yet Penn States slide stands out because it changes the margin for error so quickly. If the league is going to earn the depth it needs at the top, the teams that were supposed to anchor it cannot keep giving ground this early. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Just Lost The Spotlight For A Huge Michigan Trip
Penn States trip to Michigan on October 17 no longer has the feel of a late-night showcase. The Big Ten announced the game at Michigan Stadium will kick off at 3:30 p.m. ET, pulling it out of the prime-time window many had anticipated and shifting some of the national spotlight away from what had shaped up as one of the leagues more intriguing midseason matchups.
It still carries plenty of weight in the Big Ten race, though. Both teams are 0-2 in conference play, which is the first time that has happened to Penn State since it joined the league in 1993, and that makes the meeting even more important for two programs trying to steady themselves. Before that trip, Penn State gets its own marquee stage Saturday night, hosting No. 19 USC in a White Out game at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCs Big Ten Saturday Night. [Read more 🡒]