Penn State’s annual Peacock game is back, and this time the No. 13 Nittany Lions get Wisconsin at Beaver Stadium on Saturday in a matchup that doubles as homecoming, the Helmet Stripe game and the Big Ten opener.
If you want to watch it, you’ll need Peacock or a streaming service that carries NBCSN, which is also set to show the game. Some platforms, including Prime Video, offer free Peacock trials. The game will not be on a traditional broadcast or cable channel.
Dave Flemming will handle play-by-play with Matt Cassel as the analyst, and Ashley ShahAhmadi will report from the sideline. Penn State is 2-1 in Peacock games, with wins over Delaware in 2023 and Washington in 2024 and a loss at Iowa last season.
For listeners, Steve Jones and Jack Ham will have the radio call on the Penn State Sports Network. The broadcast will air across dozens of stations in the region and will also be simulcast on Sirius XM channels 106, 180 and 232, plus the XM app and the Penn State Sports Network online.
Penn State enters as a 10-point favorite, a line that has barely moved since head coach Matt Campbell said receiver Koby Howard would be out. DraftKings has the over/under at 44.5 points. On the money line, Penn State is -380 and Wisconsin is +300.
The Nittany Lions climbed to No. 13 in the AP Top 25 and No. 14 in the Coaches Poll this week. They opened the season at No. 18 in the AP poll.
In the ESPN College Football Power Index, Penn State is up to a season-high No. 12, while Wisconsin sits 53rd. The Badgers are the highest-ranked FPI team Penn State has faced this season; none of the Nittany Lions’ non-conference opponents was ranked higher than 85th, with Temple at that spot.
Saturday also brings a familiar opponent. Penn State has beaten Wisconsin six straight times dating to 2012, a run that includes the 2016 Big Ten Championship Game.
The last time these teams met at Camp Randall Stadium, quarterback Beau Pribula gave Penn State a lift off the bench, going 11-for-13 with a touchdown after Drew Allar was injured. Wisconsin has not won at Penn State since 2003, a stretch that covers four straight road losses.
With Koby Howard sidelined, Penn State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser has to find big plays without the offense’s top explosive threat. Zay Robinson and Quinton Martin Jr. are the two names that stand out.
Martin showed his burst with a stiff-arm that turned into a 61-yard run against Buffalo, and he brings the most explosive profile in the backfield. Carson Hansen is expected to start, but Martin could end up with the heavier workload.
Robinson has been close to a punt return breakthrough all season, and he has caught all six of his targets on offense. Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen, who said he is healthy again, are expected to handle the bulk of the snaps, but Robinson looks ready for a bigger moment.
On defense, linebacker Kooper Ebel has been one of Penn State’s steadiest players, and safety Jeremiah Cooper should see more run support after missing Week 1 and looking stronger. Their job gets trickier against Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph, who brings real run threat.
Joseph ran for 1,007 yards and 13 touchdowns at Old Dominion last season, including a 179-yard game against Indiana. He also ripped off touchdown runs of 75 and 78 yards in that one.
This season, he has 25 carries for 82 yards, but Wisconsin will want to get him going early after Penn State was caught flat-footed against Temple quarterback Jaxon Smolik in Week 2.
Penn State’s pass defense will have its eyes on Tyrell Henry, who has 22 of Wisconsin’s 54 receptions for 293 yards. Henry exploded for 14 catches and 160 yards against Eastern Michigan last week, and Penn State saw a similar hot hand from Buffalo’s Chance Morrow in the previous game before holding him to two catches on seven targets.
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Penn State Gets A Timely Boost Before Its Wisconsin Test
Armstrong Nnodims return gave Penn State a useful lift last weekend, with the transfer defensive tackle finally making his season debut against Buffalo after missing the first two weeks with an injury. He made an immediate contribution with two tackles, but the bigger takeaway was simply getting him back into the mix as the Nittany Lions continue to sort through a defensive tackle group that has needed every available body.
Nnodim said the stretch away from the field left him motivated to get back, and he credited the support around him from coaches, teammates and family for helping him through the setback. For Penn State, his return matters beyond one game, especially with Wisconsin ahead and the staff looking to keep the rotation deep, fresh and effective up front. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Get A Reassuring Weather Read For Wisconsin Saturday
A favorable weather picture is taking shape for Penn States matchup with Wisconsin at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, and that matters more than usual for a crowd that likes to settle in and let the football take over. Meteorologist Joe Murgos forecast calls for mostly cloudy skies with some sunshine, kickoff temperatures around 65 degrees and breezy conditions, but nothing that sounds disruptive for a game in Happy Valley.
The bigger weather concerns are centered farther east, where rain and stronger winds are expected near Philadelphia and New Jersey. For the Nittany Lions and their fans, the key read is simpler: the game itself is expected to stay mostly dry, which should keep the focus on the matchup instead of the elements. [Read more 🡒]
Penn States Early 2027 Defensive Commits Are Turning Heads
Penn States 2027 recruiting class is already taking shape on the defensive side, and the early returns suggest the staff is leaning into size and versatility. Defensive tackle Aniti Paiva, a 6-foot-2, 315-pound lineman from Skyline High School in Utah, gives the Nittany Lions an anchor-type body up front, while safety Caleb Cooper, a 6-foot, 207-pound defensive back from Providence Day School in North Carolina, adds a different kind of physical presence in the secondary.
Paiva has drawn multiple offers and has been a target for defensive line coach Ikaika Malloe, while Cooper was offered by safeties coach Deon Broomfield before joining the class after being added in June. For a program that has built a reputation on defensive development, getting both players this early says plenty about the kind of prospects Penn State wants to identify before the recruiting market gets crowded. [Read more 🡒]