Penn State’s next kickoff comes with a time slot that doesn’t fit the usual pattern.
The Nittany Lions’ Oct. 31 game against Purdue is set for 4:15 p.m. on the Big Ten Network, another odd-hour start for a team that’s more accustomed to noon, 3:30 or 7:30 kickoffs.
It’s the second home game this season that lands outside Penn State’s normal window. The Sept. 26 matchup with Wisconsin was pushed to 5:00 p.m. on Peacock, though this one won’t require fans to buy a subscription just to watch. They’ll also be hoping for a very different outcome.
Penn State built a 17-0 first-half lead against Wisconsin and later held a 10-point cushion in the second half, with ESPN giving the Nittany Lions a 98.5 percent win probability. None of that mattered in the end. Penn State dropped that game, then lost its next three to fall to 3-4 overall and 0-4 in Big Ten play.
That conference record is a familiar sight for Purdue, not Penn State. The Boilermakers have spent plenty of late Octobers near the bottom of the league, and many expected that trend to continue this season.
Instead, Purdue has already turned heads with an upset of Illinois on the road and a 28-point home win over Minnesota in back-to-back weeks. The Boilers did lose at Washington last Friday night, but they’ve shown they’re not just making up the numbers.
Penn State has a bye this week before turning to Purdue, and there’s also some interest in whether top receiver Koby Howard will be back for that game.
In Other News...
Quinton Martin Drama Just Put Penn States Offensive Frustration In Public
Penn States offensive frustration spilled into the open after the Michigan game, when Quinton Martin Sr., the father of running back Quinton Martin Jr., took aim at quarterback Rocco Becht on social media. The post quickly turned into a public distraction for a team already dealing with questions about how it is distributing touches, and it only added to the sense that some of the discomfort around the offense has moved beyond the building.
Martin Sr. later apologized publicly to Becht, but the bigger issue for Penn State is still hanging there. Head coach Matt Campbells playing-time decisions have been under scrutiny, and Martin Jr. has seen limited carries this season, leaving his future with the program part of the conversation as well. For a team trying to steady its offense, even one familys frustration has become a revealing sign of how much tension is building around those decisions. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Are Sending A Brutal Message About Purdue
Ticket prices for Penn States Oct. 31 home game against Purdue have slipped to as low as $14, a sign of how quickly the mood around Beaver Stadium can change after a rough stretch. The 28% drop from the previous week comes on the heels of Penn States loss to Michigan, a defeat that left the Nittany Lions at 3-4 overall and still searching for their first Big Ten win.
Purdue will arrive in State College with the same 3-4 record, but the matchup has clearly lost some of its pull for fans who were expecting a much different kind of late-season spotlight. The game is set for a 4:15 kickoff on Big Ten Network, and while the price on the secondary market suggests a soft appetite for the trip, Penn State still gets a chance to reset at home under the lights. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's Run Game Has Become A Bigger Problem Than Fans Realized
The run game has gone from a preseason strength on paper to a nagging issue Penn State has not been able to shake under Matt Campbell. Over the last three games, the Nittany Lions have averaged just 2.2 yards per carry, and in Big Ten play no running back has managed a run of 10 or more yards, a telling sign that the offense is rarely getting the kind of burst it expected from that backfield.
Penn State still has bodies and talent in the rotation, but the explosive plays never seem to arrive, leaving the ground game stuck in neutral while the staff looks for answers elsewhere. With the offense already trying to clean up broader inconsistencies, the passing game has become a bigger point of emphasis, which only adds to the pressure on a rushing attack that was supposed to help carry more of the load. [Read more 🡒]