Penn State’s White Out is set for Saturday night, and the Nittany Lions will have No. 19 USC in Beaver Stadium for a 7:30 p.m.
ET kickoff. Tickets are still available for fans hoping to get in for the matchup.
The return home comes after a rough two-week stretch for Penn State. The Lions dropped a 24-20 game to Wisconsin at home in Week 4, then followed that with a 34-13 loss at Northwestern on Friday night. The pressure has only grown around Matt Campbell, whose time in Happy Valley has been tested quickly after the program moved on from James Franklin under similar conditions in 2025.
Campbell brought several Iowa State players with him to Penn State, and a large chunk of them were part of the struggles in Evanston. Quarterback Rocco Becht is still at the center of the conversation after another uneven performance.
Against Northwestern, he went 26-for-41 for 243 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. A week earlier against Wisconsin, he finished 12-for-29 for 114 yards and an interception.
Penn State’s defense also had no answer for Chip Kelly’s run game. Wisconsin rolled up 413 rushing yards and four touchdowns, averaging 7.5 yards per carry on 55 attempts. The Badgers also had two backs top 100 yards, with Caleb Komolafe going for 188 yards and a touchdown, and Joseph Himon II adding 162 yards and two scores on 10 carries.
USC arrives with its own questions, even at 5-1. Lincoln Riley’s five-year run in Los Angeles has not given him much breathing room, and the Trojans’ defensive issues have lingered through much of his tenure. Over the last three seasons before this one, USC went 24-15.
The numbers tell the story on both sides of the ball. USC’s offense ranks No. 12 nationally in passing at 311.7 yards per game and No. 29 in scoring at 37.3 points per game.
The defense has allowed 348.8 total yards per game, which ranks No. 68, and 230.7 passing yards per game, which ranks No. 97.
The Trojans had to dig out of a hole in Week 5 against Washington, trailing 21-10 at home before rallying for the win. One of the key moments in that comeback came on Jahkeem Stewart’s 48-yard fumble return touchdown in the third quarter.
In Other News...
Penn States White Out Puts One USC Advantage Under Pressure
The White Out at Penn State is already looming as a major test for USC, but it also carries a familiar twist for Lincoln Riley. On the other side will be DAnton Lynn, now Penn States defensive coordinator, who spent last season on Rileys USC staff and helped stabilize a Trojans defense that had been searching for answers. Their shared background gives this matchup an unusual layer of familiarity, with both coaches knowing something about how the other thinks and prepares.
For Penn State, Lynns return to the opposite sideline adds intrigue to a game that will be driven as much by adjustments as by atmosphere. Riley has long been one of the sports sharper offensive minds, and Lynns recent success against that same environment gives the Nittany Lions a meaningful point of confidence. There is mutual respect between the two, but Saturday night is about more than that history. It is a chance to see which coach can turn familiarity into an edge when the crowd, the stakes and the pressure are all at their peak. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Still Needs More From One Key Pass Rusher
Penn States defense came out of the Northwestern game with a few reminders of how thin the margin can be up front. The run defense gave up more ground than usual, the sack count stayed low, and the overall pressure package never quite found a steady rhythm. For a unit that has leaned on disruption to set the tone, it was the kind of afternoon that left the staff looking for a little more from the edge.
Yvan Kemajou has been part of that conversation because the flashes are there, but defensive coordinator DAnton Lynn made it clear the next step is consistency. Penn State likes the playmaking potential Kemajou brings, and the coaches know there is still room for the defense to tighten up as the season moves on. The upside remains obvious, but the Lions are still waiting for that pass-rushing spark to show up snap after snap. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Looks Alarmingly Short On Answers Against USC
Penn States trip into the USC matchup has turned into one of those late-season reminders that every phase of the game matters, because the gap between the two teams has not been hard to spot. USC has looked cleaner and more productive on offense, and its special teams have also given it an edge, while Penn State has been left trying to piece together answers on a defense that has not held up the way it needed to.
The comparison also puts the Nittany Lions in an awkward spot with their own identity, because the only area where they have clearly separated themselves is on defense, and even that has come with plenty of concern. With the offense and special teams lagging behind and the coaching questions lingering in the background, Penn State is still searching for a performance that feels more complete than what it has shown against USC. [Read more 🡒]