Penn State Football: Nittany Lions To Kick Off Anticipated Season Against Nevada

By Luke Brown | SportsTalkPhilly.com

Everyone around the program of Penn State football is in agreement: this is absolutely one of the most anticipated seasons in Penn State football history, as the Nittany Lions came in at number two in the preseason AP poll – second only to the Texas Longhorns.

Now, the time for hype is dwindling and the time for the team to prove themselves, starting with a game hosting Nevada at the mid-renovation Beaver Stadium.

Game Info

No. 2 Penn State (0-0) vs. Nevada (0-0)
Info: 3:30 p.m. at Beaver Stadium, State College, Pa.
Betting: Penn State -43.5, O/U 55.5
Weather: 72°, partly sunny and pleasant with 10% chance of precipitation
TV: CBS/Paramount+

The Core is Back

As we’ve known for months, the core of this Nittany Lions group is back and ready to try and tear up the season in search of Penn State’s first national championship in the CFP era. That starts with Nevada and a chance to see guys like Drew Allar, Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen run the offense, while defensive studs like Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zakee Wheatley and Zane Durant pose a defensive threat.

Nick Singleton comes into the game and the season with 32 career rushing touchdowns and 4,673 career all-purpose yards, the most of any returning running back this season. Kaytron Allen was considered an equal threat to Singleton last year, with his 1,108 rushing yards and eight touchdowns as one of the top rushers in the country.

A few pieces of last year’s defense are now playing on Sundays, like Kobe King, Jaylen Reed and superstar Abdul Carter. But, some key pieces are back in Navy Blue and will be certainly put together a menacing defense. Zakee Wheatley and Dani Dennis-Sutton will be key parts of that process. Wheatley tallied 95 total tackles and three interceptions last year. Dani Dennis-Sutton is expected to take a huge step forward as the top defensive end after a season that complimented Abdul Carter with 42 total tackles and 8.5 sacks – a sack tally that only trailed Carter.

Knowles’ first look

Jim Knowles, Ohio State’s defensive coordinator last season, is now at the helm of a Nittany Lions’ defense. Knowles admits will it will have a new look. He’s brought a complex defense to every team he’s been with, but he embraces that complexity and knows it makes his squads better. Now, he’ll have a whole new set of players to use in new ways as PSU competes with Nevada. The Philadelphia native brings 37 of college football coaching experience, including a stint from 2004-09 as Cornell’s head coach.

In his last two seasons, both as the Buckeyes’ DC, allowed just 11.65 points per game.

The defense, led by Jack Sawyer, was a huge proponent of Ohio State’s run to a national championship last season, so it’s certainly safe to say that Knowles knows what he’s doing. One big storyline on Saturday is how his defensive guys look in the season-opener.

Know Your Foe

The Nevada Wolf Pack tallied three wins last season – against Troy, Eastern Washington, and Oregon State.

In their game against Troy, Trojans’ wide receiver Devonte Ross caught seven passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. That’s notable, considering Ross transferred from Troy to Penn State in the offseason, so Nevada will be tasked with containing him again.

Last year’s Nevada QB, Brendon Lewis, transferred in the offseason to Memphis, and will be playing there this season. Now, it’ll be time for Chubba Purdy to take over as Nevada’s QB1 after last season that saw Purdy complete 18 passes on 25 attempts for 239 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He’s the younger brother of San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who was selected last in the 2022 NFL Draft but turned into being the franchise’s starting quarterback.

The squad lost a lot of rushers from last year, either to graduation or the transfer portal. Senior Caleb Ramseur was the team’s fifth-leading rusher, but is the top returner. He ran for 110 yards on 32 carries last season.

Quick Nuggets

• This is the first meeting between Penn State and Nevada in the history of the programs.
• Penn State is 121-13-1 in home openers historically
• Penn State is 6-0 against teams from the Mountain West, most recently and notably against Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl, a CFP quarterfinal
• This is Drew Allar’s 30th start as Nittany Lions’ quarterback

Prediction

Penn State 52, Nevada 6