Next Up: Penn State Faces an Intriguing Challenge From Ball State

Penn State hosts the defending MAC champ in its first home game with fans since November 2019.

Penn State welcomes fans back to Beaver Stadium on Saturday, when it hosts Ball State in the 2021 home-opener. The Lions have not played in front of a packed home field since Nov. 30, 2019, and head coach James Franklin is imploring fans to begin a sellout streak.

It would really be powerful if we started a sellout streak in Beaver Stadium, create a home field advantage like no other in college football! Let’s come together as a community like never before and show the world why this is “Happy Valley”! #WeAre

Let’s do it TOGETHER!

— James Franklin (@coachjfranklin) September 5, 2021

Penn State (1-0) vs. Ball State (1-0)

• When: 3:30 p.m. Sept. 11
• Where: Beaver Stadium
• TV: FS1
• Streaming: fuboTV
• Series History: First meeting
• Betting Line: Penn State is a 22-point favorite

About the Lions: Penn State's 16-10 victory over Wisconsin could fill a glass either way. Half-empty: Had Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz protected the ball better and hit an open receiver late, the Lions might be talking about another season-opening, come-from-ahead loss. Half-full: Had their offense been crisper to start, the Lions might be celebrating a two-score victory. Either way, there's plenty from which to learn. Penn State struggled to run between Wisconsin's tackles, a point that should loosen over this upcoming four-game homestand. Penn State won't see a front seven as fierce as Wisconsin's until visiting Iowa in October. But the team's offensive sticktoitiveness can't be overstated. Quarterback Sean Clifford said that coordinator Mike Yurcich continued to trust him after the team's 43-yard first half. He also continued to trust running back Noah Cain, whose 34-yard run on an outside-zone play in the fourth quarter proved instrumental to the win. The Lions will be without middle linebacker Ellis Brooks for the first half, and the defense will need an extra dose of recovery after playing 95 plays vs. the Badgers. But they're watching film this week after a win, which always is better. "An early season big win can do a lot of good," Franklin said in Madison. "But all that matters is we learn from it, we correct the film and then we’ve got to find a way to do it next week."

About the Cardinals: Ball State has won eight consecutive games dating to last season, including a 31-21 decision over FCS Western Illinois top open 2021. It wasn't the prettiest day for Ball State, which was tied 7-7 at halftime but scored 24 consecutive points to clinch the victory. The Cardinals return significant experience and age from their MAC-championship season: The team counts 16 "super seniors" and 20 starters back from 2020, when Ball State won its first bowl game and finished No. 23 in the AP and Coaches polls. Ball State players entered the season with a combined 403 career starts, a surprising number in college football these days. Quarterback Drew Plitt threw for 188 yards and two touchdowns against Western Illinois, and Justin Hall (the program's career-leader in receptions) had eight catches for 137. But Ball State gave up 404 yards of offense to a team that was 2-16 over the past two seasons.

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