The Penn State Vs. Northwestern Availability Report
Penn State football returns to the road Saturday, putting its nine-game win streak on the line at Northwestern. Here's the Penn State pregame glance as the No. 6 Nittany Lions prepare for an early start against the Wildcats. Kickoff is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET on Big Ten Network.
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Who's Out for the Penn State Vs. Northwestern Game?
Penn State released another very slight availability report ahead of its game against Northwestern. No new starters are listed as "out," though freshman defensive end Jameial Lyons will not play at Northwestern. Lyons has played in two games and likely is in line to redshirt. Receiver/special teams captain Malick Meiga is out for the fourth consecutive game. In addition, receiver Trey Wallace is listed as questionable for the third consecutive week, though he played the past two games.
For Northwestern, starting defensive back Theran Johnson is out, and tight end Marshall Lang, who has made three starts, is questionable.
The Noise Factor at Ryan Field
Penn State coach James Franklin said this week that he quieted the music at practice in preparation for the game at Northwestern. The move generated national attention as something of a slight against the Wildcats. But Franklin expanded on the plan during his weekly radio show Thursday, saying, "it's the reality of the situation." Ryan Field has averaged 17,500 fans through the first two home games of the season. Here's how Franklin responded to a question about preparing to play at Northwestern.
"I hope this is coming off with total respect, because I do have a ton of respect for Northwestern, the university and the football program," Franklin said on the Penn State Coaches Show. "They're 2-0 [at home] at the moment. It's a challenging place to play. It's a very different environment and, let's be honest, there's very few places like State College and Happy Valley with 110,000 [fans]. So that's a challenge for us in general. But it will be magnified. They've obviously had some challenges in the offseason. I think their head coach, coach [David] Braun, has done a really good job of steadying the ship. That win that they had last week against Minnesota, where they were down 21 points in the fourth quarter but came back and won, that's hard to do under normal circumstances. They've done a great job, and we're going to have to be prepared to play.
"But to your point, I do think it's fair, and we've been very honest with the players. You're going to go from a White Out, maybe the best environment in all of sports let alone college football, to a stadium and to an environment where I think they're averaging 17,000 fans this year. So it is going to be very different, and that's not a knock and that's not disrespect. It is what it is. It's the reality of the situation, and I want to be upfront and honest and prepare our players for it, because on top of that, it's an 11 a.m. kick, so there's a lot of things that can make that challenging."
Get in on the Action
Penn State has covered the spread as the favorite in its first four games of 2023. The Lions are a 26.5-point favorite on the road at Northwestern, according to FanDuel. Can they do it again? Penn State fans can take advantage of a new-user promo from FanDuel Sportsbook when wagering on today's game.
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AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich. And consider subscribing (button's on the home page) for more great content across the SI.com network.
