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Penn State Readies for Second Prime-Time Game of the Season

The Nittany Lions will visit Wisconsin for a night start at Camp Randall Stadium on NBC.

Mark Wogenrich

Penn State kicker Ryan Barker (94) is congratulated after hitting the winning field goal in overtime to defeat the USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Penn State kicker Ryan Barker (94) is congratulated after hitting the winning field goal in overtime to defeat the USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
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Penn State's schedule added another compelling dynamic Monday, when the Big Ten announced kickoff times for the Oct. 26 slate of games. The No. 3 Nittany Lions will visit Wisconsin for a prime-time game at Camp Randall Stadium, already considered one of the Big Ten's loudest places to play. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC's Big Ten Saturday Night broadcast.

Penn State (6-0) will play its second prime-time NBC game of the season. The Nittany Lions defeated Illinois 21-7 in a de facto "White Out" at Beaver Stadium. That game was Penn State's Homecoming. Coincidentally, Penn State will serve as Wisconsin's Homecoming opponent Oct. 26.

Penn State has a bye this week after defeating USC 33-30 in overtime at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Quarterback Drew Allar went 30-for-43 for 391 yards and two touchdowns, completing 17 of those passes to tight end Tyler Warren. Safety Jaylen Reed made a critical interception late in regulation, and kicker Ryan Barker hit his fourth field goal of the game in overtime for the win.

"As you can imagine, it was awesome in there," Penn State coach James Franklin said of the locker room after the Nittany Lions' win. "To me, that’s what it’s all about. At this point in my career, I just want to see the players achieving their dreams, having fun and being rewarded for all their hard work. The same thing with the staff. That’s what it’s all about. I want to see them achieve their dreams and goals. So it’s really cool for me. It’s going to make for a great ride home. It’s going to make for a great bye week. There’s a ton of things that I think we’re going to be able to learn from this game, and we need to learn from this game, because we’re far from perfect. We’re also 6-0 and 1-0 this week, and we’re going to take it and run.”

RELATED: What we learned from Penn State's dramatic win at USC

Wisconsin (4-2) visits Northwestern on Saturday after winning its past two games over Purdue and Rutgers by a combined score of 99-13. The Badgers' two losses were to Alabama and USC, both ranked among the nation's top-15 teams when they played.

Penn State has a five-game winning streak against Wisconsin, including two victories at Camp Randall. The Nittany Lions opened the 2021 season with a 16-10 road win over the Badgers, as quarterback Sean Clifford hit Jahan Dotson for a 49-yard touchdown pass, and safeties Jaquan Brisker and Ji'Ayir Brown made late interceptions to preserve the victory in a game between top-20 teams.

Penn State returns home to Beaver Stadium on Nov. 2, when it hosts Ohio State. No kickoff time has been announced, though the game is expected to be a noon ET start on FOX.

More Penn State Football

Ryan Barker goes from walk-on kicker to walk-off hero at USC

Julian Fleming sought to prove himself at Penn State. He got the chance vs. USC

What they said after the Nittany Lions' overtime victory over USC

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.

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