Penn State's 2026 season turns an important corner Saturday at Beaver Stadium, where the Nittany Lions will host Purdue. Penn State still is searching for its first Big Ten win under head coach Matt Campbell, who is one of two (three until Maryland fired Mike Locksley) Power 4 coaches without a Power 4 victory.
This should be a solid stress test for the Nittany Lions, who haven't won a game since Sept. 19. Here's everything to know about Saturday's Penn State-Purdue game.
When:4:15 p.m. ET Saturday
Where:Beaver Stadium
TV:Big Ten Network
Series History:Penn State leads 17-3-1
Last Meeting:Penn State 49-10 in 2024
Saturday's Penn State-Purdue game kicks off at 4:15 p.m. ET at Beaver Stadium. Big Ten Network will televise, with Chris Vosters and Anthony Herron on the broadcast and Dannie Rogers reporting from the sideline.
This marks Penn State's second appearance on BTN this season. The game can be streamed on FOX One, the subscription streaming service of FOX.
Steve Jones and Jack Ham are on the broadcast for the Penn State Sports Network, which can be heard live on dozens of radio stations . Radio coverage of the game will be simulcast on Sirius XM channels 178, 231 and 257 and on the XM app. The radio broadcast also will be available online via the Penn State Sports Network .
Penn State is a 9.5-point favorite over the Boilermakers, according to DraftKings . That line has inched upward by 2.5 points since Penn State opened as a 7-point favorite.
Penn State also is a -340 favorite on the money line, while Purdue is a +270 underdog. Bookmakers expect a high-scoring game, setting the over/under at 54.5 points.
Penn State Nittany Lions players celebrate a win against the Purdue Boilermakers at Beaver Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports
Penn State has dominated Purdue since joining the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions lead their conference series 17-2 since and are 17-3-1 overall against the Boilermakers.
Penn State also has won 11 straight games against Purdue since 2004, including a 49-10 victory at Ross-Ade Stadium in 2024. Drew Allar played one of the best statistical games of his career, going 17-for-19 for 247 yards and three touchdowns.
Penn State enters the game at No. 36 in ESPN's SP+ , a predictive metric that looks at future performance over past results. Purdue is No. 68. Both teams arrive for the game following bye weeks.
Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) looks to pass in the second half against the Michigan Wolverines at Michigan Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
No one needed the bye week more at Penn State (as a mental reset) than quarterback Rocco Becht. His last game was a long trial of patience and frustration. Becht fired out quickly against Michigan, completing his first seven passes, but could not surmount three turnovers that the Wolverines turned into 21 points.
That game fell entirely on Becht's shoulders, which he acknowledged and accepted . Campbell has spent the nearly two weeks since advocating on Becht's behalf , pointing to their productive bye week as a turning point.
"I think we were able to put a lot of that collectively together. Here's where there are some really great moments," Campbell said. "Here is where we're playing at our best. Here is where we're not and why. I think even Rocco would tell you fundamentally there's things where it got chaotic at times, whether a decision-making process, inaccuracy process, it is fundamental, it's coachable, able to get corrected."
But Becht needs help from his run game, particularly starting back Carson Hansen. His former Iowa State teammate looked livelier at Michigan, rushing 15 times for 51 yards, but Penn State doesn't have anything approaching a sustainable run game.
Without that, the offense falls to Becht and his pass-catchers. Receiver Koby Howard, who hasn't played a Big Ten game yet, is listed as questionable for the first time since the Buffalo game. But even if Howard plays, Campbell said his role will be limited.
So Penn State will have to lean again on Chase Sowell , who trails only Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith in yards receiving per game in Big Ten play. Howard still has four of the team's five longest receptions, but Sowell is the only Penn State player with a catch of 30+ yards in the Big Ten.
Defensively, how much more can linebacker Tony Rojas do? The midseason All-American leads Penn State in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks and is tied for the team lead in interceptions. In fact, Rojas has more sacks (five) than the rest of the defense combined (four).
Purdue Boilermakers running back Fame Ijeboi (2) runs the ball against the Washington Huskies during the first quarter at Ross-Ade Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Purdue has two offensive catalysts in quarterback Ryan Browne and running back Fame Ijeboi. Browne led the Boilermakers to their 24-17 win over Illinois, going 18-for-27 for 255 yards and a touchdown. Ijeboi rushed for 195 of Purdue's 205 yards in a 41-13 stunner on the road at Minnesota in Week 6.
Notably in those two games, Purdue's offensive line did not allow a sack, to which Penn State should be paying attention. The Boilermakers' defense has been inconsistent, allowing 52 points to UCLA and 49 to Notre Dame, albeit against much more functioning offenses than Penn State can present.
Defensive end Jeremy Lewis (3.5 tackles for loss) has some surge off the line and will give Penn State problems.
Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/pennstate as How to Watch Penn State vs. Purdue: TV Channel, Streaming, Keys to the Game .
