2025 PSU vs. Nevada

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General Game Information

PSU-NEVADA POST GAME STATS LINK

PSU-NEVADA GAME FLOW & SUMMARY

• 2025 Season & Home opener—This is the first ever regular season game to be played on the newly sponsor-named West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. This is the 139th Season Opener for Penn State (1887-present)—PSU’s all-time season opener record is 114-22-2. This is the 66th season at Beaver Stadium (1960-present). This is the 42nd season opener to take place at Beaver Stadium—PSU is 35-6 in Beaver Stadium season openers (20-2 since joining the Big Ten in 1993). This is only the second season opener to be played at Beaver Stadium this decade along with the 2023 opening win vs. West Virginia. From a Home Opener perspective, PSU is 55-10 all-time at Beaver Stadium and 123-13-1 all-time (there were no home games in 1891 which accounts for the missing home opener). Penn State has won 21 of its last 23 home openers entering this game. And, PSU has won 22 straight regular season non-conference games dating to the 2016 loss at Pitt.

• Penn State has posted a school-record 34 wins over the past 3 seasons including 3 in bowl/post-season games. The Nittany Lions have put together 3 consecutive 10+ win seasons (2022-24) for the first time since the 1980 through 1982 seasons. PSU also has collected six 10-win seasons over the past 9 years (2016-24) which had not happened since the stretch from 1978 through the 1986 season.

• Last Game played by PSU: Notre Dame 27 Penn State 24 in Jan. 9, 2025 Orange Bowl/CFP Semifinals at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL

• This week’s rankings (pre-season): AP Poll #2, US LBM AFCA Coaches Poll #3. Highest AP pre-season ranking since Lions were #1 to open 1997 season. First time starting season ranked in Top 5 since being #3 in 1999. Fifth season all-time for PSU to open season ranked in Top 3 (1969 #3, 1978 #3, 1997 #1, 1999 #3, 2025 #2). PSU Final 2024 rankings: AP #5/Coaches #5—highest final rankings since #3 in both in 2005. Penn State was also ranked #3 in the FWAA/NFF Super 16 pre-season poll behind Texas and Ohio State. It’s the highest ranking ever for PSU in this poll which began in 2014.

• First regular season game to feature on-field advertising for a sponsor since the 1999 Pigskin Classic vs. Arizona carried ads for Principal Financial Group in the endzones. On-field ad logos for West Shore Home Field made their debut at the non-televised 2025 Blue-White Game at each 25-yard line ironically facing the then-vacant west stands which were closed for the stadium renovation project.

• First ever meeting with Nevada (MWC)—The Wolf Pack were originally scheduled to be the 2020 season opener, but to help out a scheduling issue involving Kent State, PSU and Arkansas swapped opponents (Nevada for KSU) only to have the 2020 non-conference schedule cancelled due to Covid-19. The Kent State game was then made-up in 2024 (56-0 win) with the Nevada game finally re-surfacing on the 2025 schedule. Nevada features option QB Chubba Purdy who is the younger brother of Brock Purdy of the 49ers. Purdy is in his second season at Nevada and made one start in 2024 after spending two seasons at Nebraska where he made 4 starts (all 4 were losses).

• Nevada Wolf Pack 2024: 3-10 (0-7 MWC), Head Coach Jeff Choate (2024 to present)

• First meeting with a Mountain West opponent since Dec. 31, 2024 Fiesta Bowl/CFP Quarterfinal win over Boise State (31-14). Most recent regular season MWC foe was San Diego State at home in 2015 (37-21 win). In 2020, San Jose State (MWC) was originally on the non-conference slate that was cancelled by Covid and later re-scheduled for 2026, but that meeting was also cancelled, and San Jose was replaced by Buffalo. PSU is 6-0 vs. current MWC teams.

• Second straight season with an August season opener (Aug. 31, 2024 at West Virginia/34-12 win). This is the first August season & home opener since Aug. 31, 2019 and the 79-7 win over Idaho.

• First 3:30pm ET kick for PSU since Nov. 30, 2024 vs. Maryland at Beaver Stadium (44-7 win). It is also the first 3:30pm ET kick in a season opener since the Covid-delayed Oct. 24, 2020 opener at Indiana which ended in a controversial 36-35 OT loss. It is the first 3:30pm ET kick on CBS since Nov. 23, 2024 win at Minnesota (26-25 win).

• First regular season game to be played without the original Beaver Stadium press box which was demolished on January 4, 2025 as part of the ongoing renovation of the stadium. Temporary press box booths (Spacecubes) were installed just below the west side temporary bleachers in late July for use in the 2025 season. Additional temp press box space will be in the upper-level East Suites—northeast corner.

• 2025 Beaver Stadium Seating Capacity with temporary bleachers: 106,304 (prior capacity: 106,572)

• First Penn State football game to feature a female Drum Major leading the Blue Band (founded in 1899 as the Cadet Drum & Bugle Corps): 5th year senior Ellie Sheehan of Hollidaysburg, PA was named Drum Major on July 31. Sheehan is a former leader in the piccolo section. (Note: Sheehan successfully completed her first front flip as Drum Major)

• Penn State Radio Network: Steve Jones (PSU Class of 1980) and former PSU Hall of Fame Linebacker Jack Ham (1968-1970) are beginning their 26th season together in the booth. Brian Tripp (PSU Class of 2011) is the sideline reporter.

  TV Information

• CBS-TV (Paramount+ streaming) Gameday Announcers: Brad Nessler and Gary Danielson with sideline reporter Jenny Dell. Nessler & Danielson called four PSU games on CBS during the 2024 season—win at USC, win at Purdue, win at Minnesota and the loss to Oregon in the Big Ten Championship Game. This is Danielson’s final season handling color analysis. He began with ESPN in 1990 and joined CBS in 2006. James Franklin presented Gary Danielson with a commemorative PSU game ball on day before game.

• First PSU football game to appear on CBS-TV since the 2024 Big Ten Championship loss to #1 Oregon. It is the 33rd PSU game “officially” to appear on CBS-TV dating to 1966 (PSU Record on CBS: 21-11). Pre-Paterno era TV information is incomplete, but CBS has televised PSU football games dating back 70 years.

• Under the current TV contract that began in 2023, this is the 7th game on CBS (PSU Record: 5-1). James Franklin is 6-1 on CBS as PSU head coach including the 2022 win at Auburn. This is the 3rd CBS telecast under the current contract from Beaver Stadium including the 2023 wins over Iowa & Indiana.

• Prior to 1966, CBS did telecast a number of PSU football games notably the first ever live football game broadcast from State College, the 1955 season opener at New Beaver Field vs. Boston University (35-0 PSU win) which was aired regionally to a reportedly very limited group of stations in the East. CBS also later regionally televised the 1955 Penn State-Syracuse game from Beaver Field. A 21-20 PSU victory that featured legendary Hall of Fame running backs Lenny Moore and Jim Brown.