2025 PSU vs. Northwestern

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General Game Information

PSU-NORTHWESTERN FINAL GAME STATS LINK

PSU-NORTHWESTERN GAME FLOW & SUMMARY

• Game Six of 2025 season—This is the 105th Homecoming Game. This is also the 9th Generations of Greatness game and the 10th official Stripe Out Game. This is only the 2nd Homecoming Game to feature a Stripe Out (the first was the 2018 loss vs. Michigan State). This is the 6th Homecoming Game to also be the Generations of Greatness game, and the first ever game to combine Homecoming, Generations of Greatness, and the Stripe Out. Northwestern (3-2, 1-1) is coming in off its 42-7 home win over Louisiana Monroe on Oct. 4. Both PSU and Northwestern have lost to Oregon this season, but the Wildcats did beat UCLA 17-14 at home. For third straight game, James Franklin (104 wins at PSU) will attempt to pass Rip Engle (1950-65) for second all-time on the Nittany Lions coaching victory list behind Joe Paterno (409 wins—1966-2011). This is James Franklin’s 100th regular season game in Big Ten conference play (Franklin is 64-35 in the league entering this game).

• Last PSU Game: UCLA 42 Penn State 37 (PSU opens 0-2 in Big Ten for first time since 2020)

• This week’s rankings: AP Poll: Not Ranked (technically #28 in votes list) (PSU falls from #7 out of rankings following 2nd straight loss)—Ohio State remains #1 with Oregon #3 and Indiana #7 / Coaches Poll #22 (hard drop from #6 following upset loss to previously 0-4 team)—Ohio State remains #1 with Oregon #2 and Indiana #7—Penn State loss to 0-4 UCLA was fifth time in college history, per CBS Sports, that a Top 10 team lost to an 0-4 (or worse) team (first since 1985)

• 22nd meeting with Northwestern all-time: This is Northwestern’s 4th Homecoming Game, 1st Stripe Out, and 1st Generations of Greatness game at Penn State. PSU is 16-5 overall vs. the Wildcats in a series that began in 1993 (2-1 on Homecoming). All of the games in this series have been as members of the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions have won 3 straight over Northwestern since a 2015 loss on the road (victories were in 2017 away, 2022 home, and 2023 away).

• 11th meeting ever with Northwestern at Beaver Stadium: PSU is 8-2 all-time at home vs. the Wildcats. The last home meeting was in 2022, a 17-7 PSU win. Prior to 2022, PSU had not beaten the Cats at home since 2012 in a critical comeback win that helped turn the season around under first-year head coach Bill O’Brien. The 2022 game vs. Northwestern is best remembered for the beginning of general beer sales at Beaver Stadium and for the rain. The remnants of Hurricane Ian which battered southwest Florida three days earlier were bringing continuous rain and periodic downpours to State College. It was easily the wettest, chilliest game since the 2013 soak-fest with Kent State. Five turnovers (4 lost fumbles and 1 INT) conspired to stop the Nittany Lions, but the Wildcats could not cash-in while PSU scored 14 points off of 3 Northwestern freebies. The Lions did not allow a sack while Nick Singleton (1 rushing TD), Kaytron Allen and Keyvone Lee combined for 213 yards rushing, and Sean Clifford hit Brenton Strange with a 20-yard TD pass in the 17-7 win.

• Their last meeting overall was in 2023 at old Ryan Field (demolished in Feb. 2024): PSU won 41-13 in front of the smallest crowd to see the Lions play in the last 20 years (25,064). Penn State got off to a sluggish start and the game was tied 10-10 at the half. But the Nittany Lions went on a 24-0 run in the second half. Nick Singleton matched a career best with 21 carries for 80 yards and 1 rushing TD to go with a TD reception from Drew Allar. The defense delivered 7 sacks and an INT by Daequan Hardy which set the table for a Beau Pribula 30-yard TD pass to Trey Potts. The game also saw Zion Tracy blowup a fake punt on 4th and 4 at the Northwestern 34-yard line. The two schools are slated to meet again in Evanston, IL in 2026 at the newly renovated/re-built Wildcats home field-also to be called Ryan Field.

• Penn State on Homecoming: PSU is 75-24-5 all-time on Homecoming since its debut in 1920 vs. Dartmouth (there was no official Homecoming in 2020 due to Covid-19). PSU defeated Illinois 21-7 in the 2024 Homecoming Game giving the Nittany Lions 3 straight victories on Homecoming dating to the infamous 2021 20-18 record-setting 9-OT loss to Illinois. James Franklin is 7-3 overall on Homecoming since 2014.

• PSU vs. Northwestern on Homecoming: Penn State has faced Northwestern 3 times on Homecoming dating to 2002. This is Northwestern’s first Homecoming game at Beaver Stadium since 2014 when the Cats beat the Lions, 29-6 in James Franklin’s Homecoming debut at PSU. Prior to 2014, PSU defeated the Wildcats on Homecomings 2002 (Paterno) & 2012 (O’Brien).

• Penn State in Generations of Greatness Games: PSU is 6-2 all-time in these games which include the 2020 game and both games in 2024 where the Lions wore the “throwback” blue jerseys with striped pants, numbered helmets, white shoes, etc. The first Generations of Greatness Game was played in 2017 vs. Indiana. This the 6th of these games to be combined with Homecoming (PSU is 4-1 in this combo dating to 2019). Penn State has won 4 straight Generations of Greatness Games after back-to-back losses in 2020 (Iowa) & 2021 (Illinois). PSU won both Generations of Greatness Games in 2024 (Illinois/HC & SMU/CFP)—Penn State revealed on Oct. 6 that it was debuting a new “throwback jersey” look for this year’s game—the new jersey will see the return of the white collars that Penn State used from game 2 in 1980 (first made by Russell Athletic) through the 2010 season under Joe Paterno—The white collar will also make the Nittany Lion Shrine logo at the base of the neck more visible (this is likely the final special PSU uniform under the Nike flag). CLICK FOR MORE ON GENERATIONS OF GREATNESS NEW JERSEY

• Change to Penn State endzone design for this weekend only: The endzone’s standard block-letter Penn State look has been replaced by the Oval Lion logo with its commonly associated Penn State wordmark logo which was last used in the endzones during the 2004 season (this endzone style debuted in 1993). Typically, for some Generations of Greatness games, PSU has painted the endzones in the 1960s-early 80s “argyle blue-white diamond” look (this was seen in 2017, 2021, 2023, & 2024).

• Penn State in Stripe Out Games: PSU is 6-3 all-time in these games since their debut in 2015 vs. Rutgers (there was no Stripe Out in 2020). PSU is also 4-3 in Stripe Outs vs. Big Ten opponents, and 0-1 in Stripe Out Games that combined with Homecoming (2018 vs. Michigan State). Penn State won the 2024 Stripe Out Game over UCLA, 27-11. The Stripe Out concept was born in 2015, no doubt borrowing heavily from Iowa’s Black & Gold Spirit Game which debuted in 2010. The PSU Stripe Out effectively replaced the Blue Out Game that was briefly played from 2011-14 and never really caught the imagination of the fans.

• 4th scheduled 3:30pm EDT kick for PSU in 2025. The Nevada (W), Villanova (W), and UCLA (L) games also kicked at this time. This game was originally announced in the pre-season as a noon, 3:30 or 4pm kickoff prior to the official announcement on Sept. 29.

  TV Information

• FS1 Gameday Announcers: Connor Onion, Play-by-play and Mark Helfrich, Color Analyst (this pair also did the Villanova game for FS1)

• First TV game on FS1 since week three 52-6 win over Villanova.

• Third non-traditional network TV game of the 2025 season. The Villanova win was also on FS1 and the FIU win was on BTN.