Oct. 2, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State hits the road for the first time this season, visiting Illinois for a key Big Ten clash on Saturday. The game, which is scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill., will be regionally televised by ABC and will also air on the Penn State Sports Network and www.GoPSUsports.com.
ESPN will broadcast the conference contest outside of the ABC coverage area.
The Nittany Lions will look to rebound from its 21-10 setback to Iowa in their Big Ten opener last weekend. Penn State's great start, highlighted by a 79-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Daryll Clark to receiver Chaz Powell on the first play from scrimmage, was nullified by four turnovers, a blocked punt and a safety, as the Hawkeyes rallied for the win.
In his first full game this season, junior linebacker Navorro Bowman shined, recording 13 tackles, including three for a loss of minus-7 yards. Senior linebacker Josh Hull tied a career-high with 13 stops while sophomore safety Nick Sukay made a career-best nine tackles, broke-up four passes and grabbed his first career interception. The Penn State defense, which is ranked No. 9 nationally, has allowed only three touchdowns this season, none in the first half.
Illinois opened its Big Ten schedule last weekend versus Ohio State in Columbus, falling 30-0.
Saturday match-up between the Nittany Lions and the Fighting Illini will be the teams' 17th meeting. Penn State leads the series, 13-3, including a 10-2 mark since the Lions began Big Ten play in 1993. The Lions earned a 38-24 victory over Illinois on Sept. 27, 2008.
Following the lllinois game, Penn State will face its final non-conference opponent of the season when it hosts Eastern Illinois on Oct. 10. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. at Beaver Stadium and will be broadcast on ESPN Classic (Comcast Channel 265 in the Centre Region). Eastern Illinois (4-0) is ranked No. 24 in the Sept. 21 Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision poll. A limited number of tickets remain for the game. Tickets can be purchased at www.GoPSUsports.com or by calling 800-833-5533