Sept. 4, 2015
PHILADELPHIA - Penn State will kick off its 129th season on the gridiron at Temple on Saturday in a 3:30 p.m. (ESPN) kick inside Lincoln Financial Field.
Facing off for the 44th time, the Nittany Lions and Owls are slated to collide in Philadelphia for a season-opener for the first time since 1978. The Lions defeated the Owls 30-13 in November of last season, marking the Blue and White's 31st-straight win in the series. Penn State tallied a 14-10 victory over Temple in the most recent meeting at Lincoln Financial Field (2010).
"I would say that myself and the staff and the team is in a much better position this year than last year," head coach James Franklin said. "Last year we were excited to play the first game, but I think we could have also used another two weeks of preparation. I don't feel that way as much. I feel like our staff and our players are ready to play this game."
The Nittany Lions enter 2015 with eight returning starters on offense and seven from its 2014 defense that ranked among the nation's best. Senior defensive tackle Anthony Zettel, who garnered pre-season All-America and All-Big Ten accolades, headlines the group of returnees on the defensive side of the ball.
On offense, junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg enters the season poised to re-write the Penn State record books again in 2015. A starter in 25-straight games, Hackenberg needs just 12 completions to tie Matt McGloin for second all-time in the category.
Junior Akeel Lynch leads a talented corps of running backs into the season. Lynch logged seven straight games with 12 or more carries to end 2014, including back-to-back 130-yard plus outings in November. He also scored touchdowns in three of the final four games and tallied 75 yards on 17 carries in the Pinstripe Bowl.
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton returns after tallying a team-high 82 receptions last season. The Virginia native recorded a superlative rookie season and will be among the leaders in a deeply talented group of Nittany Lion receivers.
Under the direction of State College native and former Penn State linebacker ('97), Matt Rhule, Temple will open the season with an experienced squad on both sides of the ball. The Owls return 21 players with numerous career starts, including 10 on defense. Temple finished 6-6 in 2014.
The long wait is over. The 2015 Penn State Football season is here. Welcome to the gameday preview for the season-opener against the Temple Owls.
Full PREVIEW Here