Oct. 2, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State brings a three-game winning streak into Saturday's non-conference finale against Army West Point inside sold out Beaver Stadium.
Continuing a stretch of five-straight home games, the Nittany Lions (3-1, 1-0) and Black Knights (1-3) will meet for the first time since 1979 when the two squads line up for a 12 p.m. kick on Military Appreciation Day. The game will air live on ESPNU.
"We are excited about the opportunity to play a service academy in Army," said head coach James Franklin. "You know that when you line up against an academy, they are going to play hard from start to finish. This is the first non-conference sellout at home since 2011, so we are looking forward to Saturday."
Behind another dominant performance from the Nittany Lion defensive line, Penn State tallied its third consecutive home victory against San Diego State last week (37-21). Led by a spirited effort from Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week Anthony Zettel, the Nittany Lion D-Line turned in a masterful performance with 21 tackles, 8.0 tackles for loss, 5.0 sacks, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, two pass break-ups and a touchdown from Austin Johnson against the Aztecs.
Offensively, the Nittany Lions tallied a season-high 296 yards through the air against San Diego State. Junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg finished 21-for-35 with three touchdowns. The Lions had seven different players catch passes, including running backs Saquon Barkley and Mark Allen, who each scored touchdowns.
Army West Point enters the week following a 58-36 victory over Eastern Michigan last week. The Knights scored 22 points in the fourth quarter to pull away from Eastern Michigan. Army West Point tallied 556 rushing yards in the victory and had six players tally 60 or more yards in the game. Running a triple option scheme, Army West Point has attempted just 36 passes in 2015. The Knights have rushed for 1,178 yards on 200 attempts (5.9 ypc). All three of Army West Point's losses came by five points or fewer (Fordham - 37-35, UConn - 22-17, Wake Forest - 17-14).
For the fourth straight season, the Nittany Lions will recognize the men and women in uniform with Military Appreciation Day. Active duty, Guard and Reserve military, veterans, and fallen and Gold Star families were eligible to register to receive complimentary tickets purchased by Penn State supporters as part of the Seats for Servicemembers.
The program honors the commitment and sacrifices of veterans, families and loved ones by providing tickets at no cost to active and retired Servicemembers, as well as a complimentary pregame tailgate at Bryce Jordan Center.
"It's something that means a lot to us," said Hackenberg. "We have the utmost respect for everything and all the sacrifices that the military and their families have made."
Welcome to the gameday preview for week five - Penn State vs. Army West Point.