UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Five game times for the 2019 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU were announced today. Penn State's season opener against Idaho will kick at 3:30 p.m. on Aug. 31 on BTN, the Buffalo game Sept. 7 will be at 7:30 p.m. on FOX, the Pittsburgh game Sept. 14 will be at noon on ABC, the contest at Maryland Sept. 27 will be at 8 p.m. on FS1 and the Homecoming game against Purdue will kick at noon on Oct. 5 on ABC/ESPN/ESPN2.
In addition to the television arrangements, the games will also air on the Penn State Sports Network and GoPSUsports.com.
The Nittany Lions will take on Idaho for the first time in program history. This is also the first time Penn State has faced a Big Sky team.
Penn State is 2-1 all-time against Buffalo and 26-3 against MAC opponents. The Nittany Lions used a strong rushing attack to post a 27-14 win over the Bulls when the teams met last in 2015. The Nittany Lion defense registered six sacks, led by three sacks and two forced fumbles by Carl Nassib. Saquon Barkley made a splash with his first career 100-yard game with 115 yards on 12 carriers and a touchdown.
The Nittany Lions face Pitt for the final game of the four-game Keystone Classic presented by Peoples Natural Gas. Penn State is 52-43-4 all-time against the Panthers. Last season, six different Nittany Lions scored in a 51-6 win in downpour at Heinz Field. Trace McSorley threw for two touchdowns, while KJ Hamler had a 32-yard touchdown run and a 14-yard touchdown catch. Miles Sanders posted his first career 100-yard game in his hometown with 118 yards on 16 carries. Micah Parsons and Kevin Givens led the way for the Penn State defense with seven tackles apiece.
The Nittany Lions and Terrapins have met the last five seasons as Big Ten foes. Penn State is 39-2-1 all-time against Maryland, including a 13-1 mark in road games. McSorley rushed for two scores in the first quarter on Senior Day to lead Penn State to a 38-3 win at Beaver Stadium last season. McSorley ended the day with 230 passing yards and 64 rushing yards in his final game in Happy Valley. Ricky Slade added 64 rushing yards and two scores. The Nittany Lion defense registered five sacks, including a pair by Kevin Givens.
Penn State leads the all-time series with Purdue, 14-3-1, including a 8-1-1 mark in Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions last met the Boilermakers in 2016 when the Penn State offense exploded for a 62-24 win in West Lafayette. Barkley rushed for 207 yards and two touchdowns on just 18 carries. McSorley registered 228 yards and a pair of passing scores, both of which went to Chris Godwin. Defensively, Jason Cabinda had nine stops, while Brandon Smith and Christian Campbell each had an interception.
Penn State will play at least one regular season night game for the 20th consecutive season. Every Penn State football game has been televised the past 15 seasons and 299 of the last 301 contests overall have been on TV.
For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and reserving new season tickets for the 2019 Penn State Football season presented by PSECU, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Nearly 3,900 new season tickets have already been sold for the 2019 campaign.
