Penn State-Pittsburgh Game Preview

Penn State vs. Pittsburgh Game Preview
Penn State welcomes Pitt to Happy Valley for the fourth-and-final installment of the Keystone Classic presented by Peoples Natural Gas. The Nittany Lions enter Beaver Stadium riding a two-game win streak in which they have outscored opponents, 124-20.  That margin marks the second-highest point total in school history through the first two games. 
 
Pittsburgh is 1-1 on the season and coming off a 20-10 victory over Ohio. The Panthers are led by fifth-year head coach Pat Narduzzi, who has a 1-2 record against Penn State. The game will be televised on ABC and broadcasted on the Penn State Sports Network. 
 
Penn State Spotlight
When you look at the stat sheet from Penn State's victory over Buffalo, take note of Jahan Dotson. The sophomore set a career high with his first 100-yard receiving game and also collected the first two touchdown receptions of his career. Dotson tied his career best with four receptions, which included a 56-yard reception for a touchdown during the fourth quarter. If momentum and confidence play any role on Saturday, expect Dotson to make an impact in the passing game once again. 
 
Scouting the Panthers
The Panthers will enter Beaver Stadium riding a career high performance from quarterback Kenny Pickett. The New Jersey native threw for 321 yards and one touchdown on 37 passing attempts. Pickett will run the Panthers pass-heavy offense which is led by first-year offensive coordinator Mark Whipple. Whipple, who mentored Ben Roethlisberger when the Steelers won the Super Bowl in 2005, is no stranger to the college football landscape. 
 
"Mark Whipple, a guy that's been in the profession for a long time. Very well-known and respected. Mark's been an offensive coordinator or a head coach almost the entirety of his career," Franklin stated during his weekly press conference. "[He] and coach [Sean] Spencer worked together at UMass for a number of years and he's done a great job and he's got great experience."
 
Offensively, keep an eye on Maurice Ffrench who had 10 receptions for 138 yards during their week two matchup with Ohio. The senior hauled in a 74-yard strike in the second quarter to help Pitt take a 10-0 lead. Defensively, Jaylen Twyman leads the team with 3.5 tackles for loss. The defensive tackle finished with three of Pitt's six sacks against Ohio last week.
 
Pitt quick facts
Head Coach: Pat Narduzzi
Record at Pitt (5thseason): 29-25
vs. Penn State: 1-2
 
Unrivaled Postgame
Former Penn State and NFL quarterback Matt McGloin will join Mitch Gerber for week three of the Unrivaled Postgame Show. The all-access program can be found on Facebook Live via Penn State's official Facebook page and on GoPSUsports.com. McGloin and Gerber will breakdown every home game by interviewing head coach James Franklin and select student-athletes. The show will start moments after the conclusion of the game. 

Game Information
Fans are encouraged to visit Game Day Central for all information as it relates to Penn State football game day traffic, parking, clear bag policy and information on the match up. 
 
The Pitt game is the Stripe Out game. Fans are encouraged to visit pennstatestripeout.com to find out whether they should wear blue or white. The contest also caps State of Excellence week for Penn State Athletics. The 2018-19 National Championship teams and individuals will be honored during the game, as well as those student-athletes who had a 3.0 or better in the 2019 Spring semester.