UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. RV/22 Penn State hosts Northwestern on Saturday for a Big Ten contest. The PSU homecoming matchup is set for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on FS1.
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State meets Northwestern for the 22nd time in program history. PSU leads the all-time series, 16-5, including a 9-2 mark in home games. In 2023, the Nittany Lions claimed a 41-13 victory in Evanston. Drew Allar tallied a passing and a rushing touchdown, while Nicholas Singleton added a rushing and a receiving touchdown to go with 126 all-purpose yards. The PSU defense recorded 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks and an interception.
HOMECOMING: The Nittany Lions are set to host their 105th homecoming game. Penn State holds a 75-24-5 record in front of the alumni crowd, including wins in 16 of the last 19 games. PSU earned a 21-7 win over Illinois in last year's homecoming contest.
CAMPBELL MAKING STOPS: Linebacker Amare Campbell posted his second double-digit tackle game of the year against UCLA, finishing the contest with 10 stops. He added 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Against Oregon, Campbell posted a career-best 15 tackles and is Penn State's leading tackler in four of five games this season. He is one of three FBS players with 47+ tackles and 5.5+ tackles for loss this season. Campbell sits fourth in the nation averaging 5.8 solo tackles per game and 20th in the country averaging 9.4 total tackles per contest.
BLOCKED PUNTS: Defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton came free through the middle to block a punt in the third quarter, against UCLA, which was scooped up and returned for a 6-yard score by Liam Clifford. It was Dennis-Sutton's first career blocked punt and Penn State's second this season, joining Dominic DeLuca's block against FIU. It was Penn State's first blocked punt returned for a touchdown since 2012 vs. Ohio State on a Mike Hull block and a Michael Yancich recovery.
THE OPPOSITION: Northwestern is 3-2 this season with a 1-1 mark in Big Ten play. Last Saturday, the Wildcats earned a 42-7 win over UL Monroe. Northwestern tallied 515 total yards, including 246 on the ground. Preston Stone threw for 262 yards and three touchdowns, while Caleb Komolafe rushed for two scores.
BY THE NUMBERS
105th - Penn State will host its 105th homecoming game.
10 - Amare Campbell secured 10 tackles at UCLA, marking his second double-digit tackle game this year.
5 - Against UCLA, Kaytron Allen tallied his fifth career game with multiple rushing touchdowns and has a rushing touchdown in all five games this season.
2 - With Dani Dennis-Sutton's blocked punt against UCLA, the NIttany Lions have two blocked punts in a season for the first time since 2021 (at Wisconsin, at Indiana).
UCLA NOTES
- Penn State is now 3-5 all-time against UCLA and 1-3 in road matchups.
- Penn State snapped a streak of 34-straight wins against teams unranked in the AP Poll.
- Penn State blocked a punt in the third quarter and returned it for a touchdown on a block by DE Dani Dennis-Sutton and a scoop-and-score by WR Liam Clifford.
- It was Penn State’s first punt block for a touchdown since a block by Mike Hull and a touchdown recovery by Michael Yancich against Ohio State in 2012.
- Dennis-Sutton’s blocked punt was Penn State’s second this season, joining LB Dominic DeLuca’s blocked punt against FIU.
- Penn State has two blocked punts in a season for the first time since 2021 (at Wisconsin, at Indiana).
SERIES HISTORY VS. NORTHWESTERN
- Penn State and Northwestern are set to meet for the 22nd time with PSU leading 16-5 in the all-time series.
- The Nittany Lions are 9-2 in home matchups.
- PSU won the last three contests in the series.
- Penn State earned a 41-13 win in Evanston in 2023.
- Drew Allar threw for 189 yards and a touchdown, while adding a rushing score.
- Nicholas Singleton ran for 80 yards and a touchdown and added a 2-yard touchdown catch.
- The Nittany Lion defense tallied 12 tackles for loss, seven sacks and an interception.
SUCCESS ON HOMECOMING
- The Nittany Lions own a 75-24-5 record in 104 games in front of the alumni crowd since their 14-7 victory over Dartmouth in the first Homecoming game on Oct. 9, 1920.
- In 2024, Penn State won 21-7 against Illinois.
- Penn State has won 10 out of its last 12 Homecoming tilts, defeating Illinois (2024), UMass (2023), Minnesota (2022), Purdue (2019), Rutgers (2017), Maryland (2016), Indiana (2015), Michigan (2013), Northwestern (2012) and Purdue (2011).
- The Nittany Lions have claimed 16 of their last 19 contests in front of the alumni crowd.