Penn State will play its final home game of the 2017 season on Saturday when the Nittany Lions host Nebraska. The program’s senior class will be honored, and the game is designated a Stripe Out for fans.
Due to the inclement weather in Saturday’s forecast, some of the parking areas around Beaver Stadium will be closed Saturday. Go here to see which lots will not be available.
The Lions are part of a three-way tie with Michigan and Michigan State for second place in the Big Ten East Division. All three teams are a game behind Ohio State. Nebraska is mired near the bottom of the Big Ten West.
Here’s what you need to know about Saturday’s matchup:
Nebraska (4-6) at Penn State (8-2)
KICKOFF: Saturday, 4 p.m.
TV: FS1
BETTING LINE: Penn State is a 27-point favorite
SERIES HISTORY: This will be the 17th meeting between Penn State and Nebraska. The Cornhuskers hold a 9-7 advantage, including a 23-20 overtime win in Happy Valley in 2013 — the last time the teams met.
ABOUT PENN STATE: With its win over Rutgers on Homecoming last week, Penn State extended its home winning streak to 13 games, tied for 10th-longest in the school record books. It is the longest home winning streak of Penn State’s Big Ten era and the longest since a 14-game streak from 1990-92.
Penn State moved up four sports to No. 10 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings (Nov. 14), and is ranked No. 13 by the Associated Press and No. 11 in the Amway Coaches Poll.
QB Trace McSorley has thrown a touchdown pass in 25 consecutive games, dating to the 2016 TaxSlayer
Bowl, extending his school record. It is the secondlongest active streak in FBS behind Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield (34).
McSorley is 334 yards shy of posting the fourth 3,000-yard passing season in Penn State history and becoming the first to do it twice. He needs 535 passing yards to become the third Penn State quarterback total7,000 career passing yards.
RB Saquon Barkley became the second Nittany Lion to surpass 5,000 career all-purpose yards, doing so against Rutgers and also becoming the Penn State record holder.
Earlier this season, Barkley became the first Penn State running back to total 500 yards receiving in a season by adding 33 yards at Michigan State.
ABOUT NEBRASKA: The Cornhuskers need to win their final two games to become bowl eligible. Led by former Oregon State and San Diego Chargers coach Mike Riley, who is in his third season at the helm, Nebraska has lost two in a row and four of its last five. The Huskers are coming off a 54-21 loss at Minnesota last Saturday.
Quarterback Tanner Lee ranks fourth in the Big Ten averaging 253.9 passing yards per game.
Nebraska began the season with the luxury of two veteran and proven pass catchers to lead the receiving corps. Senior De’Mornay Pierson-El and junior Stanley Morgan Jr. both had extensive playing experience entering 2017.
That duo has had a strong 2017 season, and continues to climb Nebraska season and career charts. Redshirt freshman JD Spielman has emerged to give Nebraska three dangerous receiving options.
Morgan has 47 receptions for 727 yards and seven touchdowns, despite missing a game. Spielman has 49 receptions for 734 yards, and has set Husker freshman receiving records for yards and catches. Pierson-El has caught 38 passes for 530 yards and four touchdowns.
Nebraska continues to battle through an injury-riddled 2017 season. The injury hits started in the summer when All-America candidate cornerback Chris Jones was sidelined with a knee injury. Jones has played the past five games, but took time to round into form.
Nebraska running back starter Tre Bryant went down with a knee injury after two games and has missed the next five games, before undergoing season-ending knee surgery in late October.
Nebraska has been without several starters or key reserves for several weeks. Linemen Tanner Farmer and Michael Decker were lost for an extended period of time at Purdue, and linebacker Luke Gifford and safety Aaron Williams have missed the past three games after being defensive stalwarts early in the year.
