STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Fresh off a bye week, Penn State hosts UMass Saturday afternoon on Homecoming Weekend in Happy Valley.
It's the final tune up for the Nittany Lions before they visit Columbus to take on Ohio State on Oct. 21.
The Minutemen will visit Beaver Stadium for just the second time in program history and the first time since 2014. The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. and will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Here's what you need to know about the game, courtesy of Penn State athletics:
Penn State (5-0) vs. UMass (1-6)
SERIES HISTORY: In the only other meeting between the two programs in 2014, Penn State defeated the Minutemen 48-7.
COMING HOME: It's the 103rd Homecoming game in program history for the Nittany Lions, who have a 73-24-5 all-time record. Penn State has won 14 of its last 17 Homecoming matchups, including a 45-17 win over Minnesota last year.
As part of the homecoming celebration, Penn State will don its "Generations of Greatness" uniforms, which incorporate design elements from uniforms past. The Lions have worn the throwback threads five previous times and are 3-2 in those games.
The "Generations of Greatness" uniforms include numbers on the side of Penn State's helmets (a nod to previous uniforms in 1959-61 and 1967-74), block uniform number similar to those worn on jerseys from the mid-1950s to 1966, white stripes on their sleeves (1957-66, 1982-89, and 1992-2011), blue stripes on the white pants (1952-68), gray facemasks, (1959-86) and white cleats (1979 Sugar Bowl).
LAST TIME OUT: Penn State hammered Northwestern 41-13 on the road in its last outing on Sept. 30. The Lions overcame a slow start on offense behind a strong defensive effort, which held the Wildcats to minus-10 rushing yards in the first half and 175 total yards for the game. The Lions racked up 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks.
Drew Allar threw his ninth TD pass of the season to pace the offense. He did not throw an interception, raising his total career pass attempts without a pick to 218.
STREAKING: Penn State has won 10 straight games, all by at least 14 points. Over the last two seasons, no other FBS team has won by a margin of at least 14 points for more than six games in a row. The Lions have scored at least 30 points in 12 straight games, which is the nation's longest active streak.
Penn State has also held its opponent to under 100 rushing yards in four straight games and recorded at least three sacks in 10 straight outings.
ABOUT UMASS: The Minutemen fell 41-24 to Toledo last Saturday, dropping their record to 1-6. UMass managed 439 total yards on offense, including 272 passing yards.
Kay'Ron Lynch-Adams rushed for 157 yards and a touchdown, while Anthony Simpson caught seven passes for 140 yards and a score for the Minutemen. QB Taisun Phommachanh completed 20-of-31 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns.
Coached by Dan Brown, UMass has lost six straight since opening the season with a 41-30 win over New Mexico.
Brown is in his second stint as head coach of the Minutemen. He returned to UMass last November.
On the season, the UMass offense ranks 84th in the FBS in scoring (26.1 ppg), 65th in total offense (396.4 ypg), 53rd in passing offense (253.7) and 85th in rushing offense (142.7).
Phommachanh (788 yards, 3 TD) has started four games at quarterback this season.
Lynch-Adams ranks seventh in the nation in total rushing yards (661), 23rd in rushing yards per game (94.4) and 24th in rushing touchdowns (6).
Simpson sits ninth in the country with 566 receiving yards.
The Minutemen defense holds 129th in the FBS in scoring defense (39.4 ppg), 123rd in total defense (452.1 ypg), 74th in pass defense (232.0) and 128th in rushing defense (220.1). UMass has forced eight takeaways on the season.
LB Gerrell Johnson leads the team with 33 tackles, while DT Billy Wooden has a team-best eight tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks.
