STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Note: The video is from September 7.
After an early-season bye week last weekend, Penn State returns to action Saturday afternoon with its final non-conference matchup of the season -- a home date with winless Kent State.
The Nittany Lions and the Golden Flashes will kick it off at 3:30 p.m. from Beaver Stadium. The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network.
Here's a look at the matchup.
BETTING LINE: Penn State opened as a 48.5-point favorite over Kent State. The over-under is 54.5 points.
SERIES HISTORY: This is the seventh meeting between Penn State and Kent State. The Lions are 6-0 against the Golden Flashes. The last time the teams met was 2018, when Penn State roared to a 63-10 triumph in Happy Valley. In that game, PSU gained 643 total yards, including 346 passing yards and 297 rushing yards. Trace McSorley threw for two touchdowns and scored on three rushing touchdowns. Sean Clifford threw his first career touchdown pass, a 95-yard completion to Daniel George.
ABOUT PENN STATE: The Idle Lions dropped to No. 10 in the Associated Press College Football Top 25 poll, but held steady at No. 8 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
The drop in ranking could be explained by Penn State's closer-than-expected victory over Bowling Green in their home opener in Happy Valley on Sept. 7. The Lions got all they could handle from the Mid-American Conference contenders, trailing at halftime before rallying in the second half for a 34-29 victory.
RB Nicholas Singleton and RB Kaytron Allen each rushed for 100 yards in the same game for the second time in their careers. Singleton had 119 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while Allen had 101 yards on 14 attempts.
Tight end Tyler Warren had a record-setting day against Bowling Green, hauling in a career-high eight receptions for a Penn State-tight end record 146 yards. Warren topped Matt Kranchick's 136 yards against Wisconsin in 2003 and earned his second career 100-yard receiving game.
QB Drew Allar completed 13 of 20 passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns and added a touchdown on the ground for the Lions.
Penn State tallied nine plays of 20-plus yards against Bowling Green, giving PSU 14 plays of 20-plus yards this season.
But the Lion defense had a rough outing, allowing Bowling Green to gash them for 375 yards. Penn State snapped a streak of 28 games not allowing a first-drive touchdown, dating back to the Michigan State game in 2021. It was the nation's longest active streak.
The Nittany Lions also snapped a streak of 15-straight regular season non-conference games not allowing more than 20 points.
While the close shave raised some concerns among the Happy Valley faithful, it could have been worse; another MAC team, Northern Illinois, shocked No. 5 Notre Dame 16-14 on the same afternoon that Bowling Green gave Penn State a scare.
Penn State improved to 31-3 all-time against MAC teams with their win against Bowling Green.
In two games, Allar has completed 24 of 37 passes for 420 yards and five TDs. He's been intercepted once. His backup, former Central York star Beau Pribula, has rushed for 37 yards on five carries and completed his only pass of the season for a 19-yard TD.
Singleton (26-233, two TDs) is the Lions' leading rusher. Allen has 121 yards on 24 carries, but has yet to find the end zone.
Warren leads the team in catches (11) and receiving yards (176), while Harrison Wallace III (5-117, two TDs) is the top target at wideout.
ABOUT KENT STATE: The Golden Flashes are 0-3 to begin the 2024 season after falling at No. 7/9 Tennessee last Saturday. Kent State tallied 112 total yards. JD Sherrod led the rushing attack with 56 yards on seven carries. Rocco Nicholl paced the Flashes with 10 tackles.
Kenni Burns is in his second season as head coach at Kent State. He came to Kent State from Minnesota, where he served as assistant head coach since 2019.
In addition to their loss to Tennessee, the Golden Flashes fell 55-24 at Pitt and 23-17 against Saint Francis.
Against Tennessee, QB JD Sherrod led Kent State with 58 rushing yards on seven carries.
QB Devin Kargman has completed 55.6 percent of his passes for 432 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions.
RB Ky Thomas, a transfer from Minnesota, leads the team with 89 rushing yards.
WR Luke Floriea owns 15 receptions for 209 yards and two touchdowns. He also has a 29-yard punt return and a 39-yard kickoff return, while averaging 21 yards per kick return.
WR Chrishon McCray has 12 catches for 121 yards and two scores.
LB Rocco Nicholl paced the defense with 10 tackles, while LB Matt Harmon notched 1.5 tackles for loss and a sack. Nicholl leads Kent State with 24 tackles, including a half-tackle for loss, and two pass breakups.