The Purdue Boilermakers will host the Penn State Nittany Lions in the season opener for both teams. This is a Big Ten conference game. Penn State leads the all-time series 15-3-1 straight up. These programs have not met since 2019, when Penn State won 35-7. The Nittany Lions have also won the last nine head-to-head meetings dating back to 2004, before most of the players who will decide this game were even in preschool.
Penn State went 7-6 last season and decided not to participate in a bowl game. James Franklin's squad welcomes seven returning starters on offense and four on defense. In the preseason Big Ten media poll, the Nittany Lions were selected to finish third in the East Division, behind Ohio State and Michigan. The Nittany Lions have +1400 odds to win the Big Ten according to Caesars Sports Book.
It's game week. #WeAre pic.twitter.com/IPVR95oBPM
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 29, 2022
Offensively, Penn State's top players are wide receivers Mitchell Tinsley and Parker Washington. Washington had 64 catches for 820 yards and four touchdowns last season, and Mitchell Tinsley, who is a transfer, had 87 catches for 1,402 yards and 14 touchdowns with Western Kentucky. Sean Clifford will be throwing to the talented receivers, who completed 61% of his passes for 21 touchdowns, eight interceptions, and 3,107 yards last season. On-defense cornerback Joey Porter is a player to watch.