A rematch of last year’s Big Ten Championship sets the stage for the 2025 White Out.
No. 3 Penn State (3-0) vs. No. 6 Oregon (3-0)
Kickoff: 7:30 p.m., Beaver Stadium, State College, PA
The Betting Line: Penn
State -3.5 (FanDuel)
TV: NBC, 7:30 p,m., Noah Eagle (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Kathryn Tappen (sideline)
Weather: A cloudy day with a high of 73 and lows in the mid-50s, with a small chance of rain.
COACHES:
James Franklin:
PENN STATE RECORD: 104-42, 11th Year
OVERALL RECORD: 128-57, 14th Year
VS OREGON: 0-1
Dan Lanning:
OREGON RECORD: 39-6, 4th Year
OVERALL RECORD: 39-6, 4th Year
VS. PENN STATE: 1-0
FUN FACTS
Saturday’s game will be the 18th full-stadium White Out in program history (not including games with White Out…energy)…it will be just the second White Out game with both teams ranked in the top 10…Penn State is 11-6 all-time in White Out contests…James Franklin tied Rip Engle for the second-most wins in program history with 104 following the defeat of Villanova…Penn State is 3-2 all-time against Oregon, but 0-1 with both teams as Big Ten members following the loss in December’s conference championship game.
OREGON OFFENSE VS. PENN STATE DEFENSE
Dante Moore is following the footsteps of Dillon Gabriel and Bo Nix as the latest transfer quarterback to excel under Dan Lanning. The former five-star prospect from UCLA is off to a hot start, completing 74.7 percent of his passes with 11 touchdown passes and just one interception. Moore is also fourth on the team with 87 rushing yards, and more designed runs could be in store as the Ducks face a far more challenging defense than the first four weeks. Moore has one other road start under his belt, a 34-14 victory at Nortwestern.
Like Penn State, the Ducks have a new group of passcatchers from a year ago. Moore has two senior targets in Malik Benson and Gary Bryant Jr., while freshman star-in-the-making Dakorien Moore leads the team with 207 receiving yards. Junior tight end Kenyon Sadiq is another frequent target, with nine catches for 155 yards and a team-leading three touchdown catches.
The impetus of the Oregon offense will once again be the ground attack, and the Ducks have a bevy of talented backs to share the load. Junior Jayden Limar has taken on the role of the primary back after gaining just 71 yards in limited snaps in ‘24. He is averaging 6.7 yards per carry as he’s seen his touches increased each game this season. Noah Whittington and Dierre Hill Jr. are both averaging more than 11 yards per carry on the season, while freshman Jordon Davidson, a 236 lb. powerback, has six rushing touchdowns on just 19 carries and has scored at least once in each of the first four weeks. Makhi Hayes, who had over 1,400 rushing yards in each of the last two seasons with Tulane, has not been used nearly a much a expected, although don’t be surprised if he plays a much larger role on Saturday.
Oregon’s offensive line has allowed just one sack this year, while helping gain 255.2 rushing yards per game.
Penn State’s defense has been nothing short of dominant in its first three games, but will face a much stiffer test against the Ducks. The Nittany Lions defense will need a major effort from its defensive line, as it will be imperative to get pressure on Moore to attempt to get him rattled in the White Out environment. Dani Dennis-Sutton has looked like perhaps the nation’s best defesnive end as a senior, while true freshman Chaz Coleman appears set for future stardom and has the opportunity to make a name for himself on a national level. The pass rush has also been boosted by the return of Zuriah Fisher after injuries kept him out of action for much of the last two seasons. Penn State will also need a big game out of preseason All-American defenive tackle Zane Durant to clog up the interior line to help slow down the Ducks ruhsing attack.
Linebackers Tony Rojas and Amare Campbell have greatly exceeded expectations, and will be counted on to quickly fill the gaps to keep the Ducks talented batch of running backs at bay. Campbell and Rojas are the two leaders in tackles for the Nittany Lions, and will need to remain active, as well as make plays in the backfield on Saturday.
Penn State’s highly-touted secondary was hardly tested in the non-conference slate. That will change on Saturday, as we’ll see if the unit led by A.J. Harris and Zakee Wheatley is truly among the best in the nation. Something to note is the emergence of King Mack as the likely starter alongside Wheatley, after a position battle that lasted through the first three games. Mack is the fastest player on the roster, and could be especially effective with the run defense.
PENN STATE OFFENSE VS. OREGON DEFENSE
All eyes will be on Drew Allar, who has struggled in big games and consitency throughout his career. At times, he has looked like an obvious #1 overall draft pick on one drive, only to follow that up by missing several easy reads and open receivers. Saturday will be an enormous opportunity to prove he can put it all together during his senior year against one of the nation’s top teams.
Allar will have three receivers who have quickly adapted to the offense after joining from the portal over the offseason. Trebor Pena, along with tight end Luke Reynolds, appear to be Allar’s favorite targets. Kyron Hudson has also made an early impression with a team-leading 14 catches that include some contested catches. Devonte Ross has emerged as a deep target, although he seems likely to be used more this week now that he is fully recovered from an injury that cost him valuable practice reps over the summer.
While Penn State used its non-conference slate to help Allar build chemistry in the passing game, don’t be surprised if there’s more of a commitment to the run game against Oregon. Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen are both chasing Penn State’s all-time leading rushing yards record in their fourth season together as co-starters. Allen has been off to a much hotter start to the season, averaging eight yards a carry compared to Singleton’s 4.4 yards. Singleton is a weapon out of the backfield, and will likely be used more as a receiver after not playing much of a role in the passing game to start the season.
Singleton and Allen will be running behind a talented and experienced offensive line. While there has been much hype for the unit heading into the season, they now have the opportunity to use their depth to wear down a tenacious Ducks defense in the second half.
It won’t be easy as Oregon’s defense has been outstanding to start the season. The Ducks are near the top of the rankings in most defensive statistic. However, one area where they have yet to excel is making plays in the backfield — ranking 87th in sacks and 112th in tackles for loss. They are also giving up 108.8 rushing yards per game, putting them 40th nationally.
Oregon has recruited better than anyone in the nation the past few years and there is no shortage of talent on defense. Teitum Tuioti is a problem coming off the edge, and leads the team in TFLs and QB pressures. Matayo Uiagalelei is a first-round prospect at defensive end and already has three sacks on the season. He will be a major challenge for Penn State tackles Drew Shelton and Nolan Rucci with his blink-and-you’ll-miss-it first step. Linebacker Jerry Mixon has exceptional speed and excels in pass coverage, with two interceptions and three pass breakups on the season. Senior middle linebacker Bryce Boettcher is one of the nation’s best and the heart and soul of the defense, leading the team in tackles by a wide margin after three games.
The list goes on, but simply put, Oregon’s defense is fast, deep and loaded with future NFL talent. The Nittany Lions offense will need to execute and find its rhythm, as there won’t be much margin of error against this Ducks defense.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Oregon kicker Atticus Sappington has connected on 37 of 43 field goals for an impressive 86% conversion rate in his fourth season. His career long is 48 yards, missing both attempts of 50 yards or more. Punter James Ferguson-Reynolds joined the Ducks after three seasons with Boise State, and has a 44.8 yards per punt average with a career long of 71 yards. Ferguson-Reynolds has a big leg that can easily flip the field when needed.
New starting Penn State punter Gabe Nwosu has been fantastic to start the season, landing all five of his punts inside the 20 this season, with three inside the 10. He is averaging 48.6 yards per punt with a long of 67 yards. Kicker Ryan Barker is nine-for-10 on the season with his only miss coming on a blocked field goal. He has yet to miss a field goal within 40 yards in his two seasons with the Nittany Lions.
PREDICTION
Penn State-30, Oregon-27
I’m not going to pretend this is a game where you can make a confident prediction. Neither team has faced a legitimate threat by this point, and in an era of player movement, it’s difficult to judge a team before they can prove it on the field. While Oregon’s offense has looked much sharper thus far, I do like the Nittany Lions experience, especially at home against an amped-up White Out crowd that has been yearning for a significant match-up like this.
So here’s my best shot — the Ducks jump out ahead before the Penn State defense settles in and finds some success in slowing down the offense. Penn State takes control in the second half, as the defense creates two turnovers thanks to a tenacious pass rush and a secondary that finally gets a chance to showcase its talent. The offense will put together two 6+ minute drives, led by a veteran offensive line that gradually wears down a tough front seven and allows Allen and Singleton to chip away at the defense as the game continues.
Dare I say it? Penn State makes the key plays when they really need them to pull of a nail biter against one of the nation’s best teams.
