The 2025 season for Nevada football is going to start with a bang, and that’s a nice way of saying it. Week 1 for the Pack will include a trip to Beaver Stadium to face No. 2 Penn State. There’s no expectation of this game being close, and the odds of Nevada starting this season 0-1 are extremely high. But that doesn’t mean the Wolf Pack can’t put up a fight.
Nevada (0-0)(0-0) @ Penn State (0-0)(0-0)
Location: Beaver Stadium
Date/Time: Saturday, Aug. 30 at 12:30 p.m. PST
Broadcast: CBS
Betting line: Penn
State by 44.5 points. The over/under is 57.5
History: These two programs have never faced each other in school history. With Penn State ranking No. 2 in the AP Top 25 poll, this will be the highest-ranked opponent Nevada has faced in program history, passing No. 3 Boise State back in 2010.
Keys to the game
- Find a positive to take from this game
Nevada is a 44.5-point underdog for a reason. This is going to be similar to when Nevada faced USC in 2023, losing 66-14 in Southern California. But just like that ugly loss, there was some positives to be taken from that game.
The same thing needs to be said after this matchup against Penn State. Maybe QB Chubba Purdy is able to throw a few touchdowns against a tough defense. Maybe Nevada’s defense is able to create some takeaways or force QB Drew Allar into some mistakes. Regardless of what it is or how small it is on the box score, Nevada could any small win it can get.
Nevada might lose by 40 points, but if the team can fly back to Reno with at least one positive from the game, that’ll be a valuable teaching moment for not only the athletes but the coaching staff as well.
- Appreciate the opportunity to play in a big stadium
Beaver Stadium is the second-largest stadium with a capacity of 106,572. There’s no doubt the attendance will be around that number for Week 1, and it’ll be something many of these Nevada players have never experienced before.
Head coach Jeff Choate has mentioned in fall camp that this is a special experience for the players. Especially as a small Group of 6 students, it’s not every day you get to go toe-to-toe with an opponent such as Penn State.
“You look at it and you go, ‘That’s kind of one of the shrines of college football,'” Choate said at Mountain West media days. “So, if you’re a college football player or coach or fan, that’s somewhere on your bucket list, right? The only thing that would be better is if it was a Whiteout. I think that’s going to be a really cool opportunity.”
Choate also said the team will travel and walk the empty stadium a day early, something they normally don’t do. He wants the players to have a chance to get their “big-eyed” moment and be ready to play football there the next day.
- Be ready for the run game
Penn State returns star RBs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, who helped the Nittany Lions average 202.3 rushing yards and 5.3 yards per carry in 2024. Allar is a good QB, but there have been inconsistencies in the pass game, and with TE Tyler Warren gone, the pass game may be a work in progress to start.
In 2024, Nevada’s defense allowed an average of 192.8 rushing yards and 5.1 yards per carry. The Pack’s defense is also pretty new, as only one defensive starter from last year (DT Thomas Witte) returns to this year’s squad. Expect a lot of rush yards from Penn State’s running back room in this one.
Prediction
I’ll go 56-14 Penn State. If Nevada was able to score two touchdowns against USC with a worse roster (even though USC’s defense wasn’t great that year), then surely the Pack can score at least two this year. Regardless, Penn State is going to score a lot, and while it won’t be pretty, the $1.45 million the Nittany Lions are paying the Wolf Pack will always be an added bonus.
Collect the check, stay healthy, and find a positive takeaway to use against Sac State in Week 2.
