What time does Penn State play Illinois: Game time, channel, streaming info

Penn State is 3-0 after blasting Kent State on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions have completed their non-conference schedule and now start Big Ten play by hosting Illinois on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. The Fighting Illini are firmly in the top 25 after a 4-0 start. They beat Nebraska in overtime last Friday.

“I think we came out of it pretty healthy,” Illinois coach Bret Bilema said. “Zakhari (Franklin) came out, but he was cleared to go back in there at the end; we just felt good about Malik (Elzy). There are a couple other guys who got banged up and went back in. Tanner Arkin is OK; he tweaked his back a little bit. There was tremendous perseverance by our guys: offensively, defensively, and with some really good special teams plays. I’m excited for these guys to go forward.”

Get ready for this week’s game with our early look ahead to the contest below.

Time and TV info

Kickoff is 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. A broadcast crew is not yet out as of Monday morning.

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What is the Penn State-Illinois spread?

Penn State opens as a 17.5-point favorite for its final contest of September.

Game week schedule for the Lions

On Monday, head coach James Franklin will hold his first news conference of the week around lunchtime. He will also speak after Wednesday’s practice and during the second half hour of the Penn State Coaches Show on Thursday, which runs from 6-7 p.m. ET. Select players will talk to reporters on ZOOM or after practice in person Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. And, an assistant coach will chat with the media Thursday morning.

What’s up with Illinois?

The Fighting Illini are one of the Big Ten’s surprise teams four weeks into the season. Illinois did not even receive votes in the preseason Associated Press top 25 poll. Now, it is inside of the top 20 and rolling. Bielema’s side has already knocked off a once-ranked Kansas team in addition to the Cornhuskers. Quarterback Luke Altmyer has 10 touchdowns and no interceptions through four games. Receiver Pat Bryant has caught six of those scoring tosses. Defensive back Matthew Bailey leads the team with 23 tackles and the team’s secondary has seven interceptions.

Weather report

The latest weather report calls for a nice, and dry, day. It reads: “Intervals of clouds and sunshine. High 73F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.”

Early Penn State-Illinois storylines

–Is Penn State ready for Big Ten play? We think so, even with the loss of safety KJ Winston Jr. While the Bowling Green game was close, the fact remains that the Lions played one bad half out of six to start the year.

–How will the Fighting Illini attack the Lions? So far, they run more than they have passed. So, a ground heavy attack is likely what Illinois will bring to Beaver Stadium.

–Is the Penn State passing attack ready for a strong Illinois secondary? And, can the receivers make enough play against it to allow the Lions to cover the spread?

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