'Jaw-dropping' Penn State Whiteout setting for Auburn showdown

Penn State football is nearly 24 hours away from returning to Beaver Stadium as the Nittany Lions host Auburn on Saturday night.

There has been plenty of hype surrounding the highly anticipated home “Whiteout” game for James Franklin’s team.

Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford painted a vivid picture for those who have never experienced the scene in person. It will be the Nittany Lions’ first Whiteout game since defeating Michigan in 2019.

“You can’t watch the Whiteout on TV and say that you’ve seen the Whiteout,” Clifford said. “You have to be here to experience it. It’s one of those experiences that is jaw-dropping, inspiring, just a sense of community that you really can’t feel anywhere else.”

Jaw-dropping is the perfect term to describe the scene. It’s been widely publicized all week, but we saw the fans at Virginia Tech shake the stadium when the Hokies entered Lane Stadium to Lane Stadium in the opener vs. UNC. Penn State spoiled Wisconsin’s “Jump Around” tradition, but these are the things so many college football fans missed when stadiums were empty.

Auburn ready for Penn State Whiteout

While Auburn head coach Brian Harsin may be new to the SEC, most of his squad has played in hostile environments in stadiums that hold more fans than any NFL venue.

Harsin welcomes the Penn State Whiteout.

“That should be something that we all embrace and want to be a part of,” Auburn coach Bryan Harsin said. “And if you’re a guy that is worried about that, or shying away, don’t get on the plane. We’ll take somebody else. We’ll take the guys that have the mindset to go play and do a job in this game and we’ll compete with them.”

Auburn has not faced a Power Five opponent yet this year after starting their season with Akron and Alabama State, but so far they are leading the country in points allowed with just five per game. 

Unlike against Wisconsin, Penn State scored 24 points in the first half against Ball State last week. Clifford had a pair of touchdowns, one through the air and one on the ground, and the team totaled 240 rushing yards. Auburn leads the SEC in rushing yardage allowed, giving up just 21.5 yards per game. Again, they have not faced an opponent like Penn State, but it is clear they have been successful in stopping the run to date. 

Penn State will need to get off to a quick start this Saturday to keep the raucous crowd in the game early.