Penn State to wear 'Generations of Greatness' uniforms vs. Illinois

One of college football’s most storied programs will honor their history in two weeks with “Generations of Greatness” uniforms.

When they host Illinois on Oct. 23, Penn State will wear alternate uniforms with several details harkening back to multiple decades since the 1940s. 

Back at it in 12 days on @ABCNetwork.

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— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) October 11, 2021

The jerseys will feature block uniform numbers from the mid 20th century, white sleeve stripes from multiple decades in the last 75 years and an image of a lion in honor of the Lion Shrine, a famous campus landmark and gift from the class of 1940. Their white pants will have the blue stripe the team wore from 1952-1968, and the helmets will feature each player’s number, a tribute to the helmets worn several times in the late 1950s through the mid 1970s.

The facemasks, socks and cleats the team will wear channel previous uniforms as well, including cleats worn in the 1979 Sugar Bowl. Joe Paterno-led No. 1 Penn State lost to No. 2 Alabama 14-7 as legendary Crimson Tide head coach Bear Bryant claimed his fifth national title.

The matchup with a struggling 2-5 Illinois will air on ABC at noon ET. Penn State should be a heavy favorite. They have the week off this weekend.

Injuries a major concern as Nittany Lions move into bulk of conference play

While Penn State fell to Iowa after jumping out a 17-3 lead on Saturday, they have just that one loss and will have plenty of additional opportunities to prove themselves over the course of the rest of the year with games against Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State. 

The primary concern for the Nittany Lions right now is the swath of injuries they suffered against the Hawkeyes, including starting quarterback Sean Clifford. 

Clifford took a shot in the second quarter of Saturday’s contest and returned to the field dressed in street clothes. His backup, Ta’Quan Roberson, had a rough day, finishing 7-for-21 with 34 yards and two picks. 

Four additional players left the game: defensive tackle PJ Mustipher, running backs John Lovett and Devyn Ford and safety Jonathan Sutherland. Several other Nittany Lions took a moment to get up.

Head coach James Franklin did not provide much of an update on the injured players following the game on Saturday, but he will likely be asked about them again during Tuesday’s media availability.

The injuries were a point of contention for Franklin, who commented that he was not a fan of the Iowa faithful booing his players when they went down with supposed injuries.