It's Penn State-Rutgers week: Time, TV channel, early storylines, point spread, more

It’s Rutgers week, Penn State fans. The Nittany Lions play their final home game of the year this Saturday when Big Ten East foe Rutgers invades Beaver Stadium. It will be Senior Day in State College. A list of participants will come out later this week. Head coach James Franklin’s team is coming off of a 25-14 setback opposite Michigan. And, it will have a new play caller on offense after the program fired Mike Yurcich on Sunday.

“First of all, you’ve got to give Michigan credit, obviously a very, very good football team,” Franklin said. “We did not play well enough in all three phases to get to win in a great environment. Had a great crowd, great environment, which I think played a factor in the first half and helped us out. But after that, we’ve been really good in the third quarter all year long.

“Obviously, the turnover in the third quarter was a significant play in the game. Up to that point, you know, we were in a heck of a game and a heck of a dog fight between two of the best defenses in college football and two of the best teams in college football. So, give them credit.”

Get ready for the next Penn State game with our early preview below.

Time and TV info

Kickoff is at Noon ET on FOX Sports ONE. It is unclear which broadcast crew will come to State College for the game. The contest will stream on FOX Sport LIVE.

What is the Penn State-Rutgers spread?

FanDuel was the first betting operator to market. It makes Penn State a 19.5-point favorite. The betting total over/under is 43.5.

Lions’ game week schedule

There will be a media availability on Monday. James Franklin will hold his first news conference of the week at Noon ET. 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 be made available 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 Rutgers?

Rutgers can simply be summed up as a team that has (or at least had) a strong defense with very little semblance of an offense. The Scarlet Knights were just shut out 22-0 at Iowa. Fourteen of the Hawkeyes’ 22 points came in the fourth quarter, however, when the RU defense was surely shot after what ultimately ended up being 38 minutes on the field. So, a tired, weary defense is coming to State College. And, the offense is dealing with injuries, including an undisclosed one for star running back Kyle Monagai, who leads the Big Ten with an average of 94.2 rushing yards per game and a conference-high 942 yards this season.

Gavin Wimsatt has nearly as many interceptions (six) as passing touchdowns (eight) as the team’s starting quarterback. Christian Dremel is the team’s leading receiver with 30 catches for 390 yards and two touchdowns. No. 2 option JaQuae Jackson was hurt last week and his status is unclear. Linebackers Deion Jennings and Mohamed Toure lead Rutgers into Penn State with 74 and 79 tackles so far, respectivly.

Weather report

There could be some rain the morning. But, it is likely to dry out by kickoff. Weather.com says the following: “A shower or two around the area in the morning, then partly cloudy in the afternoon. High 56F. Winds W at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 30%.”

Early Penn State-Rutgers storylines

–Who will call plays for the Lions on Saturday? We’d guess it is Ja’Juan Seider’s job. But, he is now the acting co-OC with Ty Howle. Both held the title before Yurcich was fired. But now, they share his responsibilities fully.

–Can the Rutgers defense cause Penn State problems on offense? That is easily the Scarlet Knights’ best unit on the field. And, the Lions have shown they are capable of struggling to move the ball against any opponent.

–Will any surprise players go through Senior Day festivities? That list is always of interest for this very reason. It will come out on Friday.

–Is receiver Harrison Wallace III going to return for Penn State this week? He was out last week but was seen on the field during pregame warmups with his right arm no longer in a brace. We doubt it. But, time will tell.

–Will Monagai play for Rutgers? Their offense is struggles to move the ball with him in the lineup. It will face a taller task if he’s out this week. We’ll learn more throughout the week. But, it is easily one of the top topics to watch over the next few days.