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

Penn State starts the October portion of its 2023 season by closing out the non-conference portion of its schedule on Saturday. The No. 6 and 5-0 Nittany Lions welcome Massachusetts to Beaver Stadium on Saturday. It marks the second meeting between the two schools.

“Being open to some constructive criticism, [and] being self-aware. I think it’s a really good process for all of us,” head coach James Franklin said when asked about the Lions’ bye last week. “We’ve talked about this in the past with the players, and also the staff. We’ve worked hard to hopefully improve without having to have a major setback. Sometimes people need a setback and they feel like that is good for them for the rest of the season. It’s really hard to do that in college football.

“Just like the players, the coaches have to be coachable and open and self-aware. And being able to take constructive criticism. That’s really what self-scouting is. It’s cutting yourself open, looking inside, finding out what the issues are, and what makes you tick.”

Get ready for PSU-UMass with our early preview below.

Time and TV info

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. Big Ten Network will televise the matchup. A broadcast crew was not yet announced as of Noon ET on Monday.

What is the Penn State-UMass spread?

Penn State is a 42.5-point favorite. The betting over/under total is 57.5.

Lions’ game week schedule

There will be no media availability on Monday. On Tuesday, 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 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 UMass?

As expected, UMass (1-6) is one of the worst teams in the country regardless of what metric you choose to use to evaluate it. The Minutemen, who are coached by former Michigan defensive coordinator Don Brown, won their opener against New Mexico State 41-30. They’ve only finished one other game within a score of winning, and that was a 19-17 setback against MAC foe Eastern Michigan. From a statistical standpoint, they have one of the worst defenses in the country. But, the offense has showed some signs of life.

The attack, which Steve Casula oversees, is averaging 25 points and nearly 400 yards per game. Taisun Phommachanh started at quarterback last week. But, Carlos Davis has played, too. Penn State must be ready for either. The top back is Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams, who so far has 620 rushing yards and five scores. Anthony Simpson leads the way with 26 receptions for 533 yards and three scores. Linebacker Gerrell Johnson leads the defense with 26 tackles. Its top sacks performer is defensive tackle Billy Wooden, who now has four on the season.

UMass does have a Penn State alum on its staff. Matt Zanellato is the team’s receivers coach.

What is the weather forecast?

It looks like a poncho will be required. Weather.com calls for rain basically all day long. The high is 55 degrees. The low is 46. “

“Cloudy with periods of rain. High around 55F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%. Rainfall near a half an inch,” Weather.com says.

Penn State-UMass early story lines

–Penn State has had instances during the James Franklin era where its first game back after a bye week is slow and sloppy. Will that be the case this season, even against a wildly overmatched opponent?

–If things go as planned, how soon will the backups get in? And, will any freshmen make their career debuts in the likely victory?

–Will Harrison Wallace II be back, which James Franklin said would be the case next week. The Lions receiver has been sorely missed of late.

–What tweaks will be evident following a week of self-scouting and looking for improvements and tendency breakers?