What time is Penn State-Kent State? TV details and more for the Nittany Lions' next game
Penn State is off this week and returns to the field during Week 4 of the college football season when it hosts Kent State at Beaver Stadium on Sept. 21. The contest concludes the Nittany Lions’ 2024 non-conference schedule. So far, head coach James Franklin’s team is 2-0 after beating West Virginia 34-12 on the road before surviving an upset scare from Bowling Green last Saturday by ultimately winning 34-27 despite not leading until midway through the third quarter. The matchup with the Golden Flashes should pose far fewer challenges. And, we now know when the game will start.
Kickoff for Penn State-Kent State is now set for 3:30 p.m. ET. The Big Ten Network will televise the contest. An announcing crew has not yet been assigned. This marks the seventh meeting between the two schools and first since 2018. The Nittany Lions are 6-0 against the Golden Flashes. All contests between the Big Ten and Mid-American schools have been played in State College. And, Penn State has won all of them by double digits. A spread is not yet out. But it’s safe to assume that the home side will be at least a six-touchdown favorite, and even a 50-point spread wouldn’t surprise us.
Get to know the Penn State foe: Kent State
James Franklin was very complimentary of Bowling Green before and after the Falcons put a scare into the Nittany Lions. It was with good reason: Head coach Scott Loeffler’s team is quite good and will compete for the MAC title. Kent State can not say the same. The Golden Flashes just lost to FCS school St. Francis (Pa.) 23-17 as a 17.5-point home favorite. Before that, Kent State dropped its season opener 55-24 at Pittsburgh. And, before it faces the Nittany Lions, it visits No. 7 Tennessee this weekend in Knoxville, where it is a 47.5-point underdog.
“I still believe in our football team,” Kent State coach Kenni Burns told the Akron Beacon Journal. “I still think they’re extremely talented. This is a great youthful moment for these guys to learn how to handle adversity and respond. We got what we deserved. We came out a little bit flat, and it showed.”
This contest will serve as a final tuneup for Penn State before Big Ten play begins. The Nittany Lions host Illinois in two weeks before getting into the meat of their schedule, starting with a visit from UCLA to kick off the October portion of the schedule.
