Kickoff: Nov. 6, Beaver Stadium; time not yet announced
TV: Not yet announced
Series: The Lions caught a break last year with a leg injury to Wildcats QB Mike Kafka and pulled away late for a 34-13 road win. Northwestern, up 10-3 before the injury, looked poised for an upset before Kafka went down. PSU leads the series, 10-3.
Who will win and why: Penn State. The Wildcats always give a great effort and can be dangerous with their fluky offense. But with Kafka and several other key players gone, they may struggle this season.
About Northwestern: Head coach Pat Fitzgerald is 27-23 in four seasons at his alma mater, where he was a tremendous linebacker. He was a 2008 inductee to the College Football Hall of Fame. ... Jr. QB Dan Persa replaces Kafka and got limited experience last season. He completed 58.8 percent of his passes for 224 yards, two TDs and two INTs in nine games. He was 14-of-23 for 115 yards and carried 14 times for 42 yards against PSU. ... The Wildcats don't have much returning in the running game. So. RB Arby Fields had 302 yards and five TDs on 85 carries. ... Both of the top WRs - Zeke Markshausen (91 catches) and Andrew Brewer (57) - also are gone.
Look out for: Fitzgerald would be an excellent fit in every way to someday replace Paterno at Penn State. He's an outstanding young coach who runs a clean program that places great emphasis on education, and he knows how to win while doing things the right way.
Penn State's record after this game: 6-3
