Penn State and UCLA are set to clash on the football field this Saturday for the first time since 1968, a matchup that has not occurred since Lyndon B. Johnson was in office and Joe Paterno was just beginning his coaching career with the Nittany Lions.
The last encounter between these two teams took place in Los Angeles, where Penn State triumphed over UCLA with a score of 21-7. Interestingly, that game marked the sixth consecutive matchup between the schools, with no further meetings for decades following that series.
With the two teams now sharing a conference, fans can anticipate more frequent contests in the future. The upcoming game promises to be an intriguing first encounter as conference rivals.
Details for watching Penn State vs. UCLA live include:
– Date: Saturday, Oct. 5
– Time: Noon ET
– Location: Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania
– TV: Fox
– Live stream: fubo (available for free trial)
This matchup is particularly notable for UCLA, as it will be their first game in the Eastern Time Zone since 2014, when they faced Virginia in Charlottesville. The Bruins won that game 28-20 and will soon return to the Eastern Time Zone to play Rutgers after hosting Minnesota next week.
Penn State has shown a consistent performance, starting the current season at 4-0, which marks the fourth consecutive year they have opened with such a record. The Nittany Lions have a history of strong starts, having completed the previous three seasons with a perfect 5-0 record prior to facing tougher opponents like Ohio State and Michigan.
The Nittany Lions have a remarkable streak of 24 straight victories against unranked teams, a run that dates back to a loss against Illinois in 2021. Last week, Penn State managed to avenge that memory by defeating Illinois, who was ranked at the time.
As for predictions, UCLA’s debut in the Big Ten has not gone smoothly, with the Bruins currently sitting at 0-2 and being outscored by a total of 50 points in those home games. Traveling to Penn State poses a significant challenge, especially given the struggles of their defense against high-scoring teams. The early kickoff may pose a concern for the Nittany Lions, yet expectations remain high for their performance. The predicted outcome favors Penn State by a significant margin.