Nevada (0-0) at No. 2/3 Penn State (0-0)
Saturday, Aug. 30 - 12:30 p.m. PT
West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium - University Park, Pa.

TV: CBS/Paramount+ (PxP: Brad Nessler, Analyst: Gary Danielson, Sideline: Jenny Dell)
Radio: Wolf Pack Radio Network/The Varsity Network App (PxP: John Ramey, Analyst: Mike Edwards)

RENO, Nev. - Nevada opens the 2025 campaign with a cross-country trek to Happy Valley, taking on No. 2/3 Penn State Saturday at 12:30 p.m. PT. Saturday's contest will be broadcast on CBS and streamed on Paramount+, with Brad Nessler (play-by-play), Gary Danielson (analyst), and Jenny Dell (sideline) on the call.

The Wolf Pack Radio Network will call the game on KOZZ 105.7 FM in Northern Nevada, online at www.thevarsitynetwork.com and on the Varsity Network app. John Ramey (play-by-play) and Mike Edwards (analyst) will be in the booth, with the 60-minute pregame show to begin at 11:30 a.m. PT.

SERIES HISTORY
Saturday's season opener will be the first meeting between Nevada and Penn State. The Nittany Lions' rank of No. 2 in the Associated Press Poll makes them the highest-ranked team Nevada has ever faced. The previous highest-ranked school faced by the Wolf Pack, in either poll, was No. 3/3 Boise State in 2010 (Nevada won, 34-31, in overtime).

ABOUT PENN STATE
Penn State comes into the 2025 campaign with a preseason ranking of No. 2 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 3 in the Coaches Polls. The Nittany Lions, with James Franklin in his 12th season at the helm, finished 13-3 last season and reached the CFP semifinals, where they fell, 27-24, to Notre Dame in the Capital One Orange Bowl.

Penn State returns plenty of its key playmakers on offense, led by quarterback Drew Allar (3,327 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, 66.5 completion pct. in 2024). Including Allar's 302 rushing yards and six touchdowns last year, the Nittany Lion rushing attack which led the B1G and ranked 17th in the country with 202.3 yards per game benefits from the return of each of its 1,000-yard performers in Kaytron Allen (1,108 yards, eight touchdowns) and Nicholas Singleton (1,099 yards, 12 touchdowns).

On defense, Penn State ranked eighth in the country in 2024, allowing just 16.3 points per game, and was seventh in total defense (294.8 yards allowed per game). Safety Zakee Wheatley (96 tackles, three INT in 2024) and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (42 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 13.0 tackles-for-loss in 2024) lead the unit.

AGAINST THE B1G
Nevada is 2-6 against the B1G, with its three most recent meetings with a B1G squad taking place since 2019. The Pack suffered 27-0 losses at Minnesota (2024) and Iowa (2022), and in 2019 overcame a 17-point, second-half deficit to beat Purdue, 34-31, in Reno on Brandon Talton's 56-yard field goal as time expired.

PURDY TAKES THE REINS AT QB
Purdy is set to take the reins of the Nevada offense in 2025, after appearing in seven games with one start for the Wolf Pack a season ago. The dual-threat quarterback went 13-for-18 for 155 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 41 yards in the start at Hawai'i on Oct. 26, and for the season completed 72.0 percent of his passes.

Prior to his arrival in Reno, Purdy split four years at Florida State (2020-21) and Nebraska (2022-23). With the Huskers, he appeared in 12 games with four starts, throwing for 382 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 180 yards and another score for the Huskers in 2023. At Florida State (2020-21), he became just the fifth true freshman in FSU history to start at quarterback, passing for 181 yards and two scores in that start against N.C. State.

NEWCOMERS READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT
Nevada's newcomers from the transfer portal will have plenty of opportunity to make a quick impact in 2025. Two of the Wolf Pack's transfers have already caught the eye of preseason publications, as safety Murvin Kenion III (51 tackles, two INTs, nine passes defended at Sacramento State in 2024) and AJ Odums (51 tackles, 12 pass breakups, one INT over 16 games at UTEP from 2023-24) were tabbed to Preseason All-Mountain West Teams of both Phil Steele and Athlon Sports.

On offense, wide receiver Jordan Brown (36 catches, 414 yards, one TD in 29 games at Texas Tech) and Athlon Sports Preseason All-Mountain West Third Team running back Herschel Turner (25 carries, 94 yards, one TD in three games as a freshman at Utah State in 2024) are among those that bring instant playmaking ability.