Idaho at No. 15/14 Penn State
Saturday, Aug. 31 | 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT
State College, Pa. | Beaver Stadium
WATCH: Big Ten Network
LISTEN: Vandal Radio Network | Vandal Xtra | TuneIn App | TuneIn
LIVE STATS
MEDIA INFORMATION: Idaho Game Notes | Penn State Game Notes

Idaho football kicks off the 2019 campaign Saturday, at No. 15/14 Penn State. Game time is set for 3:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. PT, and will be televised on the Big Ten Network. It is the first meeting between Idaho and Penn State in football.  
 
WATCH: The game will be nationally televised on the Big Ten Network. Brandon Gaudin will handle play-by-play duties with James Laurinatis serving as the analyst and Elise Menaker reporting from the sideline.
Channel Finder: DirecTV 610; Dish Network 405; Spectrum 333; Xfinity/Comcast 404.
 
LISTEN: Dennis Patchin is in his fifth season as the radio voice of the Vandals. Patchin will call play-by-play alongside Vandal legend Ryan Phillips, who will provide color commentary. Their pregame show begins an hour before kickoff. The game can be heard on the Vandal Radio Network and online at GoVandals.com. Find stations on the network HERE.

ABOUT IDAHO: Seventh-year head coach Paul Petrino welcomes back 14 starters from last year's Vandal team, eight of whom are on offense, including four offensive linemen and standout wide receivers Jeff Cotton and Cutrell Haywood. Idaho's defense is marked by its new faces. Of the 21 student-athletes on the defensive side of Idaho's depth chart, 12 of them have not played a snap for the Vandals.

ABOUT PENN STATE: The Nittany Lions are ranked in the top 15 of both national preseason polls, checking in at 14th in the coaches' poll and 15th in the Associated Press top-25. Penn State's defense led the FBS in sacks last season, including a combined 15.5 by returners Yetur Gross-Matos and Robert Windsor. Wide receiver K.J. Hamler leads an offensive unit that looks to replace six starters, including at quarterback and running back.

VS THE BIG TEN: Idaho football is 0-1 all-time against Big Ten opponents and 0-2 against current members of the conference. The Vandals suffered a 27-17 loss at Michigan State to open the 2006 season. Idaho fell at Nebraska 38-17 in 2010, when the Huskers were still members of the Big 12.

BIG CROWDS: Penn State's Beaver Stadium has a capacity of 106,572 - the largest stadium Idaho football has played a game in program history. It has potential to be the largest crowd the Vandals have played in front of, as well. Idaho has played seven games all-time with an attendance of 80,000 or more, including two with 90,000+ fans. The largest attendance in program history was at LSU Sept. 15, 2012, with 92,177 fans at Tiger Stadium.

1. 92,177    at LSU; Sept. 15, 2012
2. 90,917    at USC; Sept. 1, 2007
3. 87,451    at Auburn; Nov. 21, 2015
4. 86,623    at Texas A&M; Sept. 17, 2011
5. 85,732    at Nebraska; Sept. 11, 2010
6. 81,467    at Florida, Nov. 17, 2018
7. 80,466    at LSU; Sept. 26, 1998

BACK EAST: Idaho's game at Penn State marks the eighth time in the last nine years the Vandals have played a game in the Eastern Time Zone, including the fourth straight season. This will be Idaho's 12th game in the Eastern Time Zone since 2011.

ALL-AMERICAN DUO: Idaho's 14 returning starters are headlined by reigning All-Americans Cade Coffey (punter) and Noah Johnson (offensive line). Coffey, a redshirt junior, has earned All-America accolades each of his first two years with the Vandals. Johnson enters his senior year as a first-team selection on nearly every national publication's preseason All-America team. Coffey and Johnson were also two of just three Big Sky athletes to be unanimously chosen to the preseason all-conference team.

 

Related Videos

Now Playing:

• Play Video