STATE UNIVERSITY — Penn State (2-0) looks to finish the non-conference portion of its 2024 schedule with a good result when it hosts Kent State (0-3) today at Beaver Stadium. Find news, notes, observations and more before and during the game. We’ll also have the latest score and key stats throughout the contest. Note: This page is not automatically updated, so please refresh your browser periodically to see the latest information.

Head coach James Franklin’s team is a six-touchdown favorite against the Golden Flashes. As we saw two weeks ago when the Lions had a scare against Bowling GreenThere are no gimmies in college football. But that’s as close as you can get: Several media polls rank Kent State as the worst team in college football and head coach Kenni Burns’ team is looking to bounce back from a 71-0 defeat at Tennessee last weekend.

“This is a complete football team,” Burns said this week. “And to go against West Virginia in the first game and win as convincingly as they did, and do what they did against BG, who I think is a really, really good football team — we’ve got our hands full. We’ve got to play clean, (and) we’ve got to take it play by play. We’ve just got to get better and take care of ourselves and see if we have a chance in the fourth quarter. But we’re going to have a very tough challenge again, going against another top-10 team that’s also experienced.”

Scroll down to see the latest updates.

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First quarter updates

4:12 — Touchdown, Penn State: Drew Allar throws a 16-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Warren. The Lions lead 7-0 with 2:38 left in the first quarter. The touchdown caps an 89-yard drive with nine plays in 4 minutes and 41 seconds.

4:00 — Sherrod’s third pass goes out of bounds and Kent State is forced to punt for the second time today. Penn State takes the lead with about seven minutes left in the first quarter.

3:54 — Beau Pribula comes in at quarterback while Drew Allar is still on the field, and his pass to Tyler Warren is intercepted in a tunnel screen. Kent State takes over at its own 41. Penn State had a promising drive earlier.

3:48 — JD Sherrod is now quarterback for Kent State after Kargman was carried off the field on a stretcher. He hands off on 3rd and long and the Golden Flashes will punt for the first time today.

3:43 – Dani Dennis-Sutton took down Kent State QB Devin Kargman, who lost the ball, but Kent State was able to catch it. Kargman is now on the field and is being tended to by trainers. The car is already there to take him away. He was taken away on a stretcher. JD Sherrod is now quarterback for Kent State.

Pre-match updates

3:38 — Penn State wins the coin toss and defers. Kent State has the ball first at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff will be on the Big Ten Network in a few moments.

3:34 — They’re in the process of getting the teams on the field at Beaver Stadium, so it at least doesn’t look like a weather delay will prevent the game from starting.

3:19 — Penn State announces there is lightning in the Beaver Stadium area. There is no indication yet that the Lions’ game against Kent State will be postponed. But it seems possible.

14:57 — The whole team is on the field working on their stretch marks. 41 minutes until kick-off.

13:48 — These Penn State players are OUT OF today: Safety KJ Winston Jr., quarterback Jaxon Smolik, linebackers Kari Jackson and Keon Wylie, defensive ends Zuriah Fisher and Mason Robinson, receivers Mehki Flowers and Peter Gonzalez, tight end Andrew Rappleyea and linemen Sam Siafa, Liam Andrews, De’Andre Cook and TA Cunningham.

Penn State arrived at Beaver Stadium around 1:30 p.m. ET. More updates to follow once warmups begin.

Kent State vs Penn State: Game Time and Details

Penn State has an overall record of 6-0 against the Falcons. All games have been played in State College, with the first meeting being in 1965 and the last in 2018. Here is the information for this week’s game:

Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Date: Saturday, September 21
Location: Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania.
Weather: Here is the current forecast: “Mostly cloudy in the morning, with isolated thunderstorms developing later in the day. Gusty winds and small hail are possible. High 24°C. Winds SSE at 8 to 16 km/h. Chance of rain 40%.”
The line: Penn State is the favorite with 48.5 points.
Over/Under: 55.5 points