NEW: Kickoff time announced for upcoming Penn State road test

Penn State football is looking to pick up the pieces after suffering its first loss of 2023 Saturday at Ohio State. With a showdown against No. 2 Michigan looming on November 11, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions have two games to correct course in an attempt to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. Unquestionably the more difficult of the next two tests occurs on November 4 when Penn State travels to College Park to take on the Maryland Terrapins. We now have a clearer picture of what that game will look like, as full kickoff details were just released on Monday.

Kickoff details for Penn State vs. Maryland announced

Per an announcement from Penn State on Monday, the Nittany Lions’ next road test at Maryland will kick off at 3:30. The game will air on FOX. 

the stage is set. 👀#WeAre pic.twitter.com/w86O7a33ms

— Penn State Athletics (@GoPSUsports) October 23, 2023

After starting 5-0, the Terrapins have lost consecutive games to Ohio State and Illinois over the last two weeks. Penn State football is 38-3-1 against Maryland since 1943, including an 18-1-1 record on the road. James Franklin has never lost in College Park, and even recorded the largest win in series history with a 66-3 road rout of the Terrapins in 2017.

The last time Penn State football traveled to Maryland, Jahan Dotson set a program single-game receiving record with 242 yards on 11 receptions. Dotson’s third touchdown of the day, an 86-yard pass from Sean Clifford, broke the stalemate early in the fourth quarter. A late pick-six from Ji’Ayir Brown sealed a 3-14 win for the Nittany Lions.

Early storylines: Can James Franklin and the Nittany Lions correct offensive woes on the road?

After a disastrous performance against Ohio State, all eyes will be fixed on the Penn State offense over the next several weeks. The Nittany Lions have particularly struggled to point up points early on the road. Drew Allar and the Penn State offense have scored 32 points combined in the first half of their three away games this season. 

No game is out of the range of being “losable” with offensive output like the Nittany Lions put up against Ohio State. But with the caliber of defense being played by Manny Diaz’s squad, most expect Penn State to get the win against Maryland. ESPN Analytics gives Penn State an 83% chance of winning in College Park. 

But with a do-or-die showdown against Michigan the following week, we need to see some signs of life from the offense against the Terrapins. With a bye and nonconference game against UMass preceding Ohio State, James Franklin and the Nittany Lions essentially had three weeks to prepare for the Buckeyes, with little to show for it. 

Even with 2-5 Indiana coming to town Saturday, the next two weeks will be considerably tougher than what James Franklin had leading into the Ohio State game. We’ll see how Penn State football responds. 

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