BREAKING: Penn State football announces starting lineups ahead of top-20 showdown

For the first time this season, Penn State football will play under the lights in Beaver Stadium. James Franklin and the No. 9 Nittany Lions will take on No. 19 Illinois in primetime for the program’s first ranked matchup of the year.

The Nittany Lions take the field in this top-20 contest after a historic outing against Kent State last Saturday. However, the Blue and White didn’t escape the weekend unscathed, losing starting linebacker Dom DeLuca, star edge rusher Abdul Carter, and backup running back Cam Wallace to injuries.

While not much clarity was provided after the game or throughout this week, we now know the status of several key Nittany Lions for Saturday night.

While Carter will return, DeLuca and Wallace will not be available against Illinois, per the program’s conference-mandated injury report. They join star safety KJ Winston, who is out indefinitely.

Penn State football announces starters for primetime matchup with Illinois

With kickoff rapidly approaching inside Beaver Stadium, Penn State football just announced its anticipated starters for tonight’s game:

Offense

QB: Drew Allar

RB: Nicholas Singleton (Kaytron Allen also listed as a starter)

WR: Harrison Wallace III, Julian Fleming, Liam Clifford

TE: Tyler Warren

LT: Drew Shelton

LG: Vega Ioane 

C: Nick Dawkins

RG: Sal Wormley

RT: Anthony Donkoh

Defense

DE: Dani Dennis-Sutton, Abdul Carter

DT: Zane Durant, Dvon J-Thomas

LB: Tony Rojas, Kobe King, DaKaari Nelson

CB: AJ Harris, Cam Miller (Elliot Washington also announced as a starter)

S: Jaylen Reed, Zakee Wheatley 

Special Teams

K: Sander Sahaydak (placekicker), Gabe Nwosu (kickoffs)

P: Riley Thompson

LS: Tyler Duzansky

KR: Nicholas Singleton

PR: Kaden Saunders

James Franklin wants Penn State football faithful to bring “White Out Energy” against Fighting Illini

© Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

By now, it’s no secret that James Franklin and others around the Penn State football program have been campaigning not-so-subtly to turn Saturday’s matchup against Illinois into an unofficial White Out.

With the official version of the annual spectacle set for November, the Nittany Lions had to watch their words carefully throughout the week. The result was the introduction of the phrase “White Out Energy” into the college football lexicon.

“White Out. Dramatic pause. Energy,” Franklin said to the Penn State Coaches Show host Steve Jones on Thursday evening. “White Out, a little bit longer pause. You’re going to get me in trouble…There you go. That’s what we’re doing.

“I can’t get in trouble. You’re not allowed to have multiple White Outs in one year. So that’s how you kind of beat the system.”

Ultimately, Franklin hopes the environment will help propel the Nittany Lions to victory.

“Well, I think it’s obviously going to be great this weekend,” he stated. “Night game. Ranked opponent. Big Ten opponent. Homecoming. There’s so many reasons why I think the environment is going to be great.”

Kickoff between Penn State football and Illinois is officially set for 7:34 p.m.

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