Penn State-Villanova football: Start time, how to watch and stream

Penn State and Villanova will face off on the football field Saturday for the first time in 70 years, and believe it or not it’s the Wildcats who come in with the winning streak.

Villanova defeated Penn State, 20-14, in 1951 at Allentown High School Stadium, the last time the schools’ football teams have played each other. In fact, the Wildcats have won their last three games against the Nittany Lions, so you could say the last time Penn State defeated Villanova’s football team was way back in 1935.

Of course, things are different now. Penn State, which is currently ranked No. 6 in the country, is a football powerhouse that has defeated two ranked teams in its first three games, including last week’s 28-20 win over Auburn before nearly 110,000 fans at Beaver Stadium.

» READ MORE: Penn State’s 3-0 start feels different from similar starts in the James Franklin era

Villanova, currently ranked No. 7 in the FCS rankings, is more known for its men’s basketball program, which has won two national championships in the past six years under Hall of Fame head coach Jay Wright. But Villanova is eager to show they can play football, and aren’t looking for a participation award against their commonwealth rival.

“I’m not a moral victory guy, and our staff isn’t a moral victory type of staff, and I don’t think our players are either,” Villanova head coach Mark Ferrante told reporters. “We want to go out there and prepare and put the best product we can on the field and see where the cards lay.”

Both teams will take the field at Beaver Stadium undefeated on the season. It’s the fifth time James Franklin’s Nittany Lions have started the season 3-0, and unsurprisingly it’s led to rumors about the open head coaching job at USC following the firing of Clay Helton.

“I think there’s a lot of misinformation... So I’ve decided that I’m going to handle this internally, talk to our team. It happens every single year,” Franklin told reporters last week. “I’m not worried about distractions in the media and with the fans, I’m worried about my team.”

Calling the game on the Big Ten Network is play-by-play announcer Mark Followill, who is also the television voice for the Dallas Mavericks and FC Dallas. Alongside him will be analyst Matt Millen, a four-time Super Bowl champion and one-time All-American defensive tackle at Penn State best known for his stint as the president and CEO of the Detroit Lions. Elise Menaker will be handling reporting duties from the field.

Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream Saturday’s game between Penn State and Villanova:

» READ MORE: James Franklin looks into controversial calls and non-calls during Auburn win

» READ MORE: Penn State’s trio of tight ends showed what they’re capable of in Auburn win

Joe Juliano will be covering all the action live on Twitter. Notes and observations about the game will be at inquirer.com/college-sports.

On the Big Ten Network, B1G Tailgate will air at 10 a.m. from Happy Valley, hosted by Dave Revsine and Annie Sabo alongside analysts Gerry DiNardo, Howard Griffith, Joshua Perr, and Brock Vereen.

» READ MORE: Villanova football ready to show 'we can play' with #6 Penn State