(WHTM) - In 139 seasons, Penn State football won 114 of its season openers. They’re even better in home openers with a 121-13-1 record, a good sign going into Saturday's game against Nevada.
Head coach James Franklin is looking for his 10th all-time win on opening day, a record he built on in his first game with the Nittany Lions back in 2014.
Franklin began his Nittany Lions career in Dublin, Ireland, against UCF in the Croke Park Classic, a game Penn State won 26-24 thanks to a walk-off field goal by Sam Ficken.
Five years later, in 2019, Franklin and the Nittany Lions beat Idaho 79-7 at Beaver Stadium, the program's second-largest margin of victory for an opening game. The biggest margin came in 1926 when Penn State shut out Susquehanna 82-0.
More recently, in 2023, the Drew Allar era began with a win over West Virginia thanks to a 24-point second half.
Penn State hopes to build on its recent success when they kick the season off against Nevada on August 30.
