UNIVERSITY PARK – Penn State\’s Homecoming clash with Minnesota is set for a 3:30 p.m. kick on Oct. 17 in Beaver Stadium, the Nittany Lions\’ third announced start time for the 2009 season.
The contest with the Golden Gophers will be an ABC regional telecast, with ESPN or ESPN2 airing it in the rest of the nation.
The Nittany Lions\’ Sept. 26 Big Ten opener with Iowa previously had been announced for an 8:00 p.m. kickoff in Beaver Stadium on ESPN or ABC. Also, Penn State\’s Oct. 31 contest at Northwestern will kick at 3:30 p.m. CT/4:30 p.m. ET and air on ESPN or ESPN2.
The Nittany Lions and Golden Gophers will be meeting for the first time since Penn State captured a 28-27 overtime win in 2006 in Minneapolis. The Lions lead the series, 6-4.
Penn State owns an all-time Homecoming record of 64-20-5, winning 38 of 43 games under Coach Joe Paterno. The Golden Gophers have been the Nittany Lions\’ Homecoming foe once before, in 1997.
Future Penn State contests may be selected by the networks under the six and 12-day provisions of their contracts with the Big Ten Conference.
Penn State has earned one of the nation\’s Top 10 records since the start of the 2005 season, posting a 40-11 (78.4) mark, good for No. 9 nationally. The Nittany Lions have won 42 of their last 53 games overall, dating to the final two games of the 2004 season.
Entering his 44th season as head coach and 60th on the Penn State coaching staff, Paterno returns 37 letterwinners and 10 starters for the 2009 campaign, which begins vs. Akron on Sept. 5.