PENN STATE (0-2; 0-0 Big Ten) vs. NAVY (0-1)
SATURDAY, SEPT. 15, 2012, 3:35 P.M. (ET) • ABC/ESPN2
BEAVER STADIUM (106,572) • UNIVERSITY PARK, PA
Nittany Lions and Mids Meet for First Time Since 1974
TELEVISION: ABC/ESPN2
Mike Patrick (p-by-p), Ed Cunningham (analyst), Jeannine Edwards (sideline)
TV APPEARANCES: The Nittany Lions are appearing on television for the 219th time in their last 221 games.
RADIO: Penn State Sports Network (60 stations):
Steve Jones (p-by-p), Jack Ham (analyst), Loren Crispell (sideline) Sirius: Ch. 134; XM: Ch. 193
Local: 93.7 FM & 1450 AM;
Navy Radio Network: Bob Socci (play-by-play), Omar Nelson (analyst), Pete Medhurst (sideline)
WEB: Gametracker & Audio at: GoPSUsports.com
ATTENDANCE: 100,000+
SERIES: The Nittany Lions and Midshipmen are meeting for the 38th time and the first time since 1974. Penn State leads the series, 18-17-2. The last meeting was a 7-6 Navy victory at Beaver Stadium on Sept. 21, 1974. The Nittany Lions won in Annapolis in 1973. The teams first met in 1894.
COACHES:
Bill O’Brien:
PENN STATE RECORD: 0-2, 1st year
OVERALL RECORD: Same
VS. NAVY: First Meeting
NOTABLE: Named Penn State’s 15th head football coach on Jan. 6, 2012…Former New England Patriots offensive coordinator under Bill Belichick…Coached NFL MVP Tom Brady from 2009-11.
KEN NIUMATALOLO:
NAVY RECORD: 32-22, 5th year
OVERALL RECORD: same
VS. PENN STATE: First Meeting
THIS WEEK
Penn State renews its rivalry with the United States Naval Academy, as the teams meet in Beaver Stadium for the first time since 1974. The Nittany Lions and Mids are meeting for the 38th time overall, with Penn State owning an 18-17-2 series advantage. The contest is Military Appreciation Day and Penn State’s Parade of Champions from 2011-12 will take place at halftime. Members of the Penn State ROTC will carry the banners of the teams being honored. The Nittany Lions are coming off a difficult 17-16 loss at Virginia last Saturday, while the Cavaliers opened the season Sept. 1 with a 50-10 loss to Notre Dame in Dublin, Ireland. The Mids were idle last week. The Penn State-Navy game will be nationally televised on ABC or ESPN2 (outside ABC regional coverage area).
PENN STATE AND THE SERVICE ACADEMIES
Penn State will be playing one of the U.S. Service Academies for the first time since 1979 and has played multiple games with all three academies. During Penn State’s 12-0 season in 1973, the Nittany Lions played all three academies, winning at Navy and Air Force and beating Army at home. That season was capped by a win over LSU in the Orange Bowl. Prior to this week’s Navy game, the Nittany Lions’ last contest with one of the service academies was in 1979, a 24-3 win over Army. Penn State and Army first played in 1899 and have met 25 times, with the Nittany Lions owning a 13-10-2 series edge. Penn State has won all three meetings with Air Force. The teams first met in 1962 and the last meeting was in 1973, a 19-9 win in Colorado Springs.