Skip to main content
Penn State

Penn State-Michigan State time, TV details locked in: When will it start in East Lansing?

Greg Pickelby: Greg Pickel11/21/21GregPickel
Penn State Michigan State
Penn State and Michigan State will again close out their respective regular seasons to end the 2021 slate. Here's when they will play this Saturday in East Lansing. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Penn State will visit Michigan State for a battle over the Land Grant Trophy on Saturday.

The Big Ten Conference and its television partners have finally finalized plans for the last week of the regular season.

Kickoff between the Nittany Lions and Spartans is set for 3:30 p.m. ET. ABC will televise the matchup. It was not immediately clear which broadcast crew would call the game.

Previously, the contest had a kick time of either 3:30 p.m. or 4 with TV possibilities of ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, or FOX. So, this announcement, which came late Saturday night, clears that up. It will be Senior Day for the Spartans.

Where Penn State, Michigan State are entering Week 13

Penn State is 7-4 and coming off a 28-0 triumph over Rutgers. The Nittany Lions won despite losing starting quarterback Sean Clifford after four drives while multiple other first-teamers didn’t play at all. Most of those were flu-related but it’s possible that not all were.

“Hopefully we’ll get everybody back,” Penn State coach James Franklin said. “We had a few more issues here after the game. Hopefully, we’ll get everybody back for next week because obviously, we’re going to need it on the road against a great opponent.”

The Lions held Senior Day on Saturday and overcame plenty to earn a victory.

“Coming out we had some players down with illness,” safety Jaquan Brisker said. “It meant the other guys had to step up. Our leaders knew we had to step up and do what we had to do to keep the team positive. I knew I had to be okay, especially for my last game here in Beaver Stadium.”

Added defensive tackle Coziah Izzard:

“Obviously, preparation this week for the game was a little different than normal.

“However, we still studied film, worked through practices, came into the game knowing we were ready for the challenge. I had to do my job, and everyone held each other accountable.”

Michigan State, meanwhile, was blasted 56-7 at Ohio State. That eliminated it from Big Ten title contention. The Spartans were never competitive.

“You always can remember days like this,” Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne told reporters via The Associated Press. “I’ll remember the feeling for a long time, coming in here and playing like we did.”

It also appears that top back Kenneth Walker III is dealing with an ankle injury. He carried only six times for 25 yards against the Buckeyes.

“He’s a little banged up right now, so we’re going to use the guys who can go,” Tucker said.

Series history

The all-time series is tied at 17-17-1.

Penn State, however, has held the Land Grant Trophy for consecutive years. It beat the Spartans in East Lansing two years ago before winning at Beaver Stadium in 2020.

You may also like