Penn State vs UCLA Preview: Can the Lions Bounce Back After Oregon Loss?

The Penn State Nittany Lions Football team takes on UCLA today at 3:30 in one of the strangest games of the James Franklin era. After a tough loss in double overtime to Oregon, the team flies across the country to face a team that fired its offensive coordinator on Tuesday of game week, has an outside defensive coordinator in his second week with the program, and an interim head coach. How will Penn State handle that much uncertainty? Can they roll the floundering Bruins and restore some confidence? We’ll discuss on the Penn State Football Tailgate Show today at 12:30!

Join us live on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel or locally on 99.5 The Bus.

Strong reaction to the Penn State offense after tough performance

Of course, there has been a strong, negative reaction from the Penn State fan base this week after the offense put up just three points and 109 yards through three quarters of the game last weekend. What can the team do to show growth against UCLA? Will any fans care about looking good against a winless team? We’ll discuss the realities of today’s game and its impact on the overall season arc on the show.

Of course, as we mentioned, UCLA presents a distinct challenge this week, as the organization has gutted its coaching staff in the two weeks leading up to this game. Last week against Northwestern, UCLA played a very different style of defense than it had in the first three games. Will that trend continue against the Lions? Or will Penn State see an entirely new game plan from the Bruins now?

On the flip side of the ball, it’s incredibly rare for a team to fire a coach mid-week, let alone after the first practice before a game. What can Penn State expect on offense from UCLA in the wake of all this change?

Player matchups

When all else fails, we’ll discuss the standout players on offense and defense for the Bruins. No one expects the team to defeat Penn State on Saturday, but we’ll outline the positions and players that the new coaching staff will leverage to try to slow down the Blue and White. Plus, we’ll discuss Nico Iamaleava’s presence on the team and what he can do to elevate UCLA’s offense.

Join us for 90 minutes of Penn State football conversation, leading into the official pregame show on The Bus. After the game, stick around for the Labatt Postgame Show for a breakdown of what happened!