First Look at Penn State vs. Buffalo: Kickoff Time, How to Watch, Preview

The Nittany Lions host the Bulls in their final non-conference game of the regular season.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) runs with the ball during the fourth quarter against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penn State concludes the non-conference start to its 2026 regular season on Saturday, hosting the Buffalo Bulls at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions look to go 3-0 before hosting Wisconsin in their semi-primetime Big Ten opener on Sept. 26.

Here's a first look at the Penn State-Buffalo game, including the broadcast schedule, betting line and more.

When is the Penn State-Buffalo game?

Penn State Nittany Lions football sing the alma mater after defeating the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Penn State-Buffalo game kicks off at noon ET on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. It will be Penn State's second straight noon kickoff after opening the season with a 3:30 p.m. start vs. Marshall.

Penn State then pivots to some night games to start the Big Ten season. The Nittany Lions will host Wisconsin for a rare 5 p.m. ET start Sept. 26 at Beaver Stadium. Penn State last kicked off at 5 p.m. in the 2013 White Out against Michigan.

After that, the Nittany Lions visit Northwestern for a 7:30 p.m. Friday game before hosting USC in the annual White Out.

What channel is the Penn State-Buffalo game on?

Big Ten Network will broadcast the game live from Beaver Stadium. Play-by-play announcer Chris Vosters joins analyst, and former Penn State star, Matt Millen on the call. The game also will be available to stream on BTN+.

Where are Penn State and Buffalo in the rankings?

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht takes the snap against the Temple Owls at Lincoln Financial Field. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Nittany Lions (2-0) impoved two spots to No. 14 in the weekly AP Top 25 football poll after defeating Temple 27-9. The Nittany Lions moved up one spot to No. 15 in the Coaches Poll.

Buffalo (1-1) plays in the Mid-American Conference. The Bulls are the lowest-ranked team on Penn State's schedule, according to the ESPN SP+ model. Buffalo ranks 118th among 138 teams in college football. Penn State is No. 20 in the SP+.

Penn State-Buffalo series history

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford (14) drops back in the pocket during the fourth quarter against the Buffalo Bulls at Beaver Stadium. | USA TODAY Sports

Penn State and Buffalo are meeting for the fifth time dating to 1900. The Bulls won that first game 10-0, and the Nittany Lions have won the three games played since 2007.

In their last meeting, Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford threw for 279 yards and four touchdowns, two each to Jahan Dotson and Pat Freiermuth, in a 45-13 win at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State vs. Buffalo news and notes

The game will serve as the fifth in a best-of-five series between Penn State coach Matt Campbell and Buffalo coach Pete Lembo. They met four times as the head coaches at Toledo and Ball State, respectively, winning twice each.

Penn State leads the nation in scoring defense after two games. The Nittany Lions allowed an average of 4.5 points through their first two games against Marshall and Temple. They did not give up a touchdown until the final two minutes of the game against Temple. The Nittany Lions also lead the Big Ten in passing defense (105 ypg.)

Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht ranks fourth nationally, and leads the Big Ten, in passing efficiency (227.51 rating). He leads the Big Ten in averge yards per attempt (12).

Buffalo visits Beaver Stadium with a 1-1 record. The Bulls opened their season with a 21-17 win over Albany and lost 33-20 at FIU last week.

Buffalo is 1-13 against Big Ten teams, winning at Rutgers in 2018. Buffalo also is 2-16 against ranked opponents.

The Bulls' player to watch is receiver Chance Morrow, who has scored all five of the team's touchdowns this season.

Game odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.

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