Historical pregame guide: Wisconsin won 24-20 on September 26. Read the final score and depth-chart recap for results; the preview below preserves the pregame context and dated availability reports, not current Northwestern designations.
Before kickoff, Penn State was 3-0 after its Buffalo win and Wisconsin was 2-1. The game was scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on Peacock at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State vs. Wisconsin Quick Facts
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Date | Saturday, September 26, 2026 |
| Kickoff | 5 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. CT |
| TV/streaming | Peacock |
| Location | West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium |
| Penn State record | 3-0 |
| Wisconsin record | 2-1 |
| Big Ten status | Both teams’ conference opener |
| Recent series note | Penn State has won the last six meetings |
The broadcast and time are confirmed by Penn State, Wisconsin and Peacock listings. This is not another nonconference tune-up: it is the first game that can materially change how the 2026 depth chart is read.
The Most Important Matchup: Rocco Becht vs. Colton Joseph
Becht enters with 751 passing yards and nine touchdowns through three games, with no interceptions. Penn State’s pre-Buffalo total was 539 yards and seven scores; his 212 yards and two touchdowns against the Bulls brought the season line to 751 and nine. He also surpassed 10,000 career passing yards against Buffalo and has thrown a touchdown pass in eight straight games.
Wisconsin’s Colton Joseph just delivered the louder single-game line: 362 passing yards and three passing touchdowns against Eastern Michigan, including a school-record 302 passing yards in the first half. He also rushed for a score. The matchup question is therefore not simply which quarterback has the better résumé; it is whether Penn State’s pressure and coverage structure can prevent Joseph from turning early completions into explosive possessions.
Howard’s Absence and Tyrell Henry’s Production
Howard produced 344 receiving yards on 12 catches through three games, including a 70-yard touchdown against Buffalo, but is out against Wisconsin. Campbell announced an extended absence on September 23, not a season-ending injury. His previous explosive production explains what Penn State loses; it does not make him an available player in this matchup. See the Howard injury and role tracker.
Wisconsin’s Tyrell Henry is the opponent’s clearest volume signal. He set a school record with 14 receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown in the Eastern Michigan win. The pregame question is how Penn State replaces lost explosive-play opportunities while limiting Henry’s volume and yards after the catch; no replacement target share is confirmed.
Running Game and Front-Seven Questions
Penn State’s running-back room is now a real committee. Quinton Martin Jr. ran for 100 yards on 10 carries against Buffalo, James Peoples scored twice, Cam Wallace ripped a 59-yard run, and Carson Hansen remains the most established early-down reference from the Temple game.
Wisconsin’s official box score lists Colton Joseph as its leading rusher through the first three games and Abu Sama III as the leading running back by season yardage. Penn State should be ready for a quarterback-involved run game rather than treating Joseph as a pocket-only passer.
On defense, Penn State forced multiple fumbles against Buffalo and held the Bulls to 173 total yards. Wisconsin’s 54-point win is more revealing on the passing side: the Badgers produced 479 total yards, 362 through the air, and seven passing plays of at least 20 yards according to the official recap. That is the first matchup where Penn State’s post-Granville edge rotation and secondary communication face a credible explosive passing offense.
Injury Watch: Howard, Rappleyea, Riker and Armstead
Reviewed September 26 against the September 25 report: Howard and Tyler Armstead are out. Andrew Rappleyea, Brock Riker, Dominic Rulli and Ethan Black remained questionable; Omarion Davis was probable. The Tuesday comments about Riker practicing do not override the later report. These designations are a Friday snapshot, not a claim that the final game-day report has been checked.
The Big Ten availability report, Onward State’s Thursday coverage and PennLive’s Friday report via Yahoo support these statuses. With Howard absent, Sowell, Eskildsen and Robinson are important usage checks, not confirmed replacements with assigned snap shares. Campbell’s extended-absence announcement was cross-checked with StateCollege.com and SI; no return date is confirmed.
The Friday report also listed LaVar Arrington II, Joshua Johnson, Cam Smith, Christian Askew, Mason Robinson, Dayshaun Burnett, Will Tompkins and Cooper Alexander as out, alongside Howard, Granville and Armstead. Team membership is separate from game availability; do not remove these players from the official roster solely because they cannot play this week.
Max Granville remains out for the season. The depth-chart story is now about how Penn State distributes edge snaps among Caleb Bacon, Ike Ezeogu, Yvan Kemajou and the developing rotation, not about replacing Granville with one direct clone.
Wisconsin-specific third-party injury lists should likewise be checked against the conference reports before publishing a firm status.
Four Questions to Answer Before Kickoff
- Can Penn State stop Joseph’s RPO and downfield passing without losing contain?
- Can the Nittany Lions keep Henry from turning volume into explosive gains?
- Does Martin’s 100-yard game change the Hansen-Peoples-Martin rotation?
- Do Rappleyea and Riker clear the final game-day checks, and how does the available receiver room function without Howard?
The full depth chart, receiver tracker, running-back tracker, and defensive tracker separate established roles from pending game-week availability.
Bottom Line
Penn State’s first Big Ten opponent tests the passing game without Howard and the post-Granville edge rotation. Howard and Armstead are out; Rappleyea and Riker were still questionable on the latest report checked here. This remains a pregame page, not a final-score report. The next scheduled matchup is the October 2 Northwestern game and new Ryan Field opener.
Sources
Penn State’s kickoff and streaming information were checked against the official Penn State announcement, Penn State schedule, Wisconsin game center, and Peacock listing. Wisconsin’s 2-1 record, Joseph/Henry production and 54-10 result were checked against the official Wisconsin recap, box score, and Penn State game notes. Injury information now uses the dated September 23-25 sources above, superseding the initial September 22 watch.
Becht’s three-game total was also checked against 2026 game-by-game statistics and independent StateCollege.com reporting.