Bret Bielema made the first of his eight trips to Beaver Stadium 30 years ago as a graduate assistant for Iowa’s Hayden Fry, his college coach.
He hasn’t forgotten the scene that day.
“For me to see that for the first time was really overwhelming and amazing,” Bielema said. “It’s kind of like a spaceship in the middle of nowhere. … The part that really stands out is that their fans are intelligent. They have tradition, (which is) very similar to Nebraska.
“I just have in my mind what this program has been built on and the people who have coached there and the success they’ve had.”
Bielema will take a football team into State College for the fourth time as a head coach when No. 19 Illinois (1-0 Big Ten, 4-0) faces No. 9 Penn State (0-0, 3-0) Saturday night at 7:30 (TV-NBC).
He has had a mixed bag of results as a coach at Beaver Stadium. His Wisconsin teams lost 38-7 in 2007 and 24-21 in overtime in 2012 before Illinois grinded out a 20-18 win in a record nine-overtime game in 2021.
Like that game three years ago, the Illini are decided underdogs Saturday night. But unlike 2021, they’re undefeated and coming off a victory, in overtime at Nebraska.
“They’re coming in here with a ton of confidence,” Penn State coach James Franklin said.
Franklin, players and alumni have been encouraging fans to wear white to the game, even though it is not the designated annual White Out.
“I don’t know if they’re gonna be in blue or white this weekend,” Bielema said. “It’s going to be one or the other. They’re calling for White Out energy, whatever the hell that means.”
That quip came in the middle of an answer in which he was expressing his respect for the Penn State program and its fans. He complimented the Lions across the board, especially the defense.
“No. 11 (defensive end Abdul Carter) is a really good player,” Bielema said. “Anybody who wears 11 in that program is always good, right? The interior defensive linemen are at a high level. They’re explosive. They’re productive. They’re smart. They play really hard.
“Our front on both sides of the ball is going to be tested as hard as they have.”
Illinois relies on a ground-oriented offense and ball-hawking defense. It’s the formula the Illini used to beat Penn State three years ago.
“We have a really good understanding of who Bret is all the way back to his playing days,” Franklin said, “how they want to manage the game, how they want to play at the line of scrimmage, how they want to run the ball, how they want to dominate the clock.
“Essentially he’s going to play a style where they’re not going to beat themselves.”
Bielema also is familiar with new Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who was at Kansas last year when the Jayhawks piled up 539 total yards in a 34-23 victory.
“They have multiple personnel groupings,” Bielema said. “He’s using their personnel in a uniquely different way, which is his MO. I really like their tight end, No. 44 (Tyler Warren). He might be the best tight end in the league.”
He understands how difficult it is to beat Penn State in State College.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to play a top 10 team on the road in an environment that is one of the best in college football,” he said. “We did a lot of good things in Lincoln, but this will be taking it to a whole other level.”
Rich Scarcella’s pick
Penn State 31, Illinois 14
The Nittany Lions face a stern test in their Big Ten opener. The Illini will try to control the clock on offense and force turnovers on defense. Penn State had a plus-5 turnover margin last year at Illinois. If they can protect the football again, the Lions will win by a comfortable margin.
