Where to watch Penn State vs. Northwestern college football for free

The Northwestern Wildcats host the Penn State Nittany Lions Friday at 8 p.m. ET. The game will air on FOX, which you can stream free on DIRECTV.

Tonight’s matchup: Penn State Nittany Lions (3-1, 0-1 Big Ten) vs. Northwestern Wildcats (2-1, 0-1 Big Ten)

When: Friday, Oct. 2, 8 p.m. ET

Stream: DIRECTV (free trial), FuboTV (free trial)

DIRECTV (free trial) and FuboTV (free trial) both offer FOX for virtually the same price. Fubo’s “Pro” package costs $88.99, while DIRECTV’s “Entertainment” package is $89.99. Both options offer a free trial and money off the first month of subscription. Your free trial will start once you create an account.

Penn State gets an early opportunity to reclaim momentum Friday night when the Nittany Lions travel to Evanston for Northwestern’s first game at the new Ryan Field, a matchup that suddenly carries significant Big Ten implications after both teams opened conference play with losses.

The Nittany Lions enter at 3-1 but are coming off a 24-20 loss to Wisconsin. Penn State has been powered by one of the nation’s best defenses, allowing just 239.5 yards and 11.5 points per game. The secondary has been especially dominant, surrendering only 126.3 passing yards per contest, fourth-best in the FBS. Quarterback Rocco Becht has thrown for 865 yards with nine touchdowns, while receiver Koby Howard leads the team with 344 receiving yards.

Northwestern sits at 2-1 and has been far more explosive offensively than in recent years. Quarterback Aidan Chiles has completed 70.7% of his passes for 807 yards without an interception, helping the Wildcats average 32.7 points per game. However, Northwestern’s defense has been vulnerable, allowing 417.3 yards per game, including nearly 200 rushing yards per contest.

The key matchup will be Penn State’s defense against Chiles and a Northwestern offense that has been nearly automatic in the red zone, converting 100% of its opportunities. If the Nittany Lions can pressure Chiles and avoid the red-zone inefficiency that hurt them against Wisconsin, they have the talent advantage. But under the lights in a brand-new stadium, Northwestern has the ingredients to make this a four-quarter game.

Joey Aliberti is a Sports Commerce Reporter for syracuse.com | The Post-Standard, covering sports, TV, streaming and tickets for teams including the Buffalo Bills, New York Jets, New York Giants, New York...

This article was produced with assistance from AI tools and reviewed by Syracuse.com staff.