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SEATTLE, Wash. – Penn State visits Washington on Saturday at Husky Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. on FS1. The 2026 Penn State Football season is presented by PSECU.
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State meets Washington for the fifth time in program history. The Nittany Lions lead 4-0 in the all-time series, including 2-0 in regular season games. PSU will play at Washington for the first time since December 3, 1921, a 21-7 Nittany Lion victory. In 2024, Penn State earned a 35-6 win. The Nittany Lions rushed for 266 yards and four touchdowns, including 98 rushing yards and a score by Kaytron Allen and two rushing touchdowns by Tyler Warren.
COLLINS CLAMPING DOWN: Audavion Collins has continued a strong redshirt senior season. Through eight games this season, Collins has tallied nine pass breakups, tied for sixth in the FBS. According to Pro Football Focus, Collins has only been targeted 20 times in 176 coverage snaps this season. Among those 20 targets, Collins has allowed just five completions. The 25 percent completion percentage allowed is the lowest among FBS cornerbacks with 175+ coverage snaps this season. Collins has forced seven incompletions. The Georgia native is allowing just 6.4 yards per reception, the second-lowest yards per reception allowed among FBS cornerbacks with 175+ coverage snaps this year.
CONTROLLING THE PASSING GAME: The Penn State defense had another strong day against the passing game on Saturday against Purdue, limiting the Boilermakers to 142 yards on 10 completions. It marked the sixth time this season Penn State has held an opponent under 150 passing yards, tied-most among FBS teams and most among Power 4 teams. PSU has also limited opponents to 10 or less completions in four games, tied-most among FBS teams and most among Power 4 teams. Penn State sits third in the country in passing defense (141.4) and passing efficiency defense (100.39), while holding fifth in third down conversion defense (27.6) and three-and-out percentage (29.35). The Nittany Lions are 13th in the country with nine interceptions.
THE OPPOSITION: Washington is 5-3 overall and 2-3 in the Big Ten this season after collecting a 17-10 win at Nebraska last Saturday. The Huskies trailed 7-3 before taking the lead on a 25-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, from Demond Williams Jr. to Chris Lawson and extended their lead on a 48-yard pick-six by Alex McLaughlin on Nebraska’s ensuing drive. Williams and Elijah Brown combined for 235 passing yards, while Lawson had 12 catches for 155 yards. The Huskies forced three interceptions and added four tackles for loss.
NUMBERS TO KNOW
175 – Penn State limited Purdue to 175 total yards, the fewest total yards allowed by PSU in a Big Ten game since 2023 against Michigan State (53 yards).
135 – In his first career start, Cam Wallace rushed for a career-high 135 yards on a career-best 22 carries. He scored on a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter and had a 48-yard rush in the first quarter.
43 – Penn State held on to the ball for 43:27 possession time against Purdue. It was the highest time of possession by Penn State since 2023 against Iowa (45:27).
32 – The Nittany Lions allowed just 32 total yards (on 22 plays) in the second half against Purdue. Penn State held the Boilermakers to just two rushing yards on eight carries.
25 – According to PFF, Audavion Collins has allowed just five completions on 20 targets in 2026, the lowest completion percentage allowed among FBS cornerbacks with 175+ coverage snaps this season.
SERIES HISTORY VS. WASHINGTON
Penn State meets Washington for the fifth time in program history.
The Nittany Lions lead 4-0 in the all-time series, including 2-0 in regular season games.
Penn State will play at Washington for the first time since December 3, 1921, a 21-7 Nittany Lions victory.
In 2024, the Nittany Lions earned a 35-6 win in the Penn State White Out game.
Penn State jumped out to a 28-0 halftime lead.
The Nittany Lions rushed for 266 yards and four touchdowns, averaging 6.6 yards per carry.
Kaytron Allen ran for 98 yards and a touchdown, while Corey Smith rushed for 95 yards, including a 78-yard rush.
Tyler Warren scored on a pair of rushing touchdowns and Beau Pribula added another rushing score.
Drew Allar threw for 220 yards and a touchdown.
On defense, Penn State tallied nine tackles for loss and five sacks, while adding an interception by Jaylen Reed.
Abdul Carter led PSU with four tackles for loss and two sacks.
PURDUE NOTES
The Nittany Lions have won 12-straight games in the series, dating back to 2005.
Penn State held on to the ball for 43:27, the highest time of possession by Penn State this season and the first time over 40 minutes of possession since the Nittany Lions had 45:27 of possession against Iowa in 2023.
CB Audavion Collins had an 11-yard rush in the fourth quarter. He is the first defensive player to get a rush attempt on offense since DB Chaz Powell (3-yard rush) against Indiana in 2008.
Penn State's 51 rush attempts were its most in a game since 2023 against Iowa (57 attempts) and the first time with 50+ rushing attempts in a game since 2025 at Michigan State (50).
RB Cam Wallace rushed for a career-high 135 yards on a career-best 22 carries.
The Nittany Lions limited Purdue to 32 yards on the second half (22 plays), including just two rushing yards (8 rushing attempts).
Purdue's 15 rushing attempts are tied for the lowest by a Penn State opponent, since 1947, with Michigan State (15) in 2006.
In the second quarter, Purdue blocked a punt, snapping Penn State's streak of 102-straight games without surrendering a blocked punt. The last blocked punt allowed was against Iowa in 2018.
On the blocked punt return, Penn State snapped a streak of 97-straight games without allowing a special teams touchdown, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.
MIDSEASON ALL-AMERICANS
A trio of Nittany Lions have been selected to midseason All-America teams.
LB Tony Rojas was tabbed a second-team midseason All-American by the Associated Press and Sports Illustrated and first-team by On3.
He is also a semifinalist for the Butkus Award.
Rojas leads Penn State this season with 58 tackles, 30 solo tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and two interceptions.
He is the only player in the FBS with 10.5+ tackles for loss and 2+ interceptions this season.
CB Audavion Collins was named a midseason first-team All-American by Sports Illustrated.
Collins sits sixth in the FBS with eight pass breakups this season.
According to PFF, Collins has allowed just five completions on 20 targets this season. Collins’ 25.0 completion percentage allowed is the lowest among FBS cornerbacks with at least 175 coverage snaps this season.
He has allowed just 6.4 yards per reception, second-lowest among FBS cornerbacks with at least 175 coverage snaps in 2026.
CB Josiah Zayas was tabbed a first-team midseason True Freshman All-American by On3.
After starting PSU’s season opener as a true freshman, Zayas has posted 21 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.
Zayas recorded two tackles for loss against Marshall and recovered a fumble against Northwestern.
He picked off a pass against Wisconsin and returned it 51 yards for a touchdown and made an interception on a one-handed grab at Michigan.