Penn State heads to Husky Stadium in Seattle on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026, for a 3:30 p.m. ET meeting with Washington that arrives at a sharp point in the season for both teams. The Nittany Lions are 4-4 and 1-4 in Big Ten play, while Washington is 5-3 and 2-3, making this one of the cleaner measuring sticks left for both sides.
The game has a different feel because Penn State finally stopped the slide. A 31-17 win over Purdue ended a four-game losing streak, and Rocco Becht was steadier in that game, completing 16 of 24 passes for 175 yards and a touchdown. He has 13 touchdown passes this season, but the larger number is the one that has followed him through the last month: four interceptions over his last four starts. Washington, meanwhile, has won two straight and comes in with 12 interceptions, second in the Big Ten, so the ball will not stay clean for long if either side gets loose with it.
That is where the matchup starts to tighten. Penn State’s most recent win also showed what the offense can look like when it leans on the ground game, with Cam Wallace carrying 22 times for 135 yards and a touchdown and Carson Hansen adding 96 yards on 17 carries. Wallace averaged 5.9 yards per carry and caught three passes, giving Penn State a two-back look that can keep Becht from having to force throws into traffic. Washington has allowed 131.2 rushing yards per game, so the Nittany Lions have a path if they stay patient and let the backs do the heavy lifting.
Washington brings a different kind of pressure. Demond Williams Jr. returned from a rib injury against Nebraska and split time at quarterback with Elijah Brown in a 17-10 road win, which means Penn State will have to prepare for more than one shape of the Huskies' offense. Williams and Brown give Washington flexibility, but the home side also has clear receiving production to lean on. Chris Lawson leads Washington with 638 receiving yards and has caught at least five passes in each of the last four games, while Dezmen Roebuck leads the team with 53 receptions and has three touchdown grabs. Penn State allows 141.4 passing yards per game, which puts the secondary in a spot where one missed assignment can matter fast.
The cleaner edge may come down to who protects the ball on the first long Saturday in Seattle. Penn State is coming off its best result in weeks, but Becht has taken 12 sacks and thrown four interceptions over his last four starts, and Washington has already built a season around taking the ball away. If the Nittany Lions keep their run game in front and avoid the giveaway that has tripped them up before, they can turn a rebound win into something sturdier. If not, Washington’s interception total suggests the Huskies are ready to make Penn State pay for every risky throw.
