Saturday's game between Purdue and Penn State may not be the marquee matchup in college football, but it's an important game for both programs as October comes to a close.

The Boilermakers are heading into the Halloween clash looking to add a victory to its trick-or-treat bucket to get back to .500 on the season. It would also give the program momentum heading into the final month of the season.

Penn State is trying to get its first Big Ten victory under head coach Matt Campbell. This season hasn't gone as the Nittany Lions have planned, so a victory would provide this team with some confidence.

Purdue Boilermakers On SI will be provided updates, news, analysis and highlights throughout the game. You can update this page regularly for the latest happenings from State College.

Purdue vs. Penn State live game blog

Pregame

• Purdue will be without defensive back Jaden Mangham and wide receiver De'Nylon Morrissette. Penn State has 14 players listed as out for today's game, which includes its top two receivers Chase Sowell and Koby Howard.

Purdue vs. Penn State is scheduled for a 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff. The game will air on Big Ten Network.

What's at stake

Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue was on a roller coaster in the first half of the season, and sits 2-2 in Big Ten play. With a win, the Boilers would be 3-2 in the conference and 4-4 on the year. Bowl eligibility would be back in the discussion for Barry Odom's squad.

Happy Valley has also been a place where Purdue hasn't won much. The Boilers have only one victory in State College and Penn State leads the all-time series 17-3-1. Even though this isn't a Nittany Lions team many of us expected to see, this would be a signature win for Odom.

Penn State Nittany Lions

Campbell has struggled in his first season in State College, especially on the offensive side. Penn State cruised to a 3-0 record with an easy non-conference slate, but has let several conference games slip through its fingers.

A win over Purdue certainly doesn't fix all of the issues for Penn State, but it might allow the Nittany Lions to generate some confidence and momentum entering the final month of the season.

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