Penn State’s ‘White Out’ Energy Made HUGE Difference vs. Illinois

All week leading up to Saturday night’s matchup against Illinois, head coach James Franklin and the rest of the Penn State Football program were calling for “Whiteout energy” from fans this week.

Penn State fans more than delivered, bringing a sea of white to Saturday night’s matchup against the Illini and ultimately making a huge difference for the Nittany Lions in a 21-7 win.

Penn State’s Whiteout is universally regarded as one of the best environments in college football annually. While Saturday night’s game was not an “official” whiteout (thanks lawyers…), Penn State fans got Franklin’s message and overwhelmingly wore white and brought the ENERGY Saturday night.

• Shop The Latest Penn State Gear at Fanatics | Buy Penn State Gear at Amazon

Illinois head coach Brett Bielema asked earlier this week what “Whiteout energy” was during his weekly press conference.

Well, its safe to say that Bielema and Illinois found out Saturday night, as Penn State’s raucous crowd changed the game for Penn State and the Nittany Lions defense. On the night, Penn State’s crowd noise forced Illinois to take two timeouts and caused four false starts, including one on a critical fourth and goal field goal attempt at the end of the first half.

Penn State’s crowd showed up and affected Illinois communication on offense all night long, creating frustration and confusion for Luke Altmyer and the Illini offense. With Penn State escaping with a huge ranked win, Penn State’s magical Whiteout lore adds another great chapter.

MORE: Major Flaw Emerges for Nittany Lions in Win over Illinois

A note to our readers; If you make a purchase through one of our affiliate links, we may receive a commission

• Author
• Recent Posts

Robert Shields

Penn State Football Reporter at NittanyCentral

Robert Shields covers Penn State Football for Nittany Central. As a Penn State graduate, Robert has covered Penn State football since 2019, but had been a fan of the Nittany Lions for well over a decade. During his undergraduate education, Robert was a manager in the athletic department of a division III school, working in various aspects of athletic management at football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse games.

Latest posts by Robert Shields (see all)

• 5 Elite Transfer Targets Matt Campbell Must Land for Penn State in 2026 - December 24, 2025
• Rocco Becht Enters Transfer Portal, Will he Follow Campbell to Penn State? - December 20, 2025
• Penn State Targeting D’Anton Lynn for defensive coordinator, per Report - December 18, 2025

About the Author

Robert Shields

Author

Robert Shields covers Penn State Football for Nittany Central. As a Penn State graduate, Robert has covered Penn State football since 2019, but had been a fan of the Nittany Lions for well over a decade. During his undergraduate education, Robert was a manager in the athletic department of a division III school, working in various aspects of athletic management at football, soccer, baseball, basketball, and lacrosse games.

View All Posts