Adversity has hit the Penn State football program early this season.

Just last week we learned that starting edge rusher Max Granville will miss the rest of the season with an injury, and then Coach Matt Campbell broke the news this week in his Wednesday media availability session that star wide receiver Koby Howard will miss the next few weeks due to an injury.

Howard put a post on social media that he’s aiming to return for the Michigan game on Oct. 17.

So, not an ideal scenario for the Nittany Lions as they open Big Ten play tonight against Wisconsin (5 p.m. ET, Peacock).

Penn State fans have been eager for a breakout wide receiver for several seasons, and Howard appeared to be that player. He started the year on fire, recording 12 catches for 344 yards and two touchdowns through the first three games. His absence will certainly be felt, but PSU still has a veteran group of pass catchers capable of easing the burden.

Seniors Chase Sowell and Brett Eskildsen, both Iowa State transfers, will be asked to take on an even larger roles. Sowell has eight receptions for 126 yards and a score, while Eskildsen is second on the team with nine catches. It also appears that redshirt freshman speedster Zay Robinson will slide into Howard’s spot. Robinson has been dynamic in the return game, and when given opportunities at receiver, he’s delivered — posting five catches for 80 yards and a touchdown.

Penn State will likely lean on some three tight end sets as well. The Nittany Lions boast one of the strongest tight end rooms in the country, so expect Benjamin Brahmer (7 receptions, 97 yards, 3 TD), Andrew Rappleyea (5 receptions, 47 yards, 1 TD), and Gabe Burkle to share the field at times. All three are big, reliable targets, and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser may turn to this group early to help stabilize the offense.

Through the first three games, Rocco Becht has been as good as advertised. Even with Howard’s injury, his play is a major reason I still feel confident the offense can move the ball. Becht has been one of the Big Ten’s top signal-callers so far, throwing for 751 yards and nine touchdowns with no interceptions while completing 70 percent of his passes.

When you have a true playmaker under center, he can cover up a lot of flaws — and I think that’s exactly what Becht can do against Wisconsin.

It’s hard to take anything away from Wisconsin’s last two games, given that they came against Western Illinois and Eastern Michigan. Wisconsin did challenge themselves out of the gate going up against Notre Dame, as they dropped that contest 41-13. Wisconsin did keep things close at halftime before being outscored 28-3 in the second half once C.J. Carr and the Irish passing attack found a rhythm.

That should be an encouraging sign for Becht and the PSU passing game, as Wisconsin’s defense looked vulnerable when Carr pushed the ball downfield. It’s definitely a matchup to keep an eye on.

The marquee matchup in this game, however, will be the Penn State defense vs. Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph. The junior Old Dominion transfer is a talented dual-threat player, and he’s looked pretty good this season. He’s thrown for 752 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions, while also rushing for 82 yards.

Getting pressure up the middle will be key for the Nittany Lions against Joseph.

Per usual, the Badgers will also be looking to establish the run early. Fittingly enough, Iowa State transfer Abu Sama is Wisconsin’s best running back, as he’s rushed for 156 yards at 6.8 yards per carry and one touchdown. He rushed for 732 yards and five scores for Coach Campbell last season.

Surprisingly, the Wisconsin rushing offense hasn’t been that good, as they rank 100th in the country, averaging just 139 rushing yards per game. Penn State ranks 51st in rushing defense, surrendering 111 rushing yards per game.

Las Vegas has Penn State as a 10-point favorite over Wisconsin.

The Penn State rushing attack took some good steps forward last week, albeit, against Buffalo, but still it was good to see them get some explosive plays in the run game. Quinton Martin especially looked good, rushing 10 times for 100 yards, and James Peoples also looked explosive, rushing eight times for 59 yards and two touchdowns.

Starting running back Carson Hansen saw his carries drop to just five, but he still ran hard, averaging 7.4 yards per carry. I still think Martin and Peoples give you the chance to be the most explosive in the run game, while Hansen can mix in and get five to six carries a game as well.

Wisconsin has been pretty good against the run, giving up just 109 yards per game, so I think it will be a grind it out type of game for PSU.

Again, I just like the way Becht is playing right now, and the Badgers did struggle against Notre Dame’s pass game in the second half of that game.

My pick is: Penn State 31, Wisconsin 17.