A bittersweet mood will permeate Beaver Stadium on Saturday as Penn State football honors its seniors in a Senior Day ceremony ahead of the game against Maryland.

The Nittany Lions have 18 players classified as senior or redshirt seniors while even more are in their fourth year in Happy Valley. While some seniors have transferred in, both Tyler Warren and Nick Dawkins have spent their entire college career with Penn State.

A potential home playoff game may give the seniors another opportunity to play football in Beaver Stadium, but nothing is certain. For the Nittany Lions, it’s not time to reflect just yet.

“It’s a fun day, but it can also be a little sad,” Warren said. “Enjoying it is the biggest thing to me and making sure I don’t look past it or skip any of the moments that we get out there together.”

While Warren is a senior experiencing his first senior day, Dawkins is a redshirt senior in his fifth year at Penn State. Saturday will be his second senior day after also participating in last year’s affair.

Dawkins came to Penn State before the shortened 2020 season, gaining an extra year of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It’s going to be interesting to see a lot of my guys playing their last games that I came in with. It’s going to be tough to see them depart,” Dawkins said. “At the end of the day when you come in with guys and end with those guys at Penn State, you’re just so appreciative.”

This year’s senior class has seen a lot. A delayed, shortened season during a global pandemic, a Rose Bowl win, and a cross-country conference game ahead of the first 12-team College Football Playoff have shaped the seniors’ careers.

Warren, however, doesn’t think that the unorthodox nature of the last four years has any impact on his feelings as he is poised to leave Happy Valley and head to the next level. He didn’t navigate the landscape alone and recognized the opportunities it’s presented.

“It’s the only college experience I know. That’s just the way it was the whole time I’ve been here,” Warren said. “It never felt weird or unfair, but it’s been an interesting ride, and I wouldn’t change my experience.”

At his weekly press conference on Monday, James Franklin noted the odd nature of the game lately and said that the team is trying to be able to compete together for as much as they can. While a long shot, the Nittany Lions have a chance to make the Big Ten Championship if Michigan upsets Ohio State just before Penn State is set to kick off.

Like Warren, Franklin isn’t thinking about a trip to Indianapolis yet but said the Nittany Lions would be “very, very excited” about a chance to play for Big Ten supremacy. Before that happens, though, there’s a regular season to close out, and a class to honor.

“We look forward to having the opportunity to celebrate the seniors and what they’ve done for our program,” Franklin said. “We need to play well and be 1-0 to put us in the best position to be able to continue playing as a family as long as possible.”