The Penn State Nittany Lions (5-2, 2-1) will round out a two-game road series when they face off against the Maryland Terrapins (2-4, 0-2) at 3:30 p.m. at M&T Bank Stadium. ESPN will carry the game.
This is the second game in an NFL stadium this season for the Lions, and head coach James Franklin is excited for the opportunity.
“We have so many fans and alumni in that region. Playing at the Ravens’ stadium should be a great venue.”
Last Week: The Lions fell to Buckeyes 38-10 last Saturday. A bright spot in the dismal performance for Penn State was the return of true freshman running back Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 194 yards in the outing after coming back from a leg injury.
Maryland will be rested up after coming off of a bye week; in their last outing, the Terps fell to Ohio State 49-28 before the break. Although they started the season 2-1, the team has since dropped three straight.
What to Watch For: Penn State’s offensive line has looked sounder in the past few games. With the return of Barkley and Akeel Lynch, Hackenberg’s passes have been plentiful and more accurate.
Wide receivers DaeSean Hamilton and Chris Godwin have also been active for the Lions’ offense; together, they have collected 49 of 96 completions through the season.
With just 74 yards in the game on Saturday, Hackenberg will take over as Penn State’s career passing leader. So far in his career for the blue and white, “Hack” has racked up 7,138 yards and 40 touchdowns.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions are in a position of dominance. In 13 of the last 15 games, Penn State has held the opposing offenses to just 325 total yards or less. The defensive prowess of Carl Nassib, who has recorded at least one sack in each game this season, has motivated his line.
For Maryland, the double-threat quarterback Perry Hills will present a new challenge to the Penn State defensive line. Hills not only has a deadly arm – he’s thrown 439 yards through three games – but also has the speed to find holes in the D-lines. Hills rushed for 170 yards against Ohio State two weeks ago, a record for the Terrapins.
Maryland’s defense is also strong; ranked ninth nationally in sacks and fifth in the Big Ten, the Terrapins have brought down the opponent quarterback 20 times this season. The defense is led by junior defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, who averages 1.2 sacks per game.
Across the Nittany Nation:
- The fifth-ranked women’s volleyball team will travel to Michigan State on Saturday to clash with the Spartans.
- The men’s soccer team heads to Wisconsin on Saturday for their final road game of the regular season.
- Tickets for the first ever Big Ten Super Saturday Hoops & Hockey Doubleheader at Madison Square Garden, featuring Penn State vs. Michigan men’s basketball and hockey, on Jan. 30, 2016 will go on sale on Monday.
- The men’s baseball team will make history when they travel to Cuba and become the first American baseball team to play teams from the Cuban National Series in November.
Kickoff for the clash at M&T Bank Stadium is slated for 3:30 p.m. ESPN will carry live coverage and the game will be called by David LaMont (Play-by-Play), Ray Bentley (Analyst) and Dawn Davenport (Sideline) will call the game.
Photo Credit: GoPSUSports.com
