The Penn State Nittany Lions (7-3, 4-2) will host their last home game of the year against the Michigan Wolverines (8-2, 5-1) in a 12 p.m. kick-off on ABC.
Fast Facts: The Nittany Lions are 6-0 at Beaver Stadium this year and have won seven of their last nine games. Saturday is a White Out game, an eleven-year tradition in Happy Valley; the game is also Senior Day, and the 19-man graduating class will be honored with special festivities.
From the Coach: “We’re undefeated at home. We feed off of our fans,” said head coach James Franklin. “It’s a huge advantage for our defense, playing at home in front of our crowd. And excited about the opportunity to walk into that stadium and be able to play one last time in Beaver Stadium with these seniors and work really hard to send them out the right way.”
Last Week: November 14 was a bye week for the Lions.
The Wolverines have won their last three games; last week in Bloomington, Michigan survived a double overtime game against Indiana and won 48-41 after a last-second touchdown from quarterback Jake Rudock to wide receiver Jehu Chesson.
What to Watch For: Carl Nassib, the nation’s leader in sacks with 15.5, will command the Penn State defense. The defense has allowed only 59 points inside Beaver Stadium in six games, and are ranked third in the nation in points allowed in home games with just 9.8 per game. The Lions are plus-7 in turnover margin this year.
The Michigan defense has been nothing but consistent in 2015 for first-year head coach Jim Harbaugh. The Wolverines are highly ranked in total defense (No. 2), scoring defense (No. 6), rushing defense (No. 8), pass defense (No. 6) and third down defense (No. 3). Inside linebacker Joe Bolden leads the defense with 64 tackles while Jourdan Lewis tops the nation with 2.0 pass breakups per game.
Offensively, Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg has consistently made big plays for the Lions through the season. In 2015, 31 of his throws have been for more than 20 yards. The Lions’ running game will need to stay active and alert against Michigan’s strong defense. Akeel Lynch and Saquon Barkley have been dominating forces on ground for Penn State.
The Wolverines have a strong passing game. Rudock has completed 64 percent of his passes for 2,220 yards. Two wide receivers, Amara Darboh and Jehu Chesson, and tight end Jake Butt have collected more than 450 yards on the season. These three dynamic players also account for 13 of Michigan’s 15 touchdowns.
The university recommends that all visitors leave their bags at home or in their vehicles and arrive early, as security measures have been increased in light of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris.
The game will kick-off at noon on Saturday and will be broadcast on ABC. Bob Wischusen (Play-by-Play), Brock Huard (Analyst) and Shannon Spake (Sideline) will call the game.
Across the Nittany Nation:
- Fourth-ranked women’s volleyball will host Maryland on Saturday.
- The Penn State Board of Trustees approved recommendations for the renovation of the Mildred and Louis Lasch Football Building this week.
- The men’s basketball team fell to Duquesne 78-52 on Friday night.
- The No. 1 women’s soccer team advanced to the next round of the NCAA tournament on Friday night with a 4-0 win over Boston University.
Photo Credit: GoPSUSports.com
