The Penn State Nittany Lions (3-0, 1-0 Big Ten) will return to Beaver Stadium on Saturday afternoon to battle the University of Massachusetts Minutemen (0-3, 0-0 Mid-American Conference) in the second home game of the season.
Penn State managed to edge Rutgers 13-10 last week, using a late fourth-quarter drive to come out on top in front of a record-breaking crowd of just over 53,000. UMass is coming off of a narrow 34-31 loss to Vanderbilt after failing to score a last minute touchdown.
So far this season, Penn State has badgered their opponents with a missile-like passing game; they are ninth in the nation with 360.7 yards per game for a total of 1082 yards. Massachusetts, on the other hand, ranks sixty-first in the nation, averaging only 224.0 yards per game. UMass’ ground game has the slightest advantage over Penn State’s, as their rushing leaders, Jamal Wilson and J.T. Blyden average 4.4 and 3.4 yards, respectively. Bill Belton and Zach Zwinak have struggled to get off to a good start, as each of them average fewer than three yards per carry. In the Rutgers postgame press conference, Penn State head coach James Franklin called the offense “not pretty,” adding, “We got to get the running game going; we got to be able to consistently protect.”
Penn State will once again look to sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg to take control of the game. Hackenberg, who is 79-127 for 1082 yards after just three games, has on-field chemistry with just about anyone on the team, but wide receiver Geno Lewis seems to be his best match. The star-studded duo will, if history is any indicator, make at least one explosive play on Saturday. With a calm precision, Hackenberg and Lewis have become one of the most dynamic pairings in college football.
The odds of seeing a few monumental plays this weekend are only made greater by the fact that this will be Penn State’s first home game since the NCAA lifted the bowl ban and reinstated all of the scholarships. Beaver Stadium can promise a wild atmosphere – encouraging for the Nittany Lions, most likely detrimental for the Minutemen as the home team will make every effort to put on a great show and remind fans just who “They Are.”
Penn State should not count Massachusetts down and out, though. Having gone 0-3 so far in their season, the Minutemen are desperate for a win. Head coach Mark Whipple acknowledged Penn State’s talent and drive, but told the team’s official website that, “you know our guys will be ready.” The Nittany Lions can expect a team that will be willing to fight tooth and nail for a win, knowing that a win at Beaver Stadium could be the confidence booster they need to blow open their season.
Saturday’s kickoff is at 4 pm and will be aired on the Big Ten Network.
