James Franklin and the Penn State football program will open the 2014 home schedule at Beaver Stadium when the Akron Zips (1-0) of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) visit Saturday.
Akron dismissed Howard University 41-0 in its opener last week, while the Nittany Lions return from Dublin, Ireland, where they slipped by Central Florida, 26-24 on a last-second game-winning field goal by Sam Ficken. That triumphant kick was made possible by a thrilling last-minute drive led by sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg. Hackenberg threw for a school-record 454 yards. Penn State ranks fourth in the nation in passing offense after that outburst. The trio of WR Geno Lewis, WR DaeSean Hamilton and TE Jesse James wreaked havoc on the Golden Knights secondary, and they will look to replicate that success against Akron.
The Zips allowed just 68 yards through the air against Howard, a MEAC team that plays in the NCAA’s FCS subdivision. To say the least, the Penn State air attack will provide a considerably greater threat in this matchup. On the ground, Akron allowed 148 yards to Howard, though that was on 51 attempts (just 2.9 yards per rush). Penn State struggled to earn much in the running game last week, so Zach Zwinak and company ought to be eager to put up much better numbers.
Akron is led by junior quarterback Kyle Pohl, who threw for 308 yards and four touchdowns in a mostly flawless performance in the team’s opener. He also happened to lead his team in rushing in that game with 48 yards on seven rushing attempts. Ten different Zips caught passes, led by Mykel Traylor-Bennett (89 yards, two touchdowns), L.T. Smith (five receptions, one touchdown each) and Austin Wolf (three receptions, one touchdown). With 513 yards of total offense and no turnovers, the Penn State defense will be tasked in this matchup to be the first team to truly challenge the Zips in this early portion of the season.
Terry Bowden coaches the Zips. He is the son of former Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden and is in his third season at Akron. He and his team very nearly beat Michigan last season in Ann Arbor, so they cannot be expect to back down to a Big Ten opponent, even on the road. Despite that quality effort, they finished with a 5-7 overall record, just 4-4 in conference play.
When: Saturday, September 6, 2014 – 12:00 pm EST
Where: Beaver Stadium – University Park, PA
Watch: ABC
Spread: Penn State -14 (via Bovida)
Last Meeting: Penn State won 31-7 at Beaver Stadium in 2009
Keys for Penn State:
1) Continue developing and taking advantage of a potent air attack, led by Hackenberg. If the QB minimizes mistakes (such as the two interceptions he threw last week), he will be difficult to stop, especially for a mid-major program like Akron.
2) Establish some semblance of a ground game again and create a more balanced attack on offense. If less pressure is on Hackenberg, he will be more comfortable and Zwinak and Bill Belton can take over and be productive too.
3) Limit big plays and force Akron into mistakes. Against Central Florida, a few big plays and success by the backup quarterback allowed the Golden Knights back into the game after they struggled throughout most of the first half.
Keys for Akron:
1) Come out early and make a huge play to quiet the crowd and create even the slightest bit of concern for the blue and white faithful. Otherwise, it will be a long and loud afternoon for the visitors.
2) Keep executing as close to perfectly as possible. Even though they faced an inferior opponent in Howard last week, the Zips were quite flawless on both sides of the ball. Any slip-ups against Penn State will likely result in a loss and they will have avoid errors in order to upset.
3) Put all of the pressure on the star quarterback by stamping out Penn State’s running game, as Central Florida had success doing. Perhaps forcing a closer game than Hackenberg expected will, in turn, force him into the kinds of errors that could keep Akron close.
Prediction: Penn State will need to be settled down after last week’s heroics and they cannot overlook Akron. James Franklin should have his team focused despite the long trip home and short rest. Expect a slightly sloppy start before the home crowd energizes Hackenberg and his offense. The Nittany Lions will turn a modest seven-point halftime lead into a late romp, winning 31-13 in front of nearly 100,000 fans eager to see the home debut of the new head coach.
