The Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) are looking to continue their win streak on Saturday against the Northwestern Wildcats (1-2, 0-0 Big Ten) at Beaver Stadium.
Penn State dominated UMass last week, taking the game by a score of 48-7 while Northwestern is coming off its first win, powering past Western Illinois 24-7.
Penn State will be looking toward two key sources of scoring on Saturday. Its deadly running trio of Bill Belton, Zach Zwinak, and Akeel Lynch posted 185 of 228 rushing yards last week, each of them scoring in the end zone at least once.
As usual, the coaching staff are expecting nothing but greatness from sophomore starting quarterback Christian Hackenberg, who is ninth in the nation with 1,261 total yards. Penn State’s defense is also among the nation’s leaders. Ranked third in rushing defense with 49.5 yards per game, the Nittany Lions are anxious to maintain and improve that vital statistic.
Northwestern, who scored in all four quarters against Western Illinois, is looking for a repeat performance against Penn State. The Wildcats are hungry for its first conference win, and they will be looking toward the defense.
In last week’s game, sophomore defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo forced three fumbles to tie the Big Ten Conference record. Odenigbo had an overall excellent game with an additional two sacks, three tackles, and a fumble recovery that will more than likely lead to big playing time against Penn State, as his ability to hurry the quarterback could prove invaluable against the leadership of Hackenberg.
Northwestern’s special teams will also be a threat to Penn State kicker Sam Ficken, who is riding a wave of success. The Wildcats have blocked three kicks in the last two games and if the special teams are able to get to Ficken, Penn State could suffer from his impacted confidence.
Penn State is one of the 25 FBS teams that remain unbeaten, and they have no intention of changing that. Playing in its first home conference game, the Nittany Lions are looking to wrap up Penn State’s 95th homecoming week with a win as the memory of last year’s thrilling victory over Michigan fuels its game. Head coach James Franklin, on the other hand, is simply looking to use this week to make his team stronger and better prepared for the big opponents coming up – opponents like Ohio State, Michigan, and Michigan State, strong programs that have traditionally been problematic for the Nittany Lions.
While Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald is searching for his first win against Penn State, he has already beaten Franklin once. Before Franklin came to Penn State from Vanderbilt, Fitzgerald’s ‘Cats beat his Commodores 23-13 in September of 2012, leaving both coaches wanting more. Both teams are extremely capable, and the match will probably come down to whoever is hungriest.
Saturday’s matchup will kick off at 12 pm and will be aired on the Big Ten Network.
(Photo Credit: Justin K. Aller / Getty Images)
