On January 2, the Penn State Nittany Lions (7-5) will travel to Jacksonville, Fla., to face off against the University of Georgia Bulldogs (9-3) in the 71st annual TaxSlayer Bowl at EverBank Field. The game will kick-off at noon and will be broadcast on ESPN.
Fast Facts: This is Penn State’s 46th postseason appearance since 1923. The program is tied for the ninth most bowl appearances in the nation, and maintains a 64.4 win percentage, ranking them second nationally in teams with at least 20 postseason appearances.
This is only the second time that the Lions will take on the Bulldogs; their first clash came in 1983 when the two met in the Sugar Bowl and Penn State edged Georgia 27-23 to bring home the first of two National Championships for the program.
This will be Penn State’s fifth appearance in the TaxSlayer (previously the Gator Bowl), going 1-2-1, and is 23-21-0 against opponents from the Southeastern Conference.
From the Coach: Head coach James Franklin is excited about the opportunity “to go out and compete as a family one more time,” but recognized the challenges that Georgia will present.
“They’re big, they’re physical, they’re athletic. You know, they won nine games this year,” Franklin said. “One of the things we’re concerned about, going into the game, is their kick-off return and their punt returners. They’ve made big plays for them all year long.”
He added: “At this point in the season, they know their offense, they know their defense. They know their special team schemes, and at this point, it’s just about going out an executing.”
What to Watch For: Penn State has the best defensive end in the nation in Carl Nassib. Nassib earned lots of trophies this season, including the Rotary Lombardi Award, the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, the Ted Hendricks Award, the Lott IMPACT Trophy, and multiple All-American awards. Nassib broke Penn State’s sack streak record, and leads the nation with 15.5, despite missing basically all of the last two games of the regular season. Expect to see him go to work against the Georgia offense.
Nassib teams up with defensive tackles Anthony Zettel and Austin Johnson to create a hard-hitting defense for the Lions. Johnson and Zettel are responsible for a combined 113 tackles, and are a deadly combination for opposing quarterbacks.
Despite major change-ups to the coaching staff, Georgia is riding its successful season into this bowl game. The defense is tied for eighth in the nation, allowing just 298.0 yards of total offense per game, and it boasts the SEC’s best interceptor in Dominick Sanders, who has five steals during the season.
The Nittany Lions will introduce their new offensive coordinator. After firing previous OC John Donovan, Franklin named Joe Moorhead, former four-year head coach at Fordham and Pittsburgh native, to the position in mid-December. The Rams were regularly among the best offensive teams in the FCS during Moorhead’s tenure, and he provides an exciting opportunity for the Nittany Lions, who had been struggling with consistency, especially in providing proper protection for quarterback Christian Hackenberg.
Freshman running back Saquon Barkley was a boon to the troubled Nittany Lions’ offense. Despite losing some playing time to an injury, he broke the Penn State freshman season rushing record with 1,007 total yards. Coupled with Chris Godwin, who received 968 yards (ranked 30th in the FBS) and Saeed Blacknall, who leads Penn State with 34.4 receiving yards, the Lions have a solid ground and air game.
Hackenberg looks to start his 38th career game in the blue and white. Having already smashed his way into the Penn State record books, much debate circles Hackenberg about his potential flight to the NFL next season. His performance in the game may be an indicator.
The Bulldogs struggle on the third down, converting only 31 percent of its chances. Quarterback Greyson Lambert started the season well, but two tough games against Tennessee and Alabama shook his confidence, sending him on a slow spiral downwards. When given the time, Lambert is deadly accurate, and could pose a problem to the Penn State defense.
Across the Nittany Nation:
- The men’s hockey team will face off against Robert Morris University in the fourth annual Three Rivers Classic at CONSOL Energy Center at 7:30 on Monday night.
- The men’s basketball team topped Kent State 75-69 in its final game at the Las Vegas Classic on Wednesday night.
- Raquel Rodriguez brought home the Honda Sport Award for women’s soccer on Wednesday night.
- The ninth season of the Emmy-winning show Courtside with Coquese, which chronicles the women’s basketball team, debuted on Christmas.
Photo Credit: GoPSUSports.com
