The Penn State Nittany Lions (7-4, 4-3) will travel to East Lansing to take on the Michigan State Spartans (10-1, 6-1) in a 3:30 kickoff; this will be the final regular season game of 2015 for the Lions. ESPN will broadcast the matchup.
Fast Facts: This is the second week in a row and the third time this season that Penn State will compete against a Top 12 team. The previous two games were both losses – falling 38-10 to Ohio State and 28-16 to Michigan.
The last time the Nittany Lions traveled to Spartan Stadium, they wrapped up the 2009 season with a 42-14 win over the Spartans.
Penn State will take a week off as it waits to hear about its bowl game destination on December 6. With the 31-30 win over Maryland on October 24, Penn State became eligible for its 46th bowl game.
From the Coach: Head coach James Franklin acknowledged the challenge that the Spartans will present:
“We’ve got another really good opportunity, you could make an argument maybe the top program in the conference right now (is Michigan State),” said Franklin. “They’ve got a culture of winning that they’ve established now. Again, they have talent on offense, defense and special teams and at each level, and they play smart. This is a tremendous opportunity for us. Looking forward to the opportunity to compete.”
Last Week: Penn State fell to twelfth-ranked Michigan last week in a game full of ugly inconsistencies and sloppy play. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg was sacked four times and threw only 137 yards in the team’s first and only loss in Beaver Stadium.
Michigan State is coming off an exhilarating last-minute win against previously unbeaten Ohio State. The Spartan defense reigned supreme against the Buckeyes; the defensive line allowed only five first downs and 132 yards of total offense before kicker Michael Geiger sailed a 41-yard field goal through the uprights to scoot the team past Ohio State, 17-13.
What to Watch For: This game will pit some of the conference’s – and the nation’s – best against one another.
Offensively, two of the Big Ten’s best quarterbacks will face off. Christian Hackenberg has set the Penn State record books aflame. He now holds the Penn State career records in the following categories: passing yards (8,061), touchdown passes (46), completions (663), attempts (1,182), 200-yard passing games (20) and 300-yard passing games (9).
For the Spartans, Connor Cook, a Unitas Golden Arm Award finalist, is the winningest QB in school history, going 32-4 in his career, and 21-2 against Big Ten opponents.
Franklin emphasized a tougher approached on the offensive line. He was clear about the need to protect Hackenberg and open up the field. Clearing space ahead of Hackenberg is the best offensive weapon for the Lions. With receivers and running backs like Saquon Barkley, Akeel Lynch, and DaeSean Hamilton, Hackenberg has multiple efficient targets. Sophomore Chris Godwin has also stepped up as a wide receiver, and has had some fantastic catches and runs during the season.
Michigan State has a lot on the line on Saturday. A win would secure the team as East Division champions, hand them a ticket to the Big Ten Championship game in Indianapolis, and keep them in line for the College Football Playoffs.
Cook will likely be back for this game after missing last week with a shoulder injury. He averages 282.2 passing yards per game and has collected 21 passing touchdowns this season. His favorite target is Aaron Burbridge, who is the Big Ten’s top receiver with 69 receptions, 1,083 yards, and six touchdowns.
Defensively, Carl Nassib has been a dynamic, dominating force for the Lions. Despite missing most of the game against Michigan due to injury, Nassib still tops the leaderboard in sacks (15.5), tackles for loss (19.5) and forced fumbles (6).
Nassib, Garrett Sickels, Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel have worked together to control one of the nation’s best defenses. This season alone, the line has combined for a total of 97 tackles for loss.
Spartans defensive end Shilique Calhoun is 18th in FBS rankings with 8.5 sacks and has 15 hurries. Riley Bullough, Darien Harris and Jon Reschke lead Michigan State in tackles with 83, 71 and 67, respectively. The Spartan defense has forced 21 turnovers this season.
Penn State will face off against the Spartans at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday from Spartan Stadium. ESPN will carry the game.
Across the Nittany Nation:
- The men’s baseball team made history in San José de las Lajas, Mayabeque, Cuba as they beat Mayabeque. This is the first time that a United States baseball team has ever beaten a Cuban National team.
- The men’s basketball team returns to the Bryce Jordan Center to take on the Bucknell Bison at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
- The women’s volleyball team will travel to Nebraska to close out their regular-season at 9:30 p.m. on Saturday.
- The women’s basketball team will stay in Northridge, California, for a double-header against BYU (5 p.m.) and Gonzaga (7:30 p.m.) as part of the Radisson Chatsworth Thanksgiving Classic.
- The top-ranked women’s soccer team hosts the No. 2-seeded West Virginia Mountaineers in the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Photo Credit: GoPSUSports.com
