The Penn State Nittany Lions (7-2, 4-1) will travel to Ryan Field to take on the Northwestern Wildcats (6-2, 2-2) in a 12 p.m. matchup on Saturday.
From the Coach: Head coach James Franklin recognized the challenges of traveling across state lines.
“Going on the road in the Big Ten is never easy,” he said. “And obviously, you are talking about a team that started the season really well with a win over Stanford and Duke out of conference and a team that has played good football in our conference. It’s going to be a tremendous challenge. We’re going to have to find a way to make some plays, especially on special teams.”
Last Week: The Nittany Lions are coming off of what was arguably their strongest win of the season with last week’s 39-0 shutout against Illinois. Quarterback Christian Hackenberg’s three touchdowns (one receiving, two passing) were motivating factors in the win.
Geno Lewis also tallied a touchdown in the contest.
Northwestern is coming off of a bye week, but went 5-0 through the first five weeks of the season before losing two straight games to Michigan and Iowa.
Preview: Defensively, Penn State’s numbers are just slightly better than Northwestern’s. The Lions are ranked first in the Big Ten in fewest penalty yards allowed; Northwestern is third. In rushing defense, the Lions are fifth, and the Wildcats are eighth.
Penn State’s dominating defense is bolstered by the presence of Carl Nassib and Austin Johnson. Nassib leads the nation in total sacks with 15, while Johnson leads the nation in tackles by a defensive lineman with 54. The frightening duo, in tandem with linemates Anthony Zettel and Garrett Sickels, are key factors in the Nittany Lions’ troublemaking defense.
Northwestern ranks just one peg higher than Penn State in total defense in the Big Ten at second; the team is 18th in the country. The Wildcats are also seventh in the nation in pass defense, only giving up an average of 164.8 yards per game. A strong linebacker corps features sophomore Anthony Walker, who has racked up 67 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss and has recovered two fumbles through eight games this season.
Offensively, Penn State seems to have hit its groove. Hackenberg has thrown 12 touchdown passes with zero interceptions in the past six games and has taken over in the Penn State record books. With 1,451 yards total in the last six weeks, he’s thrown at least 450 yards in four games.
Penn State’s running backs and wide receivers are serious contributors to the offense. Between Akeel Lynch, Saquon Barkley, Chris Godwin, and DaeSean Hamilton, the Nittany Lions have collected at least 315 yards in each of the last four games. Look for that trend to continue.
Northwestern’s offense is led by quarterback Clayton Thorson, who has positioned his team at third in the Big Ten with 186.1 ground yards per game. Thorson’s 126 rushing yards against Nebraska bumped him to second on the team with 297. The Wildcats will present a dual challenge to the Lions with the double threat quarterback.
Across the Nittany Nation:
- The No.1 women’s soccer team hosts Michigan on Friday in the Big Ten conference tournament.
- The Maloney brothers of the men’s soccer team both received All-Big Ten Honors this week.
- The women’s field hockey team advanced over third-seeded Indiana in the Big Ten tournament on Thursday night.
- The No. 1 women’s volleyball came from behind and defeated Maryland on Thursday night.
- The men’s tennis team kicks off a tournament in Florida on Friday.
Penn State will take on Northwestern at 12:00 p.m. EST on Saturday. ESPNU will offer live coverage.
Photo Credit: GoPSUSports.com
