Penn State can’t start the season 0-3, can it? Here are a half-dozen of my late-week thoughts on the Nittany Lions' home date with Maryland today at Beaver Stadium.
Where have all the Maryland touchdowns gone? Consider this: Maryland hasn’t scored a touchdown in the last 14 quarters of play against PSU. The Terps' last touchdown occurred with 52 seconds left before halftime in the Lions' 38-14 win vs. Maryland at Beaver Stadium in 2016. For what it’s worth, Tyrrell Pigrome is the answer to the TD trivia question, having scored on a seven-yard run in that game four years ago. Going into today’s contest, since that Pigrome score, Maryland hasn’t scored a touchdown in 210 minutes and 52 seconds, if my math is right. PSU has outscored the Terps 184-6 during that stretch.
Life outside the top 25. The 0-2 start leaves Penn State on the outside looking in when it comes to the top-25 polls. A top-10 team at the start, the Lions have some work to do if they want to get anywhere near a top-10 ranking by the end of the season. PSU is outside the top 25 for the first time since late October of 2016.
PSU linebacker group could be getting younger. A pair of juniors, Jesse Luketa and Ellis Brooks, are the leaders of the Lions' 2020 linebacker unit. But defensive coordinator Brent Pry is excited about the promise of sophomore starter Brandon Smith and key sub Lance Dixon, a redshirt freshman. But … did you notice the Lions played true freshman Curtis Jacobs against Ohio State? The 6-1, 226-pounder, one of the most highly regarded players in PSU’s 2020 recruiting class, is now listed as a backup at one of the outside linebacker spots and you could see more of him today.
Ohio State wide receiver Chris Olave runs between Penn State safety Lamont Wade and Penn State linebacker Brandon Smith during the first quarter at Beaver Stadium on Oct. 31, 2020. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
Smoothing out red-zone issues. Penn State converted all seven of its red-zone chances (six touchdowns) in a 59-0 win over Maryland last season. The Lions are just 6-for-9 in the red zone this year with five touchdowns. Not good enough.
Pat Freiermuth, Jahan Dotson and the 1,000-yard club. The third-year juniors are key performers in the Penn State passing game and Dotson is coming off a huge game against Ohio State (8 catches, 144 yards, 3 touchdowns). Both players have a shot at reaching 1,000 career receiving yards. Freiermuth needs 19 yards, Dotson 71.
The Lions' first-half struggles on offense must end. Penn State sure looked good on its first possession of the season, driving 64 yards in 13 plays for a touchdown at Indiana. Since that march, the Lions have managed just two field goals in the first half.
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November 07, 2020 at 07:00PM
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Penn State’s Six for Saturday: Maryland’s incredible touchdown drought vs. PSU, young Lions defenders, more - PennLive
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