Penn State’s back on the road today. And maybe that’s not such a bad thing. The 1-5 Lions have played their best football away from Beaver Stadium in 2020. Now they get 2-4 Rutgers in New Jersey. Here are a half-dozen of my late-week thoughts on the matchup …
Earning “rivalry” status. Penn State has owned Rutgers in this series, winning 28 of 30 games. The Scarlet Knights need a win to change the perception of their program, and Greg Schiano knows it. “We’re not Penn State’s rival. That’s clear,” Schiano said earlier in the week. “And the reason is we haven’t given them a reason to make us their rival.”
Rutgers’ second-quarter blues. Prior to Penn State’s win at Rutgers, the Lions had major issues with slow starts in the first quarter. For Rutgers, the second quarter has been a huge issue. The Scarlet Knights have been outscored 81-27 during that span. Even in Rutgers’ win at Purdue last week, the Boilermakers won the second quarter by a 16-0 margin.
The Penn State numbers do lie (sort of). If you go by the Lions’ yardage totals, James Franklin’s team shouldn’t be 1-5. PSU’s turnover issues are well-documented. But if Lions can protect the ball today, Rutgers will be in trouble. Penn State ranks third in total offense (417.8 yards) and fourth in total defense (347.8).
Penn State running back Keyvone Lee runs by Michigan linebacker Michael Barrett during the first quarter in Ann Arbor, MI on Nov. 28, 2020. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
Getting to “50”. Penn State’s three most competitive performances to date have occurred on the road. The Lions could have won all three games but lost in overtime at Indiana and dropped a 30-23 decision at Nebraska. In all three games, Penn State ran the ball 50 or more times. The Lions rushed 52 times for 250 yards vs. the Hoosiers, totaled 52 carries for 245 yards against the Cornhuskers and PSU ran 50 times for 254 yards in the 27-17 win in Ann Arbor.
Penn State’s 44-percent problem. We’re not going to let go of the Lions’ issues in the red zone, the final 20 yards leading up to the opponents’ goal line. Good teams have very few empty red zone possessions, great teams turn almost all red zone possessions into touchdowns. Penn State has scored just 11 touchdowns in 25 red zone possessions. Or 44 percent.
The problem with the Lions’ pass coverage. Penn State’s cornerback group was shorthanded in the win at Michigan. The Lions had just three healthy corners available. Even if PSU’s depth improves in the secondary, the players need to start making more plays on the football. In the most recent Big Ten statistics, Penn State doesn’t have one defensive back in the top 25 for passes defensed (pass breakups plus interceptions). Rutgers corner Tre Avery is seventh on the list with six passes defensed (five pass breakups, one interception).
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December 05, 2020 at 06:30PM
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Penn State’s Six for Saturday: Rutgers’ quest for respectability, PSU’s search for ’50’, more - PennLive
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