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BWI Live: Penn State vs Northwestern Tailgate Show

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The Penn State Nittany Lions football team faces Northwestern today at Ryan Field for it’s fifth game of the 2023 season. Start your day with Penn State Football tailgate Show, featuring former Penn State defensive tackle Aeneas Hawkins! We’ll preview the game for 90 minutes and discuss the important topics and matchups in the game that kicks off at noon. 

How real is the sleepy home-field advantage for the Wildcats? How does Penn State overcome that inertia to get a fast start? We’ll discuss that, plus highlight the areas where the team can improve this week. 

Join the show at 9 a.m. on YouTube or locally on 99.5 The Bus in State College. The Penn State Tailgate Show is a broadcast of Seven Mountains Media and is simulcast on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube channel. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss any live content! 

Penn State vs. Northwestern preview

Penn State head coach James Franklin made no secret that he thinks the lack of big energy is an advantage for Northwestern at home. 

“These guys are 2-0 win at home. You look at Northwestern, they’ve typically had good home records. Why? Because it can be challenging to play there. They’re used to the environment. Other people may not be. It’s going to be very different than what we played in last week. So just being transparent and honest. Are we internally motivated? Or are we externally motivated?” Franklin said.

Big plays on the way? 

Franklin hasn’t shied away from the conversation around explosive plays. It’s a goal of his offense and program-building philosophy. So, what’s the right level of emphasis to place on big-time offensive gains? We’ll discuss that and break down how likely the team is to generate those splash plays this week. Is it more likely to get big run plays or pass plays? 

Defensive improvement leads to shut out 

The Penn State front seven improved their gap integrity over the first month of the season, culminating in a shutout of Iowa during the 2023 White Out. How hard is it to be gap sound in Manny Diaz’s defense? We’ll ask Hawkins what he’s seen on film from the Nittany Lions and how they’re working to get better each week. 

Can we expect another shutout this week? We’ll discuss that in our predictions segment. 

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