Penn State-FIU Matchups: How big will the Nittany Lions' edge be?

By Greg Pickel

Penn State football is back on the field Saturday when it hosts FIU at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions are now No. 2 in both the Associated Press top 25 and the new Coaches Poll. The Panthers, meanwhile, received votes in the former for the first time this season on Tuesday after starting the year 1-0 with a big win over Bethune-Cookman. Still, head coach Willie Simmons’ team is a 40-plus point underdog according to BetMGM, and it knows it will have to be nearly perfect and get some breaks to boot to pull off the massive upset.

“Obviously, have a tough task this week,” Simmons said Tuesday. “Penn State, arguably the number one team in the country, first road trip going to the Happy Valley, one of the most intimidating places to play in the country. So got our hands full, but looking forward to the opportunity, and with a great week of preparation, want to give ourselves the best chance to go up there and make history.”

It goes without saying that the Lions will have a talent edge on Saturday. But how big is the gap between the two teams? We break the matchups down below.

When Penn State is on offense

FIU limited Bethune-Cookman last week. But, it obviously faces a much bigger test this week. The Panthers’ defense ranks No. 106 in Bill Connelly’s latest SP+ metrics for ESPN.com. Redshirt senior linebacker Johnny Chaney Jr., is the leader of the defense. He had nine tackles last week and also forced a fumble. Defensive back Brian Blades II wears No. 2 and is a name you will hear often on Saturday, as well, in addition to linebacker Percy Courtney Jr.

The Panthers had just two sacks last week, meaning their pass rush should not be feared. But, we saw the Lions have some pass protection issues at times in Week 1. We’ll be watching to see if those pop up again in Week 2. From there, we want to see the Lions put the pedal to the metal on the ground in this one. Yes, FIU will surely try to force Penn State to beat it through the air. But, Penn State has enough talent to be able to run the ball whenever it wants to, especially in a game like this. It goes without saying that we want to see it this week and also more production from the tight ends, who took a backseat to the receivers last week.

All told, Andy Kotelnicki’s attack should be able to name its score in this one against the Panthers’ 4-3 base defense.

EDGE: Penn State

When the Nittany Lions are on defense

FIU will bring an interesting quarterback in Keyone Jenkins to Beaver Stadium. The junior is the preseason Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year. He was just OK in his team’s opener, completing 18 of 30 passes for 187 yards. He is a dual-threat quarterback who is going to try and create havoc with his feet while also extending players to find open receivers. Eric Nelson appears to be the top receiver. But, after a whopping 13 players caught a pass in the opener, it feels safe to say that the depth chart is likely still being put together there. The lead running back is Kejon Owens, who scored twice in the opener.

Penn State should have no issues with an FIU offensive line that is plenty big but a bit inexperienced. Keeping track of Jenkings and Owens will be the main priority, and it will be interesting to see how Jim Knowles’ defenders work against a passer who can also run. Will missed assignments be up this week compared to last? Time will tell. Will the pass rush be led by Dani Dennis-Sutton again? We assume so, but will see. And will the Lions force more turnovers? We’ll be watching for those, too.

EDGE: Penn State

Odds and ends

–FIU had multiple special teams penalties last week. It is a point of emphasis this week, Simmons told reporters on Tuesday. We’ll see if the Panthers clean those up.

–Panthers punter Trey Wilhoit has a big enough leg to be able to impact the Lions’ field position. He boomed a 50-yarder last week.

–We wouldn’t expect FIU to try many if any field goals, but it’s worth noting that kicker Noah Grant missed his lone attempt last week. It was from 44 yards.

Final word on Penn State-FIU

There is no reason why Penn State shouldn’t blow the doors off of Saturday’s visitors just as it did in 2007 when the teams last met. The Lions have edges all over the field that should add up to another 40-plus point day on offense while giving up less than two touchdowns on defense.