Penn State-Rutgers matchups: What to expect from the Nittany Lions, Scarlet Knights
Penn State and Rutgers will renew their Big Ten East series on Saturday. Kickoff is set for Noon at Beaver Stadium. It also marks Senior Day for the Nittany Lions.
Head coach James Franklin’s side has at times, albeit rarely, struggled to pull away from the Scarlet Knights. In other seasons, they have won convincingly and with little doubt.
How will this year’s contest play out? It’s time to break down the matchups.
When Penn State has the ball
It is another Penn State game week with questions on the injury front.
Quarterback Sean Clifford took a number of brutal shots in last week’s loss to Michigan. There is no sign that he won’t be able to play as of Wednesday, but one can only wonder how close to 100 percent he is. The same goes for receiver Jahan Dotson, who was injured late in that game. Center Mike Miranda also left the loss with an injury. It’s unclear if he’ll be available for this Saturday’s matchup. While he was sidelined, Penn State moved Juice Scruggs to center and brought Bryce Effner in at guard. We could see a similar setup against Rutgers.
The Scarlet Knights are not without their own injury concerns. Leading tackler and linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi did not play in last week’s big win at Indiana. His status is not clear prior to kickoff.
Rutgers has the Big Ten’s No. 11 rush defense. It will be interesting to see if the Lions try to exploit that now that Keyvone Lee seems to be the go-to back in Mike Yurcich’s offense. Doing so would take pressure off Clifford, of course, but we all know by now that succeeding in the run game is a challenge for this team. That’s true regardless of how poor the opponent is at stopping it.
With that said, Penn State should be the latest opponent who can name its score against the Scarlet Knights. Unlike previous weeks, there is simply no reason the Lions should have to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns. Rutgers does not have a great press rush and its secondary should not be able to hold up against the Lions’ receivers.
EDGE: PENN STATE
When Penn State is on defense
Rutgers topped the 30-point mark last Saturday for the first time since it beat FCS program Delaware back in September. In other words, this is not an offense to fear.
The Scarlet Knights prefer to run it instead of chucking it around. Quarterback Noah Vedral is pedestrian and should not be able to beat this Penn State secondary with his arm or legs, though he will run. That means Greg Schiano’s team will be forced to run into the teeth of the Lions’ defense over and over again. Brent Pry’s rush defense actually ranks in the middle of the conference now but it’s still stout despite the Illinois performance. Michigan was able to pop some runs against PSU, but it’s hard to see Rutgers matching that. Isaih Pacheco is the lead back and Bo Melton is the top receiver.
Penn State’s defense has put many winning performances in this year despite the 6-4 record. Another one will be added to that list on Saturday.
EDGE: PENN STATE
Odds and ends
–This game could be a punting spectacular. Lions fans know what Jordan Stout can do in that department, but Rutgers’ Adam Korsak is super, too. Both teams will be able to flip the field with their specialist if they need to.
–Scarlet Knights kicker Valentino Ambrosio has made 11 of 15 field goals. Penn State may look to pop something in the kick return game. Of 49 kickoffs this season by the Scarlet Knights, only 19 have gone for touchbacks.
–Aron Cruickshank is the returner to watch for Rutgers. He does have a punt return for a score this season.
Final Penn State-Rutgers thoughts
Rutgers is seeking bowl eligibility. Penn State is aiming to climb the Big Ten postseason pecking order. On paper, there is nothing suggesting that the Lions won’t be able to do so. A big point spread suggests a win by 20 points is possible, and the edges exist for the Lions to earn that.
