This Saturday afternoon, the Lions will head to Evanston for a matchup with #21 Northwestern.
Overview
Penn State is coming off a dominating 39-0 victory over Illionis. Northwestern is coming off their bye week. Penn State has seemed to found its groove on offense with a balanced attack from Hackenberg through the air and Barkley on the ground. The defensive line will have a tough task against a Wildcats offensive line that has only allowed 11 sacks all year.
Notes
Location- Ryan Field, Evanston, IL
Time- Noon
Television- ESPNU
Opponent- #21 Northwestern Wildcats (6-2,2-2)
Line- Northwestern is a 1 point favorite
Last Meeting- 29-6 Northwestern (2014)
Last Thoughts
Penn State will have a couple of things going against them this weekend.
1. The game is away
2. Playing a dual threat QB
3. Playing a solid defense
This will be another tough task for coach Franklin’s team, but there are plenty of keys to success in this one. If the defense can contain Thorson, they could have a very nice day. Northwestern doesn’t rely heavily on their running backs in the running game, they rely on Thorson to make plays with his feet. On offense, a balanced attack will be necessary if the Lions have any chance. Luckily for them, Christian Hackenberg is hot right now and has been hard to stop in recent weeks. I see the Lions going to Barkley early in this one to try to open things up for Hackenberg. Look for more trick plays to keep the defense on their heels. Penn State faces a tough environment on Saturday with 35,000 plus expected to be on hand. Yes you read that right, coach Franklin has stressed that the sleepy crowds at Ryan Field work in Northwestern’s advantage. To counter this, Franklin has not played music all week at practice to force the players to create their own energy and not rely on the crowd. The Wildcats have struggled in conference play, getting blown out by Iowa and Michigan and slipping past Nebraska. The Wildcats weakness is when it plays superior defenses and balanced offenses. A lot of people aren’t give Penn State a chance in this one, but from what I’ve seen from the offense lately and a Carl Nassib led defense, I’m picking the upset.
Prediction
Penn State 24 Northwestern 20
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