Written By: Nate Comp (@NathanComp1)

Week Five: Penn State Nittany Lions

Date & Time: Saturday, October 2, 2021, Time: TBA

Venue: Beaver Stadium, University Park, Pennsylvania

TV: TBD

Nittany Lions at a Glance

Head Coach: James Franklin

Entering his 8th year as Penn State’s Head Coach, Overall Record: 60-28

Last Season: 4-5 (4-5) Third in the Big Ten East

Nittany Lions’ Returning Leaders

Passing: Sean Clifford (152-251 passing (60.6%), 1883 yards, 16 TDs, 9 INTs)

Rushing: Keyvone Lee (89 rushes, 438 yards, 4.9 YPC, 4 TDs)

Receiving: Jahan Dotson (52 receptions, 884 yards, 8 TDs)

Tackles: LB Jesse Luketa (59 tackles, 31 solo, 2 PDs)

Nittany Lions Preseason Predictions

Athlon: 2nd in Big Ten East

Lindy’s: 3rd Big Ten East

Phil Steele: 2nd in Big Ten East

Impact Newcomers for the Nittany Lions

- RB John Lovett (Transfer from Baylor)

- DT Derrick Tangelo (Transfer from Duke)

- DE Arnold Ebiketie (Transfer from Temple)

Biggest Questions Facing the 2021 Nittany Lions

1. Does Sean Clifford regain his 2019 form?

2. Does new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich steady the 2020 rollercoaster?

3. Can the defensive front seven find enough playmakers with Micah Parsons, Jayson Oweh, and Shaka Toney all now in the NFL?

Program Preview

What an odd 2020 season it was for Penn State. After coming into the season with College Football Playoff hopes, the Nittany Lions did not notch their first win until the 6th game of the season. They were able to win their last four, nearly getting back to .500 at 4-5, but what Penn State team should we be expecting to show up in 2021? With as much talent as they have on their roster and some offseason coaching changes, I’d expect the Penn State squad to return to their previous form; James Franklin and crew won at least 11 games in three of the four prior seasons. They’ll quickly be tested to show what they’re made of, as they begin the season on the road against Wisconsin and face Auburn in nonconference play two weeks later. Road contests at Iowa and Ohio State will add difficulty to their schedule after they have faced Indiana.

Offensive Preview

One of the biggest changes of the offseason came when James Franklin opted to fire offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca after just one season and bring in Mike Yurich from Texas. And as a gift to Yurich in his first year, he returns a solid squad. For all the struggles Penn State had last year, they still were able to finish the season second in the Big Ten in total offense. Yurich averaged 43 points per game at Texas and will hope to bring similar success to State College as they saw in 2017 when Trace McSorely and Saquon Barkley led the Nittany Lions to 41.1 points per game.

Much of the offense’s success will come down to returning quarterback Sean Clifford. Clifford had a stellar 2019 season – 23 touchdowns to 7 interceptions – but a rocky 2020 in which he led the Big Ten in interceptions (9). He has the measurables and mobility to be a dynamic quarterback at the collegiate level, he just needs to put a full season together and limit turnovers. 17 total turnovers for the Penn State offense last season derailed any chance they had at putting together any real momentum.

Fortunately for Clifford, he’ll have a strong supporting cast. The Penn State running back room is one of the deepest in the nation, with John Lovett transferring from Baylor and Noah Cain, Devyn Ford, and Keyvone Lee all returning. The offensive line will need to mature quickly, but they do have good anchors at tackles in Rasheed Walker and Caedan Wallace, along with senior Mike Miranda somewhere in the interior line. Jahan Dotson will be the star receiver after leading the conference last season in yards and touchdowns, and sophomore Parker Washington also returns after scoring six times last year. Tight end Pat Freiermuth is now a Steeler, but Brenton Strange and Theo Johnson show promise.

Defensive Preview

Sean Clifford’s productivity is likely the biggest concern for Penn State fans, but not far behind it will be the performance of this year’s front seven. The unit lost four linemen, including first rounder Jayson Oweh and seventh rounder Shaka Toney, and had to hit the transfer portal to fill needs. PJ Mustipher, who recorded 35 tackles last year, is the sole returning starter along the line after Antonio Shelton used the transfer portal to head to Florida. Filling in around Mustipher will be transfers Derrick Tangelo, a potential future NFL guy from Duke, and Arnold Ebiketie, from Temple.

One layer back on defense is a linebacking crew that is a solid and returns all three starters, but certainly does not have the star power it had with Micah Parsons. Jesse Luketa will move to an inside linebacker spot along with Ellis Brooks, who finished first and second in tackles last season. This will leave Brandon Smith and Curtis Jacobs on the outside. These changes will hopefully allow more production out of a unit that left some to be desired in 2020.

The strength of the defense will come in the secondary, a unit that could be one of the best in the Big Ten. Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields, an honorable mention All-Big Ten player despite playing just three games last year, and safety Jaquan Brisker, the team’s third leading tackler last year, both opted to stay in school another year and will command the defense. Joey Porter will man the other corner spot, while Jonathan Sutherland and Ji’Ayir Brown bring experience at safety.

The defense allowed the most points per game that any Penn State defense did this century last season, but with another year of experience and seven returning starters they should improve. They allowed just 17 points per game in their final four games and won each by double digits, and although wins against Michigan, Michigan State, Illinois, and Rutgers were nothing to write home about last season, they’ll look to build upon this late season improvement.

Special Teams Preview

The up-and-down nature of the 2020 season did not stop with the specialists. After Jake Pinegar and Jordan Stout combined to go 13 for 15 in field goal attempts in 2019, their success dwindled to a meager 11 of 18 last season. Both are back and will look to improve in 2021. Stout is tied for second in Penn State history with three field goals over fifty yards, while Pinegar is ninth on the PSU all-time scoring list (244).

Stout also handles punting and kickoff responsibilities, where he was more successful last season and averaged 41.5 yards per kick. Three punts were over 50 yards and eight landed inside the 20. He kicked off 50 times, with 42 going for touchbacks.

Returning punts for Penn State will be star receiver Jahan Dotson, who took one punt 81-yards for a touchdown last season against Michigan State. He has a career average of 21.3 yards per return, with nine last season for 197 yards and the touchdown.

The Huddle

2021 First Glance Preview: Week Five (Penn State Nittany Lions)

Hoosier Huddle