Game Day Primer: Indiana Hoosiers at No. 4 Penn State Nittany Lions

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

What: Indiana Hoosiers (2-2) at #4 Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0)

When: Saturday, October 2 at 7:30 on ABC

Where: Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania

How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on ABC and can be heard on the IU Radio Network.

Series History: This series has been decidedly one-sided as Penn State has dominated the Hoosiers since joining the Big Ten. The two sides first met in 1993 and the Nittany Lions won every meeting until 2013. IU’s second win came in controversial fashion last season when Michael Penix dove for the end zone and inched the ball across the pylon for a 36-35 victory in one of the most exciting games in IU football history. In total, Penn State has won 22 of the 24 contests and IU has never won in State College.

What’s at Stake: The Indiana Hoosiers evened their record at 2-2 and now continue their incredibly difficult schedule with their third contest against a top ten team of in the first five games. IU is looking for the first win at Penn State in school history and a victory would certainly change the trajectory of the Hoosiers season. Penn State’s early wins against Wisconsin and Auburn combined with losses for Ohio State and Clemson have opened the door for Nittany Lion fans to begin dreaming of a College Football Playoff berth and a Big Ten East title. A home loss to the Hoosiers would derail those hopes while a win would move them to 5-0.

A FEW THINGS TO LOOK FOR

1.    A Different Kind of Test for the IU Defense

The Air Raid scheme of the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers challenged the IU defense with lightning quick tempo and a spread assault they won’t see the likes of the rest of the season. The Hoosiers did just enough to survive. Penn State’s offense features a more traditional scheme and the test for IU’s defense this week will come entirely from the opposing personnel. Sean Clifford is playing exceedingly well in 2021, completing 71.7 percent of his passes and throwing for 1162 yards with eight touchdowns through four games. He is also a threat with his legs if plays break down. Jahan Dotson is one of the best wideouts in the country and he’s joined by Parker Washington and KeAndre Lambert-Smith to form a lethal trio. The running game has not been all that strong yet but they have gone against two strong run defenses in Wisconsin and Auburn so it should improve moving forward. The Hoosiers are going to need to get pressure on Clifford, limit big plays for the wideouts and get a few takeaways. PSU is currently plus-five in the takeaway category and IU will absolutely need to change that on Saturday night to have a chance.

2.    What Can IU’s Offense Do Against A Strong Defense?

Michael Penix and the IU offense were vastly improved last week but it must be acknowledged the progress came against an average at best unit in Western Kentucky. The Hoosiers have to show that progress against a good defense and they’ll get that chance in Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions are holding opponents to 15 points per game and only surrendering 4.29 yards per play. Linebackers Brandon Smith and Ellis Brooks lead the way in the middle while the defensive line has Arnold Ebiketie, Jesse Luketa and PJ Mustipher. IU has to find a way to generate some explosive plays, particularly without wide receiver D.J. Matthews. They did a fantastic job sustaining long drives against WKU but that will not be possible often against PSU. The Hoosiers must also do a better job of finishing drives with touchdowns instead of field goals. That has been a consistent issue this season and while Charles Campbell is a terrific weapon, drives that reach scoring territory will need to be punched in for six points and not three to pull off the upset.

3.    Dealing With the Atmosphere

There is no way to sugarcoat what happened in the season opener at Iowa. The Indiana Hoosiers entered a hostile atmosphere and folded immediately under the pressure. They were down 14-0 before the first commercial break and were never competitive afterwards. On Saturday night, IU will be playing in front a charged-up crowd at Beaver Stadium on national television. The Hoosiers will have to handle the intensity and noise from the “stripe out” crowd in State College much better than they did a month ago in Iowa City. If they can weather the first quarter of this contest and still be right in the game, they’ll probably have every chance to be in until the fourth quarter.

Names to Know and Injury Notes

The Hoosiers will be without starting wide receiver D.J. Matthews for the remainder of the season after he tore his ACL at Western Kentucky. They will also likely be without starting cornerback Jaylin Williams after he suffered a concussion in the same game. David Ellis has dealt with a nagging injury that won’t fully heal and his availability is a question mark.