Game Day Primer: No. 24 Indiana at No. 9 Penn State
/
Image: Sammy Jacobs Hoosier Huddle
Written by T.J. Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)
What: Penn State (8-1) at Indiana (7-2)
Where: Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania
When: Saturday, November 16 at Noon
How to Watch: The game will be broadcast on ABC. You can also listen to the game on the IU Radio Network with the legendary Don Fischer on the call.
Series History: Indiana and Penn State have played 22 times and it has been a decidedly one-sided affair. The first meeting occurred in 1993 as Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions knocked off Bill Mallory’s Hoosiers 38-31. Penn State won the first 16 games in the series (1993-2012). That ended in 2013 when the Hoosiers beat the scandal-weakened Nittany Lions in Bloomington 44-24. Since then, PSU has won the past five to bring the total to 21-1 in favor of the Nittany Lions.
What’s at Stake: Here we are in the middle of November and IU has seven victories and are simply playing for an improved bowl position. In addition, it is still feasible that Indiana could reach a record for wins in a season and a climb up the polls would undoubtedly follow with a win in State College. IU has never won at Penn State and the Nittany Lions want to make sure that does not change. Penn State still controls their own destiny, despite the loss to Minnesota. If they can win out, they would represent the Big Ten East in the Big Ten Championship game and have a shot at the College Football Playoff.
What to Watch For
1. Attacking the PSU Defense
Minnesota racked up 460 yards against Penn State and managed to win the time of possession battle by ten minutes. The plan was a good one: run the ball enough to keep the defense honest and then beat the Penn State secondary with talented receivers. The Gophers Tanner Morgan was 18-20 for 339 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 17 yards per pass and Rashod Bateman was unstoppable. They found success through the air partially because they forced Penn State to continue defending the run. Minnesota ran the ball 40 times and grinded out three yards per carry. Make no mistake, the Nittany Lions have one of the best front sevens and run defenses in the country. IU’s receivers and Peyton Ramsey will have a chance to make some plays against this secondary but they will only have success on Saturday if the offensive line can hold their own and the running game can at least match the three yards per carry Minnesota had.
2. Stop the Playmakers
The Penn State offense is very interesting. They have two bonafide stars in KJ Hamler and Pat Freiermuth and a seemingly solid cast of characters behind them. However, the offense has sputtered at times because of an inability of other skill players to step up and be consistent threats. Hamler has 44 receptions, Freiermuth has 32. After that, only Jahan Dotson and running back Ricky Slade have more than nine. The hope was that Justin Shorter would be a consistent second receiver but it has not transpired yet. IU’s plan will be limit the running game, pressure Clifford, hope Tiawan Mullen can slow Hamler and force others to beat them. That will be far from easy but as Hamler goes, so goes the Nittany Lion attack.
3. Ignore the Noise
This mantra could apply to multiple things this week. The Hoosiers have spent the past two week hearing how great of a season they have had. They are now ranked in the Coaches and Associated Press polls and they sit at 7-2, knowing they are going to a bowl game regardless of how this game goes. They will need to have ignored the noise the past two weeks and show up with the same hunger they’ve played with all season. They will also need to ignore the noise of the crowd in what will be a sold-out Beaver Stadium. The last time the Hoosiers were there, they fell in a hole early and could not make up the deficit, despite playing well for the rest of the game. IU will have to get off to a good start, avoid giving up runs to the Nittany Lions and possess the ball to keep the crowd out of it.
Other Weekly Links