Keys to a Hoosier Win in Happy Valley

The Hoosiers head to Happy Valley on Saturday Image: Sammy Jacobs HoosierHuddle.com

Written By Sammy Jacobs (@Hoosier_Huddle)

The Indiana Hoosiers (2-1,0-1) head to Beaver Stadium to take on the Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0) Saturday at 3:30 pm. Indiana has not had much success against Penn State, but here are five things the Hoosiers need to do to leave State College,  Pennsylvania with a win for the first time ever.

1. Win the 50/50 Balls

Last season’s game came down to the wire in Bloomington, but the Penn State Nittany Lions pulled away for a 45-31 victory largely because they won the battle for 50/50 balls. The Hoosiers lost five fumbles and had several deep passes go off the fingertips of receivers which could have resulted in touchdowns or an explosive big gain. On the defensive side the plays the Hoosiers DBs were making in the first half went Penn State’s way in the second.

If the Hoosiers want to stun the #4 Nittany Lions they are going to have to win more of the 50/50 balls. Indiana’s defense doesn’t have an interception yet in 2017, but may have found their takeaway mojo last week when they stripped the ball three times against Georgia Southern. IU also didn’t turn the ball over last week, the first time that’s happened in 2017. So, the Hoosiers may have the hot hand when it comes to this area.

2. Contain Saquon Barkley

As Dan Patrick used to say on Sports Center, “You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him”. That rings true for Penn State running back and Heisman Trophy hopeful Saquon Barkley. Barkley is coming off a superb performance at Iowa and seems to have hit his stride just in time to welcome the Hoosiers to Happy Valley for homecoming. Barkley leads the Lions in both rushing (518 yards) and receiving (335 yards), making him a threat in every way. He’s also returning kicks now.

The Hoosiers did an excellent job of limiting him to just 58 yards on 33 carries in 2016, however he did score twice. They limited him because they did not let him get to the outside and hit him behind the line of scrimmage. While Indiana may not be able to hold him to under 60 yards rushing again they can limit him by getting through the offensive line and making first contact behind the line of scrimmage. Barkley does have runs that have netted him a loss of 21 yards, so he does have the penchant for getting taken down for a loss.

3. Keep McSorley in the Pocket

What makes Trace McSorley so tough to play against is his ability to extend plays with his feet and find receivers open down field. IU got a taste of that last year when defenders nearly had a sack, but found themselves chasing air as McSorley scrambled for either big gains or to find a receiver wide open. No matter how good Indiana’s secondary is, it’s nearly impossible to cover anybody for more than five seconds. The Hoosiers may be banged up along the line, but that shouldn’t change the goal of keeping McSorley in the pocket.

4. Weather the Storm

Beaver Stadium is always a wild place to play and Saturday is Penn State’s homecoming, so it’ll as loud as ever as 100,000-plus jam into the place to see their fourth-ranked Nittany Lions. The Hoosiers will need to weather the storm and survive the first five minutes of the game without committing any critical errors. If the Hoosiers fall behind by a wide margin early, it may be too big of a hole to dig out of.

5. Forget History

Indiana needs to wipe the slate clean as far as their history with Penn State goes, nothing great can come from it. The Hoosiers have just one win in 19 tries against Penn State and are winless in Happy Valley. Can someone learn from past history, yes, but looking back at the dismal series with Penn State won’t help the Hoosiers Saturday. New coach, new year and hopefully a new result.