Penn State is set to face Northwestern on Saturday, looking to end the first chapter of the season at 5-0 and head into the bulk of season-defining Big Ten play with a trio of games against Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State around the corner. The Nittany Lions will need to take on the weather and the Wildcats before that No. 5 hits the win column though. Even as heavy favorites, you don’t win the game on paper. In turn, here are five storylines to follow as Penn State hosts Northwestern.
Weather:
AccuWeather says that winds will hit 20 miles per hour on Saturday afternoon with gusts reaching nearly 40 miles per hour as the remnants of Hurricane Ian make their way through the region. Other weather networks are calling for slightly less severe winds, but one thing is for sure: it’s going to rain and it’s going to be windy. Of all the things Penn State has already faced this season, bad weather is not one of them. How the Nittany Lions are prepared for the elements will have at least a small part in how the game goes. Fumbles, wind-blown interceptions and field goals almost certainly out of the question will make for plenty of intersections where mistakes could turn the course of the game. Northwestern is the No. 104 scoring offense in the nation; no need to give the Wildcats any short fields. On the other side of that coin, can Penn State’s turnover happy defense get Northwestern to cough it up a few times?
Running Game:
Penn State will probably still pass the ball a fair amount on Saturday but when the winds and rain are a factor, nothing helps manage the elements quite like a solid running game. The Nittany Lions are on the edge of having one this season and being able to move the chains on the ground Saturday will go a long way toward avoiding throwing against the wind. This group has a bunch of home run hitters but getting 5-6 yards a carry could help turns a rainy and windy day into a methodical march through Northwestern’s defense. Penn State can still win if it can’t run the ball, but it sure would make things easier. The Wildcats are No. 91 nationally in rushing defense so far this season to the tune of 160 yards per game on the ground.
Special Teams:
Bad weather is never a good way to spend the afternoon if you’re a punter or kicker. Can Penn State’s leg-related special teams unit find solid footing? Punter Barney Amor has been outstanding all year, less so Jake Pinegar and the field goal and extra point crew. It seems likely Penn State will go for it on fourth down if it’s facing any sort of long field goal attempt in bad weather, but when it comes to the rest of it can this group avoid the mistakes? That has been hard enough in good weather, let alone bad conditions. Parker Washington has shown promise in the return game, but ball security will go a lot farther in a game like this than an extra 5-10 yards.
Still Getting It Done:
Weather aside, Penn State is still a heavy favorite in this game. While it doesn’t really matter what the final score is to James Franklin as long as Penn State wins, finding a way to overcome the elements and Northwestern for a comfortable win on Saturday could go a long way towards building positive momentum heading into the off week. Perhaps more importantly, positive momentum heading into an eventual meeting against Michigan. Penn State took care of business against Central Michigan but left everyone with a weird taste in their mouth. Can the Nittany Lions avoid that sort of victory on Saturday?
Get To The Quarterback:
Northwestern isn’t good at much but the Wildcats do throw for just over 300 yards per game, a mark that makes them the No. 20 passing offense in the country. That being said, Northwestern also attempts 46 passes per game on average, No. 6 in the nation in attempts per contest. If/when the weather is bad, nothing will help get the Wildcats off track quite like a pass rush with wind in the face. The more Penn State can get in the backfield, the worse off Northwestern is going to be. This will be the fourth team Penn State has faced in the top 21 of pass offenses through just five games. Penn State will also now have faced four teams in the top 12 of passing attempts per game, with Indiana — the nation’s leader — still to come.
