Penn State is 1-5, a well documented stumble through 2020 but one that has had a few bright moments along the way to give hope to the Nittany Lion faithful that things can turn the corner heading into 2021. The first step in this process would be beating a feisty Rutgers’ team that — much like Penn State — is better than its own record at 2-4 with a win last week over Purdue and a should-have-been-win turned overtime loss to Michigan the week before that.
Point being, the Nittany Lions will have their hands full this weekend but will also have a chance to turn a win in Ann Arbor into something even more meaningful. Here are five things to watch during tomorrow’s noon kick in a rainy New Jersey.
Stop Them:
Rutgers is scoring just over 30 points a game on average, more than double its scoring rate in 2019. The Scarlet Knights might have their issues, but this team isn’t the Rutgers you’re used to into terms of lacking quality, coaching or potential. Penn State has’t given up more than 10 points against Rutgers since 1995 [although that was the last meeting between the two teams prior to 2014.] In either case this series has been as one-sided as they come, but like all things in sports, what happened 20 years ago rarely has any impact on what happens tomorrow.
Rutgers is fifth in the conference in scoring, should have beaten Michigan in overtime and gave Ohio State a far more entertaining game than anyone expected. Rutgers has to win before you can pick against Penn State in the modern version of this series, but let us not pretend this is business as usual. Can the Nittany Lions show up and answer the bell? Do they look like a team that knows the team they’re going up against? They’ll lose if they only look at the name and the series’ Wikipedia page.
Get Out Of Your Own Way:
For all the good Rutgers may have been able to do this year on offense, the defense is still 12th in the conference, giving up just over 363 yards a game. Penn State might have its woes on offense, but the Nittany Lions are still racking up the yards – 417 a game, good enough for third best in the league. James Franklin’s argument that turnovers have ruined the season might not be the entire story, but he isn’t entirely wrong about the impact they have had on games. If Sean Clifford and/or Will Levis can hang on to the ball and everyone else follows suit, this offense can move the ball in spite of itself. Will it score in the red zone? Tune in to find out, but the key to beating Rutgers might simply be not beating yourself.
Swagger Back:
Winning can do wonders for a team’s overall mental state, and winning against Michigan in a stadium that Penn State has won at for years can go even farther. Right or wrong, the Nittany Lions started out the season ranked as a top 10 team. Can they turn things around a play like a group that entered the season with confidence and swagger? The season might be shot in terms of bigger and better goals, but getting more positive momentum toward 2021 would be a welcome sight and welcome emotion inside the Lasch Building.
Can Penn State play like the team it wants to be, with the confidence of a team that is coming off a big win?
Do It Again:
It’s one thing to have a good game; it’s another to follow up a solid performance with another one. Can Penn State’s offense look solid two weeks in a row? Can Keyvone Lee make good on his impressive outing? Can Sean Clifford avoid turnovers for two straight games? Sports are all about consistency and Penn State has done things more consistently bad than good this season. Can it start to flip that script? Lee doesn’t have to break 100 yards again and Clifford doesn’t have to be perfect, but the more games Penn State can string in a row with more good than better, the better off the final few games of the season will go.
Your Turn:
While this is somewhat subjective, Penn State’s offense has taken more strides this year than the defense. This hasn’t been true at absolutely all times, but the Nittany Lion offense turning things around against Michigan was their first best step toward bigger and better things. Can the defense answer the call and make its next step against Rutgers? Both units are to blame for Penn State’s 1-5 record, and the defense has had its moments — even against Michigan — but Brent Pry’s unit has not looked nearly as good as it has in years past.
James Franklin has talked a lot about complementary football over the years. Getting more of that against Rutgers will go far toward 2-5, and answers on both side of the ball. Keyvone Lee stepped up last week? Who will do the same on Penn State’s defense this week?
Although in fairness: The 286 yards allowed at Michigan marked the third time this season Penn State had held an opponent under 300 yards of offense (211 at Indiana, 298 at Nebraska).
