This Saturday, No. 7 Penn State Football welcomes UCLA for its first visit to Happy Valley since 1967.
The Bruins head into Saturday’s matchup on a three-game losing streak, and possibly without their starting quarterback Ethan Garbers.
The Nittany Lions are coming off of a physically dominant win over a top-20 ranked Illinois team, and will be looking to close out their four-game homestand victoriously before heading out west to face USC next weekend.
However, before Saturday’s matchup, let’s take a look at some BOLD predictions for Penn State’s matchup against one of its new Big Ten conference members.
Penn State Football vs UCLA BOLD Predictions
Drew Allar throws for 300+ yards
Opposing quarterbacks have feasted against the Bruins defense the last three weeks, where two out of three have thrown for over 300 yards and three or more touchdowns.
Saturday’s Big Noon Kickoff will be a great opportunity for Drew Allar and the offense to grow in the passing game, after relying on the run for the majority of their win over the Illini.
With running back Nick Singleton’s availability up in the air after missing Wednesday’s practice, UCLA should be the opponent where the Nittany Lions can air it out, take some chances downfield and build more confidence before heading into the thick of their schedule.
Penn State knows what it has in the ground-game, with or without Singleton. This presents an opportunity to take that next step forward through the air against a Power 4 opponent that we haven’t seen since the West Virginia game.
Expect Allar and company to open the playbook, air it out, and put more wrinkles on film for their tougher opponents down the road.
Omari Evans has another 100+ yard receiving game
Last week’s game against Illinois was the first all season where Penn State Football didn’t have a wide receiver or tight end eclipse the 100-yard mark.
While Tyler Warren appears to be Allar’s safety blanket, Omari Evans has emerged as the guy with big-play potential.
Evans already has one game this year where he eclipsed the 100-yard mark– his four-catch, 116 yards receiving and one touchdown performance against Kent State.
He also had a 55-yard catch against the Mountaineers, sparking a touchdown drive before the half.
If the Nittany Lions decide to take chances on Saturday, expect offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki to stretch the field and build on the big-play pass game.
While it may not necessarily need to do so against the Bruins to win this Saturday, Penn State will need to create big plays from its wide receivers to take down the Ohio State’s of the college football world.
The Penn State defense forces at least three turnovers
Ethan Garbers, UCLA’s starting quarterback, is questionable for Saturday. With availability up in the air, it presents a daunting task for Justyn Martin and the Bruins offense.
Even if Garbers is able to go, he is coming off of his worst performance of the year, throwing two interceptions and finishing with a QBR of just 24.7
Garbers has thrown for over 800 yards through four games, but he has just three touchdowns to six interceptions.
Whether it’s Garbers or Martin on Saturday, expect the Nittany Lion defense to create havoc.
James Franklin continuously preaches about winning the turnover battle every given Saturday. With a striped-out Beaver Stadium, expect the Penn State defense to build upon its stout performance against the Illini.
MORE: Two key Players Return to Practice for Penn State Ahead of UCLA Game
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