Penn State Football is one win away from securing its 5th 10-win regular season and potentially its 5th New Year’s Six bowl under head coach James Franklin.
In order to leave Detroit with a victory on Black Friday, here are three key matchups the Nittany Lions must win:
Penn State Football cornerbacks vs Maliq Carr
After firing their head coach earlier this season, Michigan State has had a rough season so far, going 4-7 under interim head coach Harlon Barnett. Michigan State’s offense has struggled in 2023 and ranks near the bottom of the conference, however, last week, Maliq Carr was a bright spot for the Spartans.
Pulling in seven catches for 119 yards and two touchdowns, Carr helped lead the Spartans past the Indiana Hoosiers. Stopping Carr would help Penn State keep Michigan State off the board Friday night.
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Penn State running backs vs Spartan’s run defense
Michigan State ranks 43rd in the nation in run defense. With Drew Allar potentially limited in his return from injury, and Penn State’s passing attack struggling over the past two games, Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton (and potentially Beau Pribula) will need to get into rhythm and push the Nittany Lions past the Spartans on the ground.
Even against some of the worst rushing defenses in the Big Ten, Penn State’s rushing attack has failed to get back to 2022 form. On a short week where your QB1 is coming off an injury, it is absolutely necessary for Penn State’s running backs to build off of the momentum from the second half of the Rutgers matchup and move the ball on the ground against the Spartans.
Nittany Lions vs third down
Both Penn State’s offense and Penn State’s defense must win on third down against the Spartans.
While Rutgers finished 4-for-13 on third down against the Nittany Lions, the Scarlet Knights converted their first two third-down attempts (3rd and 10 and 3rd and 6) as part of a 14-play field goal drive in the first quarter.
Penn State’s offense has failed to convert 50 percent of its third down attempts in the past 5 contests. As 20.5-point favorites, the Nittany Lions should have no issue picking up their 10th win on the season and setting themselves up for a 5th New Year’s 6 bowl selection under head coach James Franklin.
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Education: Saint Vincent College, Penn State Law School
Location: Washington, DC
Experience:Robert Casturo has covered Penn State football for NittanyCentral since 2022. Casturo previously covered Penn State football through a social media presence (@PSU_FB_Thoughts on X) since 2019. Casturo earned his bachelor's degree from Saint Vincent College in 2015, where he was a punter for 1 season on the Saint Vincent College football team and worked in the athletic department for 2 years as a student manager. Casturo earned his JD from Penn State Law in 2018 where he was a senior editor of the Penn State Law Review.
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