3 Areas of Focus for Penn State Football in Final “Tune-Up” Game vs Villanova
No. 2 ranked Penn State Football is off to a 2-0 start to start the 2025 season. However, the way that the Nittany Lions have gotten there has not inspired confidence in Penn State fans, particularly on offense.
With one final “tune-up” non-conference game against FCS Villanova, there are a few areas that Penn State should focus on before Oregon comes to town for the 2025 Whiteout.
3 Key Areas Penn State Football Must Fix vs. Villanova
Passing Game Consistency
After throwing only four incomplete passes in week one, quarterback Drew Allar was wildly inconsistent in Week 2 against FIU, missing on four of his first five passes and completing only 57.6 percent of his passes overall.
After the game, Penn State head coach James Franklin noted that he didn’t think Allar “was in his normal rhythm.” Heading into Penn State’s final non-conference matchup, Penn State fans should look for more consistency in the passing game with Allar.
Offensive Coordinator Andy Kotelnicki must get Allar comfortable in the passing game early to avoid the inconsistency issues that plagued Penn State’s offense last week.
Running game dominance
Penn State’s running game looked better in Week 2 than it did in week one, as the Nittany Lions improved their yards per rush from 3.8 to 6.7.
However, even despite the improvement in week two, Penn State’s rushing attack still doesn’t look as dominant or as comfortable as it did last season, especially for Nick Singleton (who has only 95 yards on 21 carries this season).
In Week 3, Penn State must establish a dominant running game with the starting offensive line and Singleton and Kaytron Allen early before allowing a third or fourth running back to get involved and develop (hopefully) in the second half.
Franklin has consistently said that Penn State’s offensive line could be one of the best in the country this season, but after two games, we are still waiting to see that come to fruition on the field. Dominating Villanova early on the ground could go a long way to instilling confidence in the veteran offensive line ahead of the start of Big Ten play.
Buy The Newest Penn State Gear From Fanatics | Shop Penn State Merchandise on Amazon
No injuries and young depth
Despite having one of the Nittany Lions best rosters in the James Franklin era, Penn State is still very thin at a few key areas.
It is important for Penn State to get out of non-conference play healthy and not set the lineup back before one of the Nittany Lions toughest games of the season against Oregon. Particularly at running back, defensive end, and linebacker, Penn State must hold its breath to keep its starters healthy before moving into conference play.
The “weaker” opponent in Villanova could allow Penn State to get its starters out of the game early and work through building depth pieces at those three positions.
Penn State will enter a bye week after playing Villanova on Saturday to prepare for conference play.
With Oregon next coming to town in two weeks, it is now or never for the Nittany Lions to make corrections before one of the biggest matchups of the season.
If the Nittany Lions want to reach their lofty goals of a second straight Big Ten championship appearance and college football playoff appearance, the Nittany Lions will need to be running on all cylinders from this point forward.
A note to our readers; If you make a purchase through one of our affiliate links, we may receive a commission
- 3 Areas of Focus for Penn State Football in Final “Tune-Up” Game vs Villanova - September 12, 2025
- Inconsistent Drew Allar Leads Lackluster Penn State Offensive Performance vs. FIU - September 7, 2025
- What Time, TV Channel is Penn State Football vs. FIU (9/06/2025)? How to Watch Online for FREE - September 5, 2025