No. 6 Penn State Football faces a unique challenge Saturday against Northwestern.
It’s always difficult to win on the road in college football, that much has been proven year in and year out.
But, it’s also no picnic to win in an environment as sleepy as Evanston, Illinois promises to be at 11 a.m. local time Saturday. Especially for a team coming off the emotional high of exacting revenge against Iowa in a turbocharged White Out game with over 110,000 frenzied fans at Beaver Stadium.
That’s why head coach James Franklin had his team practicing without music this week, leading into Saturday’s game against the Wildcats.
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To get to know what to expect from Northwestern, for this week version of Behind Enemy Lines, We spoke to Bradley Locker who covers Northwestern for SB Nation Site Inside NU:
Your Initial thoughts on Penn State vs Northwestern
This is a pretty glaring mismatch in all facets for Northwestern.
The Wildcats’ offense will presumably have an incredibly tough time moving the ball against PSU’s defense, especially with Kalen King, Johnny Dixon and Penn State’s secondary able to neutralize a decent passing attack.
On the flip side, Northwestern’s run defense is still problematic and susceptible to missed tackles, which should mean that both Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are destined for big afternoons.
NU will be at a severe disadvantage in the trenches along its offensive and defensive lines, too.
Who on Offense should Penn State be concerned
I’d say all three of Northwestern’s receivers.
A.J. Henning is the most dynamic and quick-hitting of the three, having found the end zone three total times. The Michigan transfer has accrued 111 receiving yards and is also averaging 7.6 yards per carry, making him a weapon on perimeter runs such as jet sweeps.
Last week against Minnesota, receiver Bryce Kirtz was virtually unguardable, netting 10 catches for 215 yards and two touchdowns.
Even Arizona State transfer Cam Johnson has been a reliable, sharp option for quarterback Ben Bryant.
What did you take away from last year’s matchup?
Last year’s matchup was definitely an aberration because of the heavy downpour, which fueled a combined eight turnovers.
I asked interim head coach David Braun about that on Monday, and he acknowledged that the weather played a significant factor.
At the same time, it seems that Northwestern will build upon last year’s game in Happy Valley to see how Penn State likes to attack certain coverages and fronts. Generally, it was encouraging to see sound downhill play out of the Wildcats’ linebackers, which will need to continue if the team wants any chance.
For those who don’t follow Northwestern what makes this matchup very interesting?
For one, this will be just the fourth time that Penn State has played in Evanston since 2011, so it’s a matchup that should be savored.
While the spread of nearly four touchdowns in favor of PSU indicates that this one could very well get out of hand, the Wildcats have already doubled their win total from a year ago, and are coming on the heels of an electrifying 21-point comeback and overtime win.
Braun definitely has steadied a ship that was virtually overboard entering this year; whether or not that proliferates against the No. 6 team in the country is a compelling story.
What is one reason why Northwestern could upset Penn State?
The Wildcats will almost definitely need to generate multiple turnovers of the Nittany Lions in order to keep this one within striking distance.
That’s a task much easier said than done considering PSU is the only team not to turn the ball over in the Power Five.
If Northwestern can rattle Drew Allar and/or capitalize on balls thrown in tight coverage, or strip the ball out from Singleton and Allen three times again, then things could get a bit intriguing.
Admittedly, that feels highly improbable for a defense that’s created only two takeaways (in non-garbage time) in four games.
MORE: Penn State vs. Northwestern Betting Odds, Injury Report, More
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