Michigan-Penn State Football Preview
Penn State Nittany Lions 6-0 (3-0 in Big Ten) Ranked 7 in AP poll
Last Result: Penn State 17 Iowa 12
The Nittany Lions went into Kinnick Stadium Saturday night against a No. 17 Hawkeye team and shut down the opposing offense. The Penn State defense, which ranks second in college football in total points allowed per game at 8.4 and leads the country in yards allowed per rushing attempt at 1.8, held Iowa to just 12 points, making it their sixth straight game to start the season allowing less than 14 points.
Penn State's shut down Iowa’s rushing attack, as the Hawkeyes ran the ball 30 times for 70 yards with 2.3 yards per carry. The Hawkeyes didn’t even get into the end zone until their final possession of the game, scoring with just 2:31 remaining, as they cut the deficit to five.
Iowa never saw the ball again, a first-down run by Penn State running back Noah Cain iced the contest. The true freshman back had one of his best games as a Nittany Lion, rushing 22 times for 102 yards and a touchdown. In the fourth quarter alone, Cain rushed 15 times for 67 yards and a touchdown.
The Penn State backfield has been splitting carries between four guys, who call themselves the “Lawn Boyz,” sophomore Journey Brown, freshman Devyn Ford, sophomore Ricky Slade and Cain.
However, in the fourth quarter head coach James Franklin finally deviated from that strategy, allowing Cain to be the bell cow and get significantly more carries than the other backs.
Sophomore QB Sean Clifford didn’t have his best game, going just 12-for-24 with 117 yards passing and a touchdown but did add 52 yards on the ground. Though Clifford struggled to move the ball at times, he did convert two huge third downs with his legs to extend a pair of Nittany Lions touchdown drives.
Despite being outgained by the Hawkeyes 356-294, the Nittany Lions were able to win the turnover battle 2-0 that allowed them to escape Iowa City with a win over a ranked opponent.
Penn State Record Since James Franklin Took Over
2018: 9-4 (6-3 Big Ten Record) Finished season ranked 17th in AP poll
2017: 11-2 (7-2 Big Ten Record) Finished season ranked 8th in AP poll
2016: 11-3 (8-1 Big Ten Record) Finished season ranked 7th in AP poll
2015: 7-6 (4-4 Big Ten Record)
2014: 7-6 (2-6 Big Ten Record)
How has Penn State Fared vs Ranked Opponents in the Franklin Era?
Since 2016, the Nittany Lions are 6-7 vs Top 25 opponents. Out of those 13 games, 10 of them have been one-possession contests. The only three games that weren’t close contests were all against Michigan. In 2016, No. 4 Michigan beat an unranked Penn State team 42-7 in Ann Arbor, while in 2017 the No. 2 Nittany Lions got its revenge, stomping on the No. 19 ranked Wolverines in Happy Valley 42-13. Last season, Michigan went on its “revenge tour” of its own, which included a 42-7 win against the No. 14 Nittany Lions.
Over the last four seasons, Penn State has had a 3-1 record against top 20 opponents at home. The only loss came against No. 4 Ohio State last season when they lost a heartbreaking back and forth game 27-26.
In fact, the Nittany Lions have done something the Wolverines have not against the Buckeyes: win, 24-21 in 2016. That win against Ohio State, which included a game-winning score on a blocked field goal by Penn State, is considered to be the starting point of Penn State becoming a powerhouse once again.
Two Players to Watch Offense
KJ Hamler, Sophomore, Wide Receiver
The redshirt sophomore wideout from Pontiac, Mich., is one of the most explosive players in the Big Ten, averaging 17.5 yards per reception. Hamler leads his team in receptions with 26, receiving yards with 455, and leads the Big Ten in receiving touchdowns with five.
The 5-9 176 pound receiver is known for his speed, as he has even publicly said that he wants to beat the Penn State 40 yard dash record to prove he is the fastest Nittany Lion ever. Hamler believes he can run a 4.28 40 yard dash, which would be one of the fastest 10 ever recorded at the NFL Combine.
Sean Clifford, Sophomore, Quarterback
The 6-2, 216 pound quarterback out of Cincinnati has been one of the better quarterbacks in the Big Ten this season in his first year starting at Penn State. Clifford has a completion percentage of 64.2 while throwing for 1,560 yards, which ranks second in the Big Ten, and 13 touchdowns, which ranks third.
The Penn State quarterback has done an admirable job of taking care of the football, as he has only turned the ball over twice.
Clifford is also a threat running the ball, as he has rushed for 253 yards and two touchdowns.
Two Players to Watch Defense
Yetur Gross-Matos, Junior, Defensive End
Gross-Matos and junior defensive end Shaka Toney lead the Nittany Lions in sacks, as they both have 5.5. These two defensive ends are the biggest reason Penn State ranks second with the most sacks in college football, with 27.
Gross-Matos was voted first-team All-Big Ten by the media last season thanks to his eight sacks, and entered this season on the Bednarik Award watch list, an award given to the best defensive player in college football. He is even a projected first round pick in the NFL Draft, according to Mel Kiper of ESPN.
The 6-5 264 pound defensive end has wrecked opposing offenses so far this year and will look to do the same Saturday night against the Wolverines.
Micah Parsons, Sophomore, Linebacker
The 6-3 245 pound linebacker out of Harrisburg, Pa., is the Nittany Lions top tackler with 31 tackles and a sack. Last season, Parsons led Penn State in tackles with 82 and was selected a Freshman All-American by TheAthletic.com, 247Sports.com and ESPN.
The Penn State linebacker is one of the reasons that offenses have struggled against the Nittany Lions, as they rank fourth in yards allowed per play at 3.8.
