MSU Offense Faces Major Challenge vs. Penn State Defense
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The Michigan State Spartans are taking on the Penn State Nittany Lions on Saturday afternoon.
Both teams have had disastrous seasons, with 3-6 records and no wins in Big Ten games this year. Someone will win a conference game on Saturday, simply because both teams can’t lose.
Penn State has had a rough year, following national championship aspirations, the firing of head coach James Franklin, and the season-ending injury to starting quarterback Drew Allar.
Despite the tumult, the Nittany Lions still feature one of the better defenses in the Big Ten. They lost key contributors to last year’s team, but have reloaded and have done a solid job on that side of the ball.
Where does the PSU rank among the Big Ten in key defensive statistics? Let’s break it all down.
Total defense - 325.8 YPG (10th in Big Ten)
Some teams have moved the ball well against the Nittany Lions, including UCLA and Ohio State, both of which had big days against Jim Knowles’ unit.
Other than those games, PSU’s defense has been stout as usual. The defense turned things up a level against Indiana in a game it nearly won.
MSU’s offense has struggled for much of conference play, so moving the ball against this team will prove to be difficult. Can the Spartans find similar success to the Bruins and Buckeyes?
Passing defense - 172.1 YPG (5th in Big Ten)
The Nittany Lions have not allowed teams to beat them over the top in the passing game.
Knowles has always had sound secondaries, which have not changed since he came to Happy Valley from Ohio State. Defensive backs like King Mack and Eliot Washington II have been huge for this team, despite a difficult season.
The Spartans do not know who they will start at quarterback this week, which will play a major factor in how well the passing offense will play. The team must have an answer for PSU’s elite secondary.
Rushing defense - 153.7 YPG (13th in Big Ten)
This is an area where the Spartans might be able to get the Nittany Lions.
Some teams have been able to run wild on PSU’s front, including in that UCLA game. MSU has not run the ball particularly well this season, but this game presents an opportunity for them to right the ship.
MSU might get Makhi Frazier back for this game, which would be major for the ground game. Can the Spartans get things going in that department against a vulnerable team?
Scoring defense - 22.3 PPG (11th in Big Ten)
The previously mentioned games vs the Bruins and Buckeyes have skewed this number; the Nittany Lions have a good scoring defense.
The Nittany Lions have several good pass-rushers, which will likely lead to pressure against MSU if the Spartans enter the red zone. MSU has struggled to score this season, so this matchup will likely not be beneficial for it.
If the Spartans can find ways to move the ball and score points, they should be in line for their first Big Ten win.
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