3 Keys to a Penn State Victory Over Rutgers

The Nittany Lions have won 17 straight games over the Scarlet Knights. Here's how they can make it 18.

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs with the ball while trying to avoid a tackle from Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive back DeShon Singleton (8) during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State will take on Rutgers for the 35th time in program history, which has been a favorable matchup for the Nittany Lions. Penn State has won 17 straight games and is 32-2 against the Scarlet Knights. It’s been pure domination, specifically in Piscataway, where the Nittany Lions are 8-0. 

With Penn State’s coaching search nearing its conclusion, interim head coach Terry Smith has his program battling for bowl eligibility. The Nittany Lions are one win from qualifying for a bowl game, which is why they’re calling Saturday a “playoff game.”

The Penn State-Rutgers game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on Big Ten Network. Play-by-play announcer Jeff Levering and former Michigan tight end Jake Butt will be on the call. Here are three keys for Penn State to earn that extra game.

RELATED: Preview, predictions for Penn State-Rutgers

Run the ball, stretch the field

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Rutgers has trouble rushing the passer. The Scarlet Knights rank 132nd nationally in sacks per game (less than one), a statistic Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer will love. If Grunkemeyer gets protection, he’ll have all day to throw against Rutgers, which ranks 130th in  defensive pass efficiency (156.95). That extra time could allow the Nittany Lions’ quarterback to take shots down the field and generate more explosive plays. 

However, that downfield passing is typically set up with an effective run game, and running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen will square up against the worst run defense in the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights allow a conference-low 201.7 yards rushing per game, and there’s no doubt Singleton and Allen will get plenty of touches in their last regular-season game with Penn State.

Focus on its nickel and dime coverages

Penn State Nittany Lions safety King Mack (16) intercepts the ball during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State has its hands full with Rutgers' passing attack. The Scarlet Knights rank 35th in the FBS in passing offense (259.5 passing yards per game) and 24th in yards per completion (13.10). Rutgers stretches the field with two dynamic receivers — KJ Duff and Ian Strong — and converts third downs at a 42-percent rate. 

Duff ranks second in the Big Ten in receiving yards (957) and Strong is eighth with 725. Rutgers is the only Big Ten team with two receivers in the top eight in yards. 

But the Scarlet Knights’ run game has been relatively ineffective. Rutgers sits 89th in the FBS in rushing yards per game, averaging 136.1, and its 109th-ranked red-zone offense reflects that. So it’s clear for Penn State: Key in on the Scarlet Knights’ air attack and use more nickel and dime packages. If the Nittany Lions can halt Rutgers' passing game, it’s hard to find a way the Scarlet Knights could beat Penn State. 

Unleash the pass rush

Penn State defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (33) celebrates a sack on Michigan State quarterback Alessio Milivojevic (11) in the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

As noted, Rutgers has trouble generating pressure. However, it also struggles with allowing it. The Scarlet Knights allow 3.18 sacks per game, which ranks 123rd in the FBS. With Rutgers' ambition to punish teams vertically, there will be plenty of opportunities for Penn State to rush the passer, and the Nittany Lions need to take advantage. It’s time to unleash the pass rush.

Defensive ends Dani Dennis-Sutton, Zuriah Fisher and freshman Chaz Coleman (if he plays after missing the last three games) should take every rep with a pass-rushing mindset. They can flip a game on its head, and Saturday seems like the perfect matchup to do so.

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