3 Matchups That Will Decide Penn State's Week 5 Game at Northwestern

The Nittany Lions look to reset their season after a surprising loss to Wisconsin.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Rocco Becht (3) runs with the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penn State and Northwestern meet Friday, nearly one year after the Wildcats delivered a gut-wrenching, James Franklin-tenure-ending victory. It will also be the first game at Northwestern’s New Ryan Field, so the crowd will be raucous and looking to build on the momentum the program gained in 2025. 

How do the Nittany Lions get their payback? These three matchups will decide Friday’s game and potentially flip the vibes of the Nittany Lions’ season. 

Penn State running backs vs. Northwestern run defense

Penn State Nittany Lions running back James Peoples (1) celebrates with offensive lineman Anthony Donkoh (68) after scoring a touchdown against the Buffalo Bulls at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Indiana running back Lee Beebe Jr. picked apart the Northwestern defense in Week 4, rushing for 203 yards on 23 carries (8.5 yards per carry). The same running back ran for 2.9 yards per carry against Western Kentucky and 2.4 yards per carry against North Texas earlier in the season.

Penn State head coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser said they are looking for someone to become their bell-cow running back. Friday is the perfect opportunity for a back, potentially Ohio State transfer James Peoples, to seize the job.

The Wildcats have allowed the second-most rushing yards per game in the Big Ten (199.3) and the 11th-most in the country (behind Western Kentucky’s 220.5 per game).

Gaining some traction on the ground will be an easy way for Penn State’s struggling offense to settle in. If the Nittany Lions can’t get their run game going vs. Northwestern, it’s hard to imagine they ever do this season. 

Penn State third-down defense vs. Northwestern third-down offense

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas (13) reacts after intercepting the ball against the Wisconsin Badgers at Beaver Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penn State’s third-down defense was effective against Wisconsin, one positive takeaway from the loss. The Nittany Lions allowed the Badgers to convert on 4-of-15 chances (26.67 percent), raising the season average to a conference-best third-down conversion rate of 18.5 percent. 

Penn State’s pass defense led to that success. The Nittany Lions top the Big Ten in defensive efficiency (87.6 rating) and allow the fewest passing yards per game (126.3). They make it difficult for opposing quarterbacks in obvious passing-down situations.

That third-down dominance should carry over to Friday, when Penn State takes on a Northwestern team that converts 38.9 percent of the time, second-worst in the Big Ten.

If Penn State’s defense can get off the field on third down, the Wildcats’ 17th-ranked total defense (417.3 yards allowed per game) will be on the field for an extended period of time, a recipe for success for an inconsistent Nittany Lions offense.

Penn State’s rush defense vs. Northwestern quarterback Aidan Chiles

Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Aidan Chiles (0) runs the ball against the Indiana Hoosiers at Memorial Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Penn State’s rush defense against mobile quarterbacks has been hit or miss this season. In Week 1 against Marshall, the Nittany Lions contained Thundering Herd quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson with ease, limiting him to 30 rushing yards on 13 attempts (he’s averaged 54.37 per game since then).

Against Temple in Week 2, though, Jaxon Smolik gashed Penn State for 71 yards on seven carries, including a 47-yarder where the Nittany Lions missed two tackles.

Chiles isn’t the threat those two are, but he’s carried the ball at least eight times in all three games this season and has four rushing touchdowns. While not nearly the most important matchup, it’s something to keep an eye on Friday in Evanston.

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