Penn State Vs. Northwestern: Keys to the Game for the Nittany Lions

Penn State looks to revive its College Football Playoff hopes with a win over the Wildcats.

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs for a touchdown during the first quarter against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Penn State returns to Beaver Stadium for a newly important game against Northwestern on Saturday. It marks Penn State’s first game as an unranked team in the AP Top 25 since Week 2 of the 2022 season. It’s also the first of seven elimination games for Penn State as it starts a long, tense journey toward the College Football Playoff. 

Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1 with Connor Onion and analyst Mark Helfrich on the call. Here are the keys for the Nittany Lions to put the past in the past and start a new winning streak. 

RELATED: Penn State vs. Northwestern predictions

Feed running back Kaytron Allen

Penn State Nittany Lions running back Kaytron Allen (13) runs for a touchdown during the first quarter against the UCLA Bruins at the Rose Bowl. | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

Ready to hear a jarring statistic? Running back Kaytron Allen has nine fewer carries than counterpart Nicholas Singleton this season but 138 more yards. Allen’s yards-per-carry average is nearly double Singleton’s (7.0 to 3.8). 

Yet against UCLA, Singleton played 15 more snaps and touched the ball four more times than Allen, who was not on the field for Penn State’s potential game-tying, fourth-quarter drive. Each week, coach James Franklin says he and the staff plan to get Allen more involved. However, the two backs continue to rotate, even though Allen has been Penn State's best offensive player this season.

Many of Allen’s teammates have referred to him as a spark plug and a “tone-setter.” Tight end Andrew Rappleyea called Allen a “ballplayer,” “ridiculous” and “everything you need in a running back” after practice on Wednesday. It’s more clear than ever that the senior is exactly what Penn State's offense needs right now.  

Allen must come out as the starter against Northwestern and set the offensive tone. Singleton has averaged just 2.7 yards per carry the past two weeks compared to Allen’s 5.2. It’s time to give the more productive back the featured role. 

RELATED: James Franklin taps his emotional side on his radio show

Generate pressure on Northwestern quarterback Preston Stone

Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Preston Stone (8) runs the ball as ULM Warhawks cornerback D'Arco Perkins-McAllister (4) tries to tackle him during the first half at Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium. | David Banks-Imagn Images

Preston Stone, in his first year as the Wildcats’ starting quarterback,  played for the 2024 SMU  team that lost to Penn State in a first-round playoff game. Although he watched from the sideline, Stone saw the Nittany Lions generate three sacks and seven quarterback hurries on starter Kevin Jennings, forcing the Mustangs’ quarterback into three interceptions. 

Stone saw what pressure could do to an offense first-hand, especially on the road. But Penn State hasn’t done that the past two weeks. The Nittany Lions combined for only three sacks and three quarterback hurries vs. Oregon and UCLA. 

Defensive tackle Zane Durant and defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton haven’t played to their standard the past two games, combining for just one sack and one quarterback hurry. It’s a trend that can’t continue. 

The defensive line will take on a solid Northwestern offensive line that allows 1.6 sacks per game, not far behind Penn State’s 1.2. Saturday’s contest very much will be decided in the trenches, as Northwestern likely will run the ball with an offense that averages 196 yards rushing per game. We’ll see if the Nittany Lions can force third downs, generate pressure on Stone and get off the field.

RELATED: Penn State's defense takes new approach to find answers after loss to UCLA

Find a productive outside linebacker 

Penn State Nittany Lions linebacker Tony Rojas (13) sacks Villanova Wildcats quarterback Tanner Maddocks (3) during the second quarter at Beaver Stadium. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Penn State seriously missed linebacker Tony Rojas, who sustained a long-term injury in practice before the UCLA game, in its loss to the Bruins. Dom DeLuca replaced Rojas and played 78 snaps after totaling 95 in the first four games combined.  

DeLuca was unable to keep up with UCLA quarterback Nico Iamaleava, particularly on third down. That wound up being a key difference in the game. Rojas, the team’s fastest linebacker, would have played the spy role on Iamaleava. 

Even though Stone isn’t nearly as mobile, he has used his legs successfully at times this season, specifically in his 5-carry, 49-yard performance against Louisiana-Monroe last week. Penn State has struggled with mobile quarterbacks this year, so subbing in a younger, more athletic linebacker for DeLuca could help stabilize that part of the defense.

The problem is, do the Nittany Lions have one they trust? Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles spoke highly of freshman Alex Tatsch during the bye week, and fellow freshman Cam Smith got into the game at UCLA, albeit for one snap. One makeshift option is to play safety Zakee Wheatley closer to the line of scrimmage to help out as a temporary linebacker.