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KEY MATCHUPS P E N N   S T A T E   V S .   I L L I N O I S | B Y   P H I L   G R O S Z W H E N P E N N S T A T E H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME 237.7 YPG, 5.8 YPC // ILLINOIS RUN DEFENSE154.7 YPG, 4.3 YPC THE LOWDOWNBefore the season, James Franklin said the Nittany Lions would field a more balanced offensive at- tack this fall. That's exactly what has happened so far. Going into its Big Ten opener, Penn State has gotten 48.6 percent of its yards from the ground game and 51.4 percent from the aerial attack. The Lions have improved their rushing average by 67 yards per game since last year. Miles Sanders is Penn State's leading rusher through three games with 295 yards, and his average of 98.3 yards per game ranks fourth in the Big Ten. QB Trace McSorley is Penn State's second-leading rusher with 143 yards on 26 carries. Illinois' run defense has been mediocre, ranking 10th in the conference. ILB Jake Hansen is the Illini's leading tackler with 26 stops, including six tackles for loss. MLB Del'Shawn Phillips is next with 24 tackles, while CB Cameron Watkins has 20 stops. DE Jamal Woods leads the Illinois defense with four TFL. // KEY MATCHUP Penn State guards Steven Gonzalez and Connor McGovern will take on Phillips and Hansen, while LT Ryan Bates will do battle with Woods. If Illinois is going to have any chance of containing Penn State's inside zone running game, Phillips and Hansen will have to win the battle against Gonzalez and McGovern. That's a big ask. If the guards are able to take charge, and if Bates is able to control Woods, Penn State should have success running the ball inside and outside the tackle box. // EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME 251.3 YPG, 15.4 YPC // ILLINOIS PASS DEFENSE 325.3 YPG, 12.7 YPC THE LOWDOWNComing off a 2017 season in which they led the Big Ten in passing yards per game, the Nittany Lions have struggled at times this year, ranking fiBh in the conference in passing offense. McSorley has completed only 51.7 percent of his attempts for 603 yards and five touchdowns. That percentage would be higher if not for a num- ber of dropped passes, including some drops by the team's veteran receivers. K.J. Hamler has been Penn State's most reliable receiver with seven catches for 129 yards and two TDs. Brandon Polk is next with six catches for 119 yards. Juwan Johnson has a team-high eight receptions for 90 yards. When it comes to pass defense, the Illini are an enigma. They have surrendered a lot of yards, ranking 13th in the Big Ten in pass defense, and have already al- lowed nine TDs through the air. But they also have amassed a league-high six interceptions. Phillips and CB Jar- tavius Martin lead the team with two picks apiece. One reason why the Illini have given up so many yards is that they have only five sacks through three games. However, they may get a boost this week from the possible return of CB Nate Hobbs and S Bennett Williams. Both excelled as freshmen last year before being suspended indefinitely just before the start of the 2018 season. // KEY MATCHUP Johnson will take on Martin in the secondary. This could be a breakout game for the junior wideout, as he'll be going up against an inexperienced freshman. EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. ILLINOIS PASS DEFENSE ILLINOIS RUNNING GAME 243.0 YPG, 5.1 YPC // PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE 148.3 YPG, 3.5 YPC THE LOWDOWN The strength of Illinois' offense is its running game. Through three games, the Fighting Illini rank fourth in the Big Ten in rushing offense – a major improvement from the 2017 season in which they finished 122nd in the Football Bowl Subdivision with a 105.6-yard average. The stars of the Illinois rushing attack are Mike Epstein and Reggie Corbin. Epstein has totaled 251 yards on 35 carries (7.2 ypc), while Corbin has 240 yards on 37 carries (6.5 ypc). Against South Florida last week, Epstein rushed for 113 yards on 19 carries. Penn State ranks ninth in the Big Ten in run defense. Its leading tackler is MLB Jan Johnson with 18 stops. OLB Micah Parsons and FS Garrett Taylor are next with 16 tackles apiece. DE Shareef Miller leads the Nittany Lions with six tackles for loss. // KEY MATCHUP Illinois LT Vederian Lowe will take on Miller, while guards Kendrick Green and Nick Allegretti will face Penn State DT Kevin Givens. In Illinois' first three games, the 340-pound Lowe physically dominated the line of scrimmage. On Friday night, he will have an 80-pound weight advantage over Miller. Of the players in Penn State's defensive tackle rotation, Givens is the best at getting penetration against the run. If the Illini are going to continue having success running the ball between the tackles, they will need their guards to contain Givens. // EDGE Penn State ILLINOIS RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE ILLINOIS PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE W H E N I L L I N O I S H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. ILLINOIS RUN DEFENSE S E P T E M B E R   1 9 ,   2 0 1 8 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 4 ILLINOIS PASSING GAME 165.3 YPG, 10.6 YPC // PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE 175.7 YPG, 9.4 YPC THE LOWDOWNThe Illini have had a lot of drama at quarterback, and their passing game has suffered, ranking 12th in the Big Ten through three games. Cam Thomas, who had been the only scholarship quarterback on the roster during spring practice, was beaten out by graduate transfer A.J. Bush in August then abruptly leB the team earlier this month. His exit thrust true freshman M.J. Rivers II into the backup position. When Bush suffered a hamstring injury vs. West- ern Illinois, Rivers was forced into action. It's unclear whether Bush will be healthy enough to play this week. He had

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