Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1038050
O T H E R M A T C H U P S THE LOWDOWNThis is another area where injuries have taken a toll on Michigan State. Jake Hartberger was one of the top punters in the Big Ten, but he suffered a leg injury against Arizona State and will miss the rest of the season. His re- placement is redshirt freshman Tyler Hunt. The Spartans do have have an excellent kicker in Matt Coghlin, who has converted all eight of his field goal attempts, with his longest being 49 yards. Two areas in which Penn State might have an edge are on punt and kickoff returns. The Lions rank third in the Big Ten in the former category, averaging 13.4 yards per attempt, and fourth in the latter with an average of 25.6 yards per kickoff return. // EDGE Even SPECIAL TEAMS THE LOWDOWNPenn State's 16-game home winning streak came to an end against Ohio State, but that doesn't mean the Nittany Lions won't enjoy a big home-field advantage on homecoming weekend. Since joining the Big Ten, Penn State has gone 9-2 against Michigan State at Beaver Stadium. // EDGEPenn State THIS 'N' THAT THE LOWDOWN This is Mark Dantonio's 12th season as Michigan State's head coach. He has amassed a 103-47 record with the Spartans, winning a Big Ten title in 2015 and advancing to the College Football Playoff. James Franklin has a 40-18 record at Penn State. He, too, has won a Big Ten crown, as the Nittany Lions claimed the championship with a 38-31 victory over Wisconsin in 2016. Franklin's team finished in the in the top 10 in 2016 and '17, and it's No. 8 in the current polls. // EDGE Penn State COACHING STAFF O C T O B E R 1 0 , 2 0 1 8 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 5 and Matt Dotson have combined to make only six catches for 49 yards. Lewerke does like to throw to his running backs, as Heyward has 16 catches for 105 yards. Penn State ranks third in the Big Ten in pass defense and has totaled five interceptions. CB Amani Oruwariye leads the way with two interceptions, while Taylor, Johnson and LB Ellis Brooks have one interception apiece. The Lions rank fourth in the Big Ten with 16 sacks, including a team-high three by Miller. Windsor and freshman DE Jayson Oweh have two sacks apiece. // KEY MATCHUP Chewins will do battle with Miller up front, while Davis will take on Penn State cornerbacks John Reid and Oruwariye in the secondary. The Spartans' offensive line has been hindered by injuries and has had trouble protecting Lewerke. Five games into the season, it has already surrendered 12 sacks. If Chewins can't contain Miller, that number will grow. In the secondary, Davis will present matchup problems for Reid and Oruwariye. He is the Spartans' big-play receiver, as evidenced by his performance in last year's matchup vs. Penn State, in which he caught 12 passes for 181 yards. // EDGE Even