P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L >>
2018
RECORD
5-7, 3-6 Big Ten
COACH Mike Locksley (1-5 in one sea-
son at Maryland; career record: 3-31)
SERIES RECORD Penn State leads the
all-time series, 39-2-1.
MOST RECENT MEETING Trace McSor-
ley had 294 yards of total oer a
season in which it totaled only 18 sacks,
second-fewest in the Big Ten. The line-
backer corps is being rebuilt, with
Chance Campbell having emerged as a
team leader this spring and Ayinde Eley
looking like a potential dier the cur-
rent four-game series concludes on
Sept. 14 at Beaver Stadium.
OUTLOOK The Panthers made a sur-
prise appearance in the ACC title game
last
year, but their offensive deficien-
cies
were laid bare by Clemson, as the
eventual national champs held them to
just 8 passing yards and 199 total yards
in a 42-10 romp. Whipple is hoping to
fix some of those problems by giving
the run-oriented Panthers a more cred-
ible passing threat. He favors a pro-
style attack, and he has a history of
developing
quarterbacks. If he can lift
Pickett's
production, Pitt will be better
equipped to handle its losses elsewhere
on offense. The Panthers won't be fa-
vored to win another Coastal Division
crown, but they've gone bowling 10 of
the past 11 years, and another postsea-
son appearance looks to be an attain-
able goal. –M.H.
