Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 11 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M when it faces Penn State on Nov. 5, but it had better use that time wisely because its next game after taking on the Nittany Lions is a trip to Ohio State. The most daunting of the Lions' re- maining matchups could well be the one against visiting Maryland on Nov. 12. The Terrapins headed into their bye week at 6-2 following a 31-24 win over Northwestern. They played that game without quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who suffered a knee injury the previous week in a win over Indiana, yet they still managed to outscore the Wildcats 21-7 in the second half behind backup Billy Edwards Jr. Tagovailoa is likely to be back in action when the Terps travel to Beaver Stadium, and they will be happy to have him run- ning their offense again. He has been en- joying an outstanding season with a 72.5 percent completion rate and an average of 285.9 yards passing per game, third- best in the Big Ten. With Tagovailoa leading the way, the Terps were third in the conference in scoring offense at 34.6 points per game. They had also attained bowl eligibil- ity after just eight games. It's the earli- est that Maryland has been bowl eligible since 2001. "This team and this fan base should be really proud of being able to get that accomplished," coach Michael Locksley said. The last two opponents on Penn State's schedule are still working to achieve postseason eligibility and may or may not get there. At Rutgers, which was 4-3 heading into a visit to Minnesota on Oct. 29, the problem has been a stubbornly unpro- ductive offense. After a 14-13 loss to Nebraska on Oct. 7, coach Greg Schiano fired coordinator Sean Gleeson. Formerly of Oklahoma State, Gleeson had come aboard in 2020 but didn't have much success with the Scarlet Knights. They ranked 120th in the FBS in total offense last year and were 108th when he was dismissed after six games this season. "This was a difficult decision," Schi- ano said, "but I believe it is in the best in- terest of our program to make a change." With interim offensive coordinator Nunzio Campanile calling the plays, Rutgers showed some signs of life against Indiana, rushing for 192 yards in a victory that ended its streak of 21 consecutive Big Ten home defeats. The Lions' regular-season finale will be at home against Michigan State. At 3-4 heading into their rivalry game against Michigan on Oct. 29, the Spar- tans have been the Big Ten's most disap- pointing team this year, in large part be- cause their defense has been among the league's worst. Through seven games, Michigan State was allowing 422.3 yards per game to rank 13th in the league and 27.1 points to rank 11th. Making matters worse, the Spar- tans don't have a Heisman-contending rusher in their backfield this year to fill the shoes of Kenneth Walker III. Their leading ball carrier through seven games, Wisconsin transfer Jalen Berger, was 14th in the league with 367 yards. Even after the debacle in Ann Arbor, it's likely that Penn State will be favored in all of its November games. Four wins would put it firmly in contention for a New Year's Six bowl, which would be the team's first since defeating Memphis in the 2019 Cotton Bowl. Franklin, though, isn't looking that far ahead. He prefers to compartmentalize, focusing on the task at hand each week rather than entertaining what-if sce- narios. He returned to that theme after the Lions romped past the Gophers. "We're 1-0," Franklin said, "and we're happy to be 1-0." ■ PENN STATE'S NOVEMBER SCHEDULE Date Opponent Series History 2021 Result Nov. 5 at Indiana Penn State leads 23-2 PSU held the visiting Hoosiers to 264 yards in a 24-0 shutout Nov. 12 Maryland Penn State leads 41-3-1 Ji'Ayir Brown had an 87-yard pick-six in the fourth quarter to clinch PSU's 31-14 win Nov. 19 at Rutgers Penn State leads 30-2 PSU won 28-0 behind Christian Veilleux's 235 yards passing Nov. 26 Michigan State Michigan State leads 18-17-1 The Spartans held off Penn State 30-27 in snowy East Lansing Michigan State's Payton Thorne threw for 268 yards and 2 touchdowns in the Spartans' 30-27 victory over the Nittany Lions last November. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL