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KEY MATCHUPS P E N N   S T A T E  V S .  S Y R A C U S E WHEN PENN STATE PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. SYRACUSE RUN DEFENSE PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. SYRACUSE PASS DEFENSE SYRACUSE PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE BY MATT HERB THE BALL* PENN STATE RUNNING GAME 144.8 YPG, 3.7 YPC SYRACUSE RUN DEFENSE 144.7 YPG, 4.0 YPC THE LOWDOWN Penn State should be better at running the ball than it was a year ago. Bill Belton reportedly looked good in preseason camp, Zach Zwinak is going to play Saturday after suffering a wrist injury in the spring game, and Akeel Lynch is getting set to make his eagerly awaited debut. First-year Syracuse coach Scott Shafer demanded aggressiveness when he was the team's defensive coordinator. The Orange were adept at making plays in the backfield. But they must replace three starting defensive linemen from last year, and their starting linebackers average 225 pounds, so Penn State could have some success if it tries to run the ball. EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME 273.2 YPG, 12.1 YPC SYRACUSE PASS DEFENSE 234.2 YPG, 12.1 YPC THE LOWDOWN The identity of PSU's starting quarterback is available on a need-to-know basis, and as far as Bill O'Brien is concerned, you and I don't need to know. Not until Saturday, anyway. Insiders have said Christian Hackenberg has looked good in practice, and the true freshman may have an edge. But is he ready to shine in his very first college game? When Rob Bolden won the starting job as a true freshman three years ago, he had the luxury of opening against Youngstown State. This year's opener is against an ACC opponent with a stellar pass-rusher in OLB Cameron Lynch. As a sophomore, the 5-foot-11, 230-pound Lynch had four sacks. EDGE Even WHEN SYRACUSE SYRACUSE RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE HAS | HAS THE BALL* SYRACUSE RUNNING GAME 187.0 YPG, 4.0 YPC PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE 128.4 YPG, 3.5 YPC THE LOWDOWN This is DaQuan Jones' moment to step up. He's trimmed down to 318 pounds and says he's ready to join the pantheon of great Penn State defensive tackles. He'll have an opportunity on Saturday to show how much progress he's made, as the Orange should field a formidable ground game behind running backs Jerome Smith and Prince-Tyson Gulley. The two combined for 2,001 yards last season, and they will be running behind an experienced offensive line anchored by senior center Macky MacPherson. If that name sounds familiar, it's because the 6-2, 290-pound MacPherson is the grandson of former Syracuse coach Dick MacPherson. EDGE Syracuse SYRACUSE PASSING GAME 289.0 YPG, 12.7 YPC PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE 225.0 YPG, 11.1 YPC THE LOWDOWN It's tough to size this one up. Shafer wants to keep Penn State guessing, so he hasn't said whether he'll start Terrel Hunt or Drew Allen at quarterback. Coming out of spring practice, Hunt was the leader to replace graduated standout Ryan Nassib. He's the more mobile of the top two candidates and gives the Orange some playcalling options they might not have with Allen, a fifth-year transfer from Oklahoma, under center. Whoever starts will have the benefit of a top-flight receiver in Jarrod West. Penn State's secondary will be much younger than last year, with sophomores Jordan Lucas and Trevor Williams set to start at cornerback. EDGE Even OTHER MATCHUPS* SPECIAL TEAMS THE LOWDOWN Sam Ficken got a nice head start on the 2013 season by making his last 10 field goal attempts of 2012. The Lions would be thrilled to see him pick up where he left off. The coverage teams were OK, too, but PSU is seeking improvements in the return game and may look to freshman run-on Von Walker for a lift. Syracuse was outstanding at kickoff coverage last season, finishing second in the country at 16.3 yards per attempt. EDGE Syracuse THIS 'N' THAT THE LOWDOWN The Nittany Lions have made injury-avoidance a top priority this summer, and that approach appears to be paying dividends in two ways. First, as of this writing, there were no reports of any serious injuries in practice. So while the scholarship roster is depleted, the team is about as healthy as it can be. Second, the Lions should have fresh legs heading into the opener – an advantage they didn't have heading into last season. EDGE Even COACHING STAFF THE LOWDOWN Shafer inherited a rebuilding project from Doug Marrone, who left for the Buffalo Bills in the off-season. But his challenges pale next to those faced by O'Brien, who must find a way to keep Penn State competitive even though it has fewer scholarships than any of its opponents. The good news for the Nittany Lions is that he and his staff have shown tremendous resourcefulness so far. EDGE Penn State * All statistics are from the 2012 season. A U G U S T   2 8 ,   2 0 1 3 3 BL UEW H I T E ON L I N E . COM

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