Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/202299
P R E G A M E R E P O R T I L L I N O I S N O O N , @ N O V. 2 P E N N S T A T E E S P N ILLINOIS FACTS COACH Tim Beckman (Findlay, '88) COACH'S RECORD 26-30 in five seasons as a head coach, including a 5-14 mark in one and a half seasons at Illinois. 2013 RECORD 3-4 (0-3 Big Ten) RECORD VS. PENN STATE In 20 meetings, Penn State owns a 16-4 advantage, including two consecutive victories. PREVIOUS MEETING Since Illini coaches were on campus recruiting Penn State players just a few months before, the meeting on Sept. 29, 2012, was personal. Michael Mauti finished with two interceptions, one of which he returned 99 yards, as his fired-up Nittany Lions rolled to a 35-7 victory in Champaign. UP FOR GRABS Mike Hull and Penn State's defense limited Illinois to one TD in 2012. THE GOOD GOING DEEP QB Nathan Scheelhaase has completed five passes that have gone for more than 50 yards, which is tied for eighth-most in the Football Bowl Subdivision. His top receiver, Steve Hull, ranks eighth nationally with an average of 21.6 yards per catch. Steve Manuel Back on the ball THE BAD UNBALANCED ATTACK While Illinois passes the ball well, its rushing game has been suspect in 2013. It ranks No. 11 in the Big Ten, averaging just 139.4 yards per outing. THE UGLY OPEN SEASON Statistically, the Illini have one of the two worst defenses in the conference. Their opponents average 457.7 yards per game and they've allowed a league-worst 31 touchdowns. DID YOU KNOW? Former Illinois defensive back Mike Hopkins is currently a NASA astronaut in the middle of his first space flight. Hopkins is a flight engineer on the International Space Station, and is scheduled to remain there until March 2014. Following embarassing defeats, Penn State and Illinois search for a cure TIM OWEN | OW E N. T I M . B W I @ G M A I L . C O M Penn State needs some saltwater. Fresh off a 63-14 shellacking at Ohio State last week – the worst loss in the program's modern history – the Nittany Lions are wounded. But the surest way to ease the sting of a disheartening defeat is to win your next game. As Bill O'Brien has repeatedly stated, "Winning is like saltwater. It cures everything. " The saltwater should be plentiful Saturday afternoon. Penn State will be playing host to Illinois, a team that is also coming off a demoralizing loss, one in which it failed to score a O C T O B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 3 1 touchdown (42-3 at No. 24 Michigan State). The Fighting Illini are reeling. While the Nittany Lions are just one game removed from a morale-boosting four-overtime victory over Michigan, Illinois has lost four of its past five, surrendering 46 points per game in the process. While Penn State's defense performed poorly last week, Illinois has consistently fielded one of the worst defenses in the Big Ten, especially its secondary. It allows a league-worst 66.3 completion rate and has hauled in only one interception in seven games. Penn State might be hurting, but Illinois is B LUE W HI T EON L I N E. COM