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KEY MATCHUPS P E N N   S T A T E  V S .  I L L I N O I S WHEN PENN STATE PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. ILLINOIS RUN DEFENSE PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. ILLINOIS PASS DEFENSE ILLINOIS PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE BY THE P H I L G R O S Z BALL PENN STATE RUNNING GAME 151.9 YPG, 3.7 YPC ILLINOIS RUN DEFENSE 219.3 YPG, 5.1 YPC THE LOWDOWN Even though the Nittany Lions' running game is ranked 10th in the Big Ten, Bill Belton, who has taken over the starting running back job after rushing for 183 yards on 49 carries against Ohio State and Michigan, should have success against an Illinois rush defense that is ranked 10th in the conference. It will be interesting to see what role Zach Zwinak plays against Illinois after fumbling in eight of his past 13 games. If he can solve his ball-security problems, the Nittany Lions should have success running the ball both inside and outside the tackle box against Illinois. Senior LB Jonathan Brown leads Illinois with 76 total tackles and eight tackles for loss. EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME 277.0 YPG, 12.6 YPC ILLINOIS PASS DEFENSE 238.4 YPG, 13.2 YPC THE LOWDOWN Christian Hackenberg has been practicing this week and is expected to start on Saturday after having to leave the Ohio State game with a shoulder injury. Bill O'Brien said Hackenberg won't have to wear any extra protective gear – good news for an offense that is looking to regroup after a disappointing night in Columbus. Allen Robinson is the leading receiver in the conference with 55 catches for 878 yards and six TDs, and Penn State has the second-ranked passing offense in the conference. Illinois, meanwhile, is eighth in the league in pass defense. Opponents are completing 66.3 percent of their attempts, the highest percentage in the Big Ten. EDGE Penn State WHEN ILLINOIS ILLINOIS RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE HAS | HAS THE BALL ILLINOIS RUNNING GAME 139.4 YPG, 4.0 YPC PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE 159.1 YPG, 4.0 YPC THE LOWDOWN The Fighting Illini have struggled to get their running game going. Sophomore RB Josh Ferguson is their leading rusher through seven games with 361 yards (5.5 yards per carry) and two touchdowns. Overall, the Illini are ranked 11th in the Big Ten in rushing offense, but Penn State needs to be wary, because senior QB Nate Scheelhaase is an excellent option runner. Illinois also likes to use freshman Aaron Bailey as an option quarterback. Bailey is Illinois' third-leading rusher, averaging 4.7 yards per carry. Expect the Illini to attack the flanks of Penn State's defense. EDGE Penn State ILLINOIS PASSING GAME 261.3 YPG, 12.8 YPC PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE 226.7 YPG, 12.2 YPC THE LOWDOWN Under Scheelhaase's leadership, Illinois has the fourth-best passing game in the Big Ten. The senior quarterback is completing 65.3 percent of his passes for 235.6 yards per game and is doing an excellent job of spreading the ball around. Fourteen receivers have caught passes in Illinois' first seven games, a group led by Ferguson, who has 25 catches for 361 yards and three touchdowns. Illinois likes to spread the field with its passing game and will create matchup problems for Penn State's linebackers and secondary. This is the most wide-open passing offense in the Big Ten. EDGE Illinois OTHER MATCHUPS SPECIAL TEAMS THIS 'N' THAT COACHING STAFF THE LOWDOWN Illinois has really excelled in the return game. Sophomore V'Angelo Bentley averages a Big Ten-best 30.8 yards per kickoff return, and he also averages 15.8 yards per punt return. Bentley could pose some real problems, as Penn State has one of the league's worst kickoff coverage units. Sophomore Taylor Zalewski is one of the better place-kickers in the Big Ten, having converted on 7 of 10 field goal attempts. EDGE Illinois THE LOWDOWN Turnovers will likely play a key role in this game, as both teams have struggled in this area. Illinois ranks 10th in the Big Ten in turnover margin and has intercepted just one pass in seven games. Penn State, meanwhile, ranks 12th in turnover margin, with 16 giveaways and nine takeaways. If the Nittany Lions are going to finish strong, those numbers will have to improve. EDGE Even THE LOWDOWN There have been hard feelings between the two coaching staffs ever since Illinois sent a number of coaches to State College two days after the NCAA imposed its sanctions on the Nittany Lions in July 2012. The Lions got a bit of payback in the form of a 35-7 victory last September, but the Penn State staff may not be quite ready to let bygones be bygones. EDGE Penn State O C T O B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 3 3 B LUE WH I T E ON L I N E. COM

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