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KEY MATCHUPS P E N N   S T A T E   V S .   I N D I A N A | B Y P H I L G R O S Z W H E N P E N N S T A T E H A S T H E B A L L O T H E R M A T C H U P S PENN STATE RUNNING GAME 77.1 YPG, 2.3 YPC INDIANA RUN DEFENSE 170.6 YPG, 4.6 YPC THE LOWDOWN PSU enters this game ranked 120th in the country in rushing. Bill Belton has rushed for 280 yards on 80 attempts and appears to have surrendered his starting spot to Akeel Lynch, who has totaled 238 yards on 57 carries. In one of the season's most telling stats, Penn State has totaled only eight rushing TDs, fewest by far in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers haven't been very good against the run, ranking 10th in the league. Their top tackler is SS Antonio Allen with 46 stops, but their most disruptive player is DE Bobby Richardson, who has 5.5 tackles for loss. Penn State guards Brendan Mahon and Brian Gaia will need to find a way to neutralize Richardson. EDGE Indiana PENN STATE PASSING GAME 261.9 YPG, 11.1 YPC INDIANA PASS DEFENSE 274.8 YPG, 11.1 YPC THE LOWDOWN Despite Christian Hackenberg's recent struggles – he's completed only 54.8 percent of his attempts with three TD passes and five interceptions in his past four games – the Lions still have the No. 2 passing offense in the Big Ten. Their top pass-catcher is DaeSean Hamilton, who is also the leading receiver in the Big Ten with 62 catches for 728 yards. Their second-leading receiver is Geno Lewis with 38 catches for 577 yards. The Hoosiers rank last in the conference in pass defense. The key matchup here will pit Indiana's starting cornerbacks, Tim Ben- nett and Michael Hunter, against Hamilton and Lewis. EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. INDIANA PASS DEFENSE INDIANA RUNNING GAME 274.5 YPG, 6.0 YPC PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE 77.1 YPG, 2.3 YPC THE LOWDOWN Many people consider Indiana's offense a one-man show. In junior Tevin Coleman, the Hoosiers have the nation's leading rusher. He's averaging 162.5 yards per game (8.0 per carry) and has totaled 11 rushing TDs. If Coleman were playing for a Top 25 team, he would be a Heisman Trophy contender. The Hoosiers are third in the Big Ten in rushing offense, while Penn State's rushing defense ranks first nationally. This will be strength vs. strength, with the key matchup pitting Indiana's starting guards, David Kaminski and Dan Feeney against Penn State DTs Austin Johnson and Anthony Zettel. Expect a fierce battle in the trenches. EDGE Penn State INDIANA RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE INDIANA PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE THE LOWDOWN If Penn State has an edge here, it's very slight, and it's solely because of senior PK Sam Ficken. Ficken has converted 17 of 19 field goal attempts, and his only two misses have been blocked. One area in which Indiana has an edge in the kicking game is at punter. Junior Erich Toth is averaging 40.8 yards per attempt, while the Nit- tany Lions rank 12th in the conference with a 33.9-yard average. EDGE Even SPECIAL TEAMS THE LOWDOWN A year ago, the Hoosiers ended two decades of futility against Penn State, defeating the Nittany Lions, 44-24, for their first victory in the all-time series. This year's game will be the Lions' second visit to Bloomington in as many years, and although they lost handily in 2013, Memorial Stadium is not one of the Big Ten's more inhos- pitable road venues. EDGE Even THIS 'N' THAT THE LOWDOWN James Franklin and Kevin Wilson are trying to keep their respective teams focused as they work their way through rough patches. Penn State has lost four in a row, while Indiana is on a three-game skid. The Lions have been competitive in every game this season; Indiana is coming off a pair of lopsided losses. We're about to find out which of these teams is more resilient. EDGE Even COACHING STAFF W H E N I N D I A N A H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. INDIANA RUN DEFENSE N O V E M B E R 5 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 3 INDIANA PASSING GAME 152.1 YPG, 10.7 YPC PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE 196.2 YPG, 11.6 YPC THE LOWDOWN With QBs Nate Sudfeld and Chris Covington out for the season with injuries, the Hoosiers are starting true freshman Zander Diamont at quarterback. Their pass offense ranks 12th in the Big Ten, and in losses to Michigan State and Michigan, it produced only 35 yards. The Hoosiers' two leading wideouts are Shane Wynn (29 catches, 436 yards) and Nick Stoner (18 catches, 177 yards). In addition, Coleman is a good receiver coming out of the backfield with 17 catches for 140 yards. The key matchups here will pit Indiana's starting offensive tackles, Jason Spriggs and Ralston Evans, against DEs Deion Barnes and C.J. Olaniyan. EDGE Penn State

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