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KEY MATCHUPS P E N N   S T A T E   V S .   B O S T O N   C O L L E G E | 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 103.6 YPG, 2.9 YPC BOSTON COLLEGE RUN DEFENSE 94.8 YPG, 3.1 YPC THE LOWDOWN With the possible exception of Michigan State, Boston College fields probably the toughest defensive front Penn State will see all year. The Eagles finished second in the ACC in rushing defense. Their leading tackler is FS Justin Simmons with 70 total tackles, but the most noteworthy run-stoppers are linebackers Steven Daniels and Josh Keyes. Daniels is the Eagles' second-leading tackler with 68 stops, while Keyes has 63 tackles, including a team-high 11.5 tackles for loss. Penn State's leading rusher is sophomore Akeel Lynch, who gained 603 yards during the regular season. The key matchup here will pit PSU's interior offensive linemen against Daniels and Keyes. EDGE Boston College PENN STATE PASSING GAME 221.9 YPG, 11.0 YPC BOSTON COLLEGE PASS DEFENSE 218.0 YPG, 11.4 YPC THE LOWDOWN PSU's passing game was erratic in the second half of the season. In several games, QB Christian Hacken- berg completed less than half of his passes. But even so, the Lions may have the upper hand against a BC defense that finished 10th in the ACC against the pass. WRs DaeSean Hamilton and Geno Lewis will be looking to recapture their early-season success when they do battle with CBs John Johnson and Manuel Asprilla, but the most important matchups will take place at the line of scrimmage. The Eagles field a physical defense that produced 31 sacks during the regular season, so OTs Donovan Smith and Andrew Nelson will have a tough task ahead of them. EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. BOSTON COLLEGE PASS DEFENSE BOSTON COLLEGE RUNNING GAME 251.8 YPG, 5.1 YPC PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE 84.8 YPG, 2.6 YPC THE LOWDOWN Boston College finished second in the ACC in rushing offense and scored 29 rushing touchdowns, while Penn State fields the No. 1 rushing defense in the country and has allowed only 12 rushing TDs all season. Even though the Lions have been very good against the run, Boston College will present a unique challenge. Its leading rusher is fiCh-year senior QB Tyler Murphy, who has rushed for 1,079 yards and posted 10 rushing TDs. The key matchup here will pit senior OGs Bobby Vardaro and Aaron Kramer against Penn State DTs Anthony Zettel and Austin Johnson. Zettel and Johnson can't let Vardaro and Kramer get to the second level. EDGE Penn State BOSTON COLLEGE RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE BOSTON COLLEGE PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE THE LOWDOWN The one advantage Penn State has on special teams is with PK Sam Ficken. The experienced senior has converted 23 of 28 field goal attempts this season, more than any kicker in the Big Ten. Boston College has one of the top punters in the ACC in senior Alex Howell, who averages 42.9 yards per attempt. Howell doubles as the Ea- gles' primary place-kicker, but he has hit only 5 of 11 field goal tries, with his longest being 44 yards. EDGE Even SPECIAL TEAMS THE LOWDOWN Boston College has won the past three meetings in this series, but Penn State's current players were in elementary school when the teams last played in 2004. If the Lions have a motivational edge, it springs not from the series history but from the fact that they are coming off an NCAA-imposed bowl ban that prevented them from playing in the postseason in 2012 and '13. EDGE Penn State THIS 'N' THAT THE LOWDOWN Since he was hired in December 2012, Steve Addazio has produced two winning seasons for BC: a 7-6 finish in 2013 and this year's 7-5 regular-season showing. This will be the first meeting between James Franklin and Addazio. However, Franklin has coached with two members of Addazio's staff at BC, having worked with de- fensive coordinator Don Brown at Maryland and tight ends coach Frank Leonard at Kansas State. EDGE Even COACHING STAFF W H E N B O S T O N C O L L E G E H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. BOSTON COLLEGE RUN DEFENSE D E C E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 3 BOSTON COLLEGE PASSING GAME 132.0 YPG, 12.8 YPC PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE 185.0 YPG, 10.9 YPC THE LOWDOWN It might not be fair to call Boston College's offense one-dimensional, but the Eagles did finish last in the ACC in passing during the regular season. Despite throwing the ball on less than 40 percent of their plays, the Eagles still ran a three-wideout set. Boston College's leading pass-catcher is senior WR Josh Bordner with 26 receptions for 342 yards. Penn State is fielding its best pass defense in nearly a decade. The Lions rank third in the Big Ten in yards allowed and first in pass-efficiency defense with a rating of 99.7. They have allowed only eight touchdowns, fewest in the conference. The key matchup here will pit Zettel against Kramer. Zettel leads Penn State with eight sacks. EDGE Penn State

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