Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/575005
O T H E R M A T C H U P S THE LOWDOWNPenn State had a very good night against Rutgers, with redshirt sophomore Chris Gulla taking over the punting duties and averaging 41.7 yards. Punting has been the Nittany Lions' biggest concern in the kicking game, so if Gulla is able to keep it up, the special teams may just turn out to be a significant asset. That said, San Diego State will pose a challenge. Junior Lloyd Mills averages 18.0 yards per punt return, while sophomore Rashaad Penny averages 37.3 yards per kickoff return. Senior PK Donny Hageman has converted 5 of 6 field goal attempts, and junior Tanner Blain has averaged 43.3 yards per punt. // EDGEEven SPECIAL TEAMS THE LOWDOWNSan Diego State will be traveling 2,230 miles to face the Nittany Lions this weekend. It's the sec- ond-longest road trip of the year in college football (in the continental U.S.), trailing only UCF's recent visit to Stanford. Because of the difficulties associated with cross-country travel, West Coast teams don't often venture to central Pennsylvania. And when they do, they generally don't fare well. The last Western team to visit Beaver Stadium was Oregon State in 2008. Penn State won, 45-14. // EDGEPenn State THIS 'N' THAT THE LOWDOWNThis could be a difficult season for head coach Rocky Long if San Diego State isn't able to get things turned around this weekend. The Aztecs were thought to be strong contenders for the Mountain West title, but los- ing to South Alabama was a sobering wake-up call. As for Penn State, James Franklin and offensive coordinator John Donovan deserve a lot of credit for the great adjustments they made against Rutgers. // EDGEPenn State COACHING STAFF S E P T E M B E R 2 3 , 2 0 1 5 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 5 coming out of the backfield. SDSU's second-leading receiver is sophomore Mikah Holder with seven receptions for 90 yards and one TD catch. Junior Eric Judge is third on the team with six catches for 101 yards, and his average of 16.8 yards per catch is the team's best. Penn State's pass defense ranks seventh in the Big Ten, but the Nittany Lions got a lift from Grant Haley's return against Rutgers and are starting to become more opportunistic. Of their three interceptions on the season, two were against the Scarlet Knights this past Saturday. // KEY MATCHUP Starting LT Kwayde Miller, who stands 6-7, 310 pounds, will be matched up with Nassib, Penn State's leader with five sacks through three games. // EDGEPenn State