Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/603435
O T H E R M A T C H U P S THE LOWDOWNMichigan has a big advantage here. Peppers is one of the top return men in the Big Ten with averages of 12.3 yards on punt returns and 27.9 yards on kickoffs. In addition, Lewis averages 30.0 yards on kickoff returns. Junior PK Kenny Allen has converted 14 of 18 field goal attempts, with his longest being 47 yards. Senior Blake O'Neill has averaged 41.7 yards per punt. The one area on special teams where Penn State excels is on kickoff re- turns, with redshirt freshman Koa Farmer averaging 28.1 yards per attempt. Redshirt freshman PK Joey Julius has hit 10 of 12 field goal attempts but has been recovering from an unspecified injury that likely contributed to two missed PATs vs. Illinois. Sophomore P Daniel Pasquariello has been inconsistent. // EDGEMichigan SPECIAL TEAMS THE LOWDOWNThe Nittany Lions, who are coming off a bye week, have won four of the past five games in this se- ries, including the two most recent games in Beaver Stadium. The Wolverines have a veteran team, so many of their players will no doubt remember their most recent trip to Penn State, which ended with the Nittany Lions rallying to win, 43-40, in quadruple overtime two years ago. // EDGEPenn State THIS 'N' THAT THE LOWDOWN I have to give the edge here to Harbaugh. Except for a heartbreaking loss to Michigan State, in which the Spartans returned a blocked punt for a touchdown on the final play of the game, the first-year coach has found a way to win close games. The Wolverines rallied to defeat Indiana in double overtime, 48-41, and kept Minnesota out of the end zone in the closing seconds of a 29-26 win. Penn State's James Franklin and his staff are coming off a two-point loss to Northwestern that echoed losses to Maryland and Illinois last year in which the Lions weren't able to hold fourth-quarter leads. // EDGEMichigan COACHING STAFF N O V E M B E R 1 8 , 2 0 1 5 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 5 yards and seven touchdowns. Against Indiana, Chesson made 10 catches for 207 yards and four TDs. Junior TE Jake Butt has 38 receptions for 500 yards and has been Rudock's go-to receiver throughout the season. The passing game has become a real strength for Michigan's offense, which means this matchup will be strength vs. strength. Penn State's pass defense ranks first in the Big Ten, as the Lions are holding opponents to a 55.4 percent completion rate and have intercepted nine passes while allowing only seven touchdowns. However, they did suffer a significant loss recently when it was announced that starting SS Jordan Lucas will miss the rest of the season with an unspecified injury. He'll be replaced by redshirt junior Malik Golden. Penn State's success against the pass begins up front, as Nassib leads the nation in sacks with 15.5. Johnson is second on the team with 5.5 sacks, while junior OLB Brandon Bell has 4.5. // KEY MATCHUP Magnuson will tangle with Nassib, while Butt will go up against Allen. // EDGEEven