Blue White Illustrated

KEY MATCHUPS P E N N   S T A T E   V S .   P U R D U 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 PENN STATE RUNNING GAME 147.9 YPG, 4.0 YPC // PURDUE RUN DEFENSE249.0 YPG, 5.7 YPC THE LOWDOWNPenn State has not fielded a consistently successful running game, but it could enjoy an advantage this week. The Nittany Lions will be going up against a Purdue defense that ranks 13th in the Big Ten against the run. That means the Boilermakers can expect to see a lot of sophomore RB Saquon Barkley, who leads the Lions with 681 yards on 129 attempts and is averaging 5.3 yards per carry. Barkley is the primary threat in a two-pronged rushing attack that also features QB Trace McSorley. The redshirt sophomore is Penn State's second-leading rusher with 249 yards on 86 carries. Between the two of them, Barkley and McSorley have accounted for 12 of Penn State's 14 rushing touchdowns. The Boilermakers' leading tackler is sophomore LB Markus Bailey with 49 stops, while senior DE Evan Panfil has a team-high 9.5 tackles for loss. Safeties Leroy Clark (41 tackles) and Navon Mosley (40 tackles) are Purdue's second- and third-leading tacklers, respectively. Despite having some solid indi- vidual performers, the Boilers rank last in the Big Ten in total defense, allowing 441 yards per game. They are also permitting opponents to convert a league-high 50.9 percent of their third downs. If Purdue's defense can't get off the field, it will struggle against Penn State. // KEY MATCHUP Penn State LG Ryan Bates will take on Purdue senior DT Jake Replogle, while RT Brendan Mahon will battle Panfil. // EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME 227.1 YPG, 14.3 YPC // PURDUE PASS DEFENSE 192.0 YPG, 11.8 YPC THE LOWDOWN Penn State enters the game ranked fifth in the Big Ten in passing offense. McSorley has completed 111 of 200 attempts (55.5 percent) for 1,590 yards, with nine touchdowns and only three interceptions. The Nit- tany Lions' leading receiver is junior TE Mike Gesicki, who is having a breakout season with 27 catches for 323 yards and two TDs. Junior WR Chris Godwin has caught 25 passes for 364 yards, while redshirt junior WR Dae- Sean Hamilton is next with 19 catches for 238 yards, followed by redshirt sophomore WR DeAndre Thompkins with 18 catches for 328 yards. In addition, Barkley is an excellent receiver with 11 receptions for 143 yards. Purdue ranks sixth in the Big Ten in pass defense, but sometimes statistics can be deceiving. The Boilermakers' oppo- nents have completed 59.1 percent of their passes and have thrown 13 TD passes with only five interceptions. One facet of the Boilers' pass defense that does appear strong is the rush, which has produced 14 sacks through seven games. Panfil leads the team with four sacks, followed by sophomore NT Eddy Wilson with 2.5 and DE Gelen Robinson with two. // KEY MATCHUP Mahon will be looking to keep Panfil out of the backfield, while Penn State C Brian Gaia will do battle with Wilson. Downfield, Gesicki will face Clark, Purdue's starting strong safety. // EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. PURDUE PASS DEFENSE PURDUE RUNNING GAME 120.5 YPG, 3.8 YPC // PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE203.0 YPG, 4.7 YPC THE LOWDOWN Purdue's running game has struggled. The Boilermakers rank last in the Big Ten in rushing offense, in part due to a series of nagging injuries that have slowed sophomore RB Markell Jones. Jones set a Purdue freshman rushing record with 875 yards last fall, but he's gained only 408 yards on 92 carries (4.4 ypc) so far this season and has scored just two touchdowns. A pair of freshman running backs – Brian Lankford-Johnson and Richie Worship – have come on in relief, gaining 215 and 113 yards, respectively. Penn State's run defense was dramatically improved against Ohio State, as the Lions allowed only 168 yards on 40 carries. Even so, Penn State ranks 12th in the Big Ten in rushing yards allowed. The Lions' leading tackler is junior FS Marcus Allen with 63 stops, while senior SS Malik Golden is second with 41. Sophomore OLB Manny Bowen is the Lions' third-leading tackler with 40 stops, including six tackles for loss. Senior OLB Brandon Bell has played in only three games but is Penn State's fiAh-leading tackler with 35 stops. MLB Jason Cabinda has played in only two games because of a thumb injury but has collected 24 tack- les. Redshirt junior DE Garrett Sickels is leading the team with seven tackles for loss. // KEY MATCHUP Purdue senior LT Cameron Cermin will face Sickels, while senior RG Jordan Roos will try to hold off Cabinda. // EDGE Penn State PURDUE RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE PURDUE PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE W H E N P U R D U E H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. PURDUE RUN DEFENSE O C T O B E R 2 6 , 2 0 1 6 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 4 PURDUE PASSING GAME 306.0 YPG, 12.0 YPC // PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE183.0 YPG, 9.6 YPC THE LOWDOWNPurdue has the No. 1 passing offense in the Big Ten. Redshirt sophomore QB David Blough has completed 173 of 308 passes for 2,065 yards and is averaging 295 yards per game. He loves to spread the ball around, having completed passes to 16 receivers through seven games, but at times he's spread it a little too far; Blough's touchdown-interception ratio is a mediocre 14-11. The Boilermakers' leading pass-catcher is senior WR DeAngelo Yancey with 28 receptions for 491 yards and five touchdowns. Their second-leading receiver is senior

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