Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/743031
O T H E R M A T C H U P S THE LOWDOWNPenn State's special teams units got off to a rough start against Ohio State, but they rallied big-time. AAer having a field goal blocked and fumbling a punt in the first half, the Nittany Lions blocked a punt and a field goal in the fourth quarter to swing the game in their favor. They get the edge this week, mainly because of junior PK Tyler Davis and freshman P Blake Gillikin. Davis has converted 11 of 12 field goal attempts, with his longest being 40 yards, while Gillikin has averaged 41.4 yards on 36 punts. Purdue's kicker, freshman J.D. Dellinger, has hit 4 of 7 field goal attempts, with his longest being 37 yards. Sophomore Joe Schopper has averaged 40.4 yards per punt for the Boiler- makers. // EDGE Penn State SPECIAL TEAMS THE LOWDOWN The Nittany Lions have dominated their series against Purdue, posting a record of 13-3-1. They have gone 6-2 in Ross-Ade Stadium, with only one of those losses (a 28-14 setback in 2003) taking place during the Big Ten era. // EDGEEven THIS 'N' THAT THE LOWDOWN Purdue's coaching staff is in a state of flux. Darrell Hazel was fired earlier this month and was replaced by wide receivers coach Gerad Parker. Saturday's game will only be Parker's second as a head coach at any level. James Franklin is coming off the biggest victory of his two-plus seasons with the Nittany Lions, a 24-21 upset of No. 2 Ohio State last Saturday. It was Franklin's first win at Penn State against a ranked oppo- nent. // EDGE Penn State COACHING STAFF 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 5 Bilal Marshall with 19 catches for 266 yards and two TDs. Their No. 3 wideout is senior Cameon Posey, who has 15 catches for 122 yards. In addition, Jones is also a solid pass-catcher coming out of the backfield, having caught 18 passes for 104 yards. The Boilermakers absorbed a significant blow when senior WR Domonique Young suf- fered a season-ending knee injury against Illinois. Before getting hurt, Young had caught 29 passes for 338 yards. Penn State has a solid pass defense, ranking fiAh in the Big Ten in yards allowed and totaling six interceptions. Sophomore John Reid is the Lions' best one-on-one coverage cornerback. One factor in the success of the defen- sive backfield has been the pass rush. The Lions have 22 sacks as a team, including five from Sickels. Senior DE Evan Schwan has three sacks. // KEY MATCHUP Cermin will take on Sickels, while Yancey will look to find some openings downfield against Reid. // EDGE Even