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KEY MATCHUPS P E N N   S T A T E   V S .   S O U T H E R N   C A L I F O R N I A | 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 168.8 YPG, 4.3 YPC // SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RUN DEFENSE133.7 YPG, 3.9 YPC THE LOWDOWNSaquon Barkley is the third-leading rusher in the Big Ten with 1,302 yards and a league-best 16 touchdowns on 247 carries (5.3 yards per carry), but Penn State's running game still ranks ninth in the conference. The main reason for the statistical discrepancy is that injuries slowed the development of the Nittany Lions' offen- sive line in the second half of the season. By late November, they were starting three freshmen: Ryan Bates at leB tackle, Steven Gonzalez at leB guard and Connor McGovern at right guard. Barkley, too, was banged up at the end. He was forced out of the Lions' regular-season finale against Michigan State with an apparent ankle injury, and while he played the following week against Wisconsin, gaining 83 yards in the Lions' comeback victory, it was unclear whether he was at full strength. The Lions' second-leading rusher is QB Trace McSorley with 352 yards on 140 carries. USC, which uses a 3-4 defensive set, ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in run defense. The Trojans' leading tackler is sophomore ILB Cameron Smith with 79 stops. Senior ILB Michael Hutchings and sophomore OLB Porter Gustin are next with 64 tackles apiece, and Gustin has a team-best 12 tackles for loss. The big variable in this matchup is Penn State's health. The Lions will need Barkley and the linemen to be at full strength. // KEY MATCHUP Penn State guards Connor McGovern and Steven Gonzalez will face Edwards and OLB Ryan Connelly, while tackles Ryan Bates and Chasz Wright will try to hold off Watt and fellow OLB Vince Biegel. // EDGE Even PENN STATE PASSING GAME 261.2 YPG, 16.3 YPC // SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PASS DEFENSE 225.3 YPG, 11.7 YPC THE LOWDOWN Heading into the Rose Bowl, Penn State is sporting the third-best passing game in the Big Ten and the best yards-per-completion average in the FBS. McSorley was recently named to the Big Ten's second-team All-Con- ference squad, and that was before he broke the school record for most passing yards in a season. He has 3,360 yards, having completed 57.5 percent of his attempts, with 25 touchdown passes and only five interceptions. McSorley also leads the Big Ten with a 156.6 pass efficiency rating. Chris Godwin is the Lions' leading receiver with 50 catches for 795 yards and nine TDs, while Mike Gesicki is second with 47 catches for 668 yards and four TDs. The Lions suffered a key loss with the suspension of starting wideout Saeed Blacknall, one of the stars of the Big Ten title game. The Trojans struggled against the pass early in the year, and as a result, they finished the regular season ranked sixth in the Pac-12. The leader of their secondary is All-America CB Adoree' Jackson. A junior, Jackson is USC's fourth-leading tackler with 51 stops and leads the team with four interceptions, 11 pass breakups and 14 passes defended. Gustin is the team leader in sacks with 5.5, followed closely by sophomore DE Rasheem Green with five. // KEY MATCHUP Penn State RT Chasz Wright will face Porter, while Godwin will take on Jackson. // EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PASS DEFENSE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RUNNING GAME 207.2 YPG, 5.3 YPC // PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE153.5 YPG, 3.9 YPC THE LOWDOWN ABer losing three of its first four games, USC made substantial improvements on the offensive side of the ball and ended up fielding one of the most balanced offenses in the Pac-12. The Trojans rank fiBh in the con- ference in rushing, with sophomore RB Ronald Jones II gaining a team-best 1,027 yards and scoring 11 touchdowns on only 157 carries (6.5 ypc). Senior RB Justin Davis is USC's second-leading rusher with 564 yards on 104 carries and two TDs, and sophomore RB Aca'Cedric Ware is third with 397 yards and two TDs on 78 carries. In addition, redshirt freshman QB Sam Darnold has proven elusive, rushing for 230 yards on 57 carries with two rushing TDs. Penn State is ranked ninth in the Big Ten against the run. The Lions' leading tackler is FS Marcus Allen with 101 stops. OLB Brandon Bell is second with 87 stops and 7.5 TFL, very impressive numbers considering that he's only played in nine games due to an early-season injury. MLB Jason Cabinda ranks third in tackles with 70, but the Lions will be without one of their starters, as OLB Manny Bowen has been suspended for the game. DE Garrett Sickels leads Penn State with 12.6 tackles for loss. // KEY MATCHUP Trojans LT Chad Wheeler will take on Sick- els, while guards Damien Mama and Viane Talamaivao will battle Bell and Bowen. // EDGE Even SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE W H E N S O U T H E R N C A L I F O R N I A H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RUN DEFENSE D E C E M B E R   3 0 ,   2 0 1 6 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 6 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA PASSING GAME 261.7 YPG, 11.6 YPC // PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE198.5 YPG, 10.0 YPC THE LOWDOWNDarnold took over the starting quarterback spot in the fourth week of the season and helped USC develop into one of the better passing teams in the Pac-12. He has completed 68.1 percent of his attempts for 2,633 yards, with 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. The Trojans ended the regular season ranked seventh in the Pac-12 in passing, but they were much more effective at the end of the year than they were at the beginning. Their leading pass catcher is preseason All-America WR JuJu Smith-Schuster with 63 receptions for 781 yards

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