Blue White Illustrated

KEY MATCHUPS P E N N   S T A T E   V S .   A K R O N | 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 171.9 YPG, 4.5 YPC // AKRON RUN DEFENSE224.7 YPG, 5.0 YPC THE LOWDOWNDuring the final seven games of the 2016 season, Penn State's rushing attack averaged 266 yards on the ground. RB Saquon Barkley enters the upcoming season as a legitimate candidate for the Heisman Trophy. He was the Big Ten's second-leading rusher with 1,496 yards last year. Penn State's second-leading rusher was QB Trace McSor- ley (146 carries, 365 yards). Miles Sanders, Andre Robinson and Mark Allen backed up Barkley, combining for 440 yards on 83 carries. As a team, Penn State had 34 rushing TDs. The Nittany Lions should have a lot of success running the football against Akron, which returns six starters from a defense that ranked 107th in the country against the run last year. The Zips' defense is led by first-team All-Mid-American Conference OLB Ulysees Gilbert III. As a sopho- more, Gilbert led the team with 122 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. The Zips also return their second-, third- and fourth-leading tacklers in FS Alvin Davis, OLB Brian Bell and rover Zach Guiser. Akron also has two transfers who may provide immediate help in former Pitt DE Jamal Davis and former Miami (Fla.) OLB James King. Last season, Akron's biggest problem against the run was the play of its defensive ends. Penn State should have success running the zone read option. // KEY MATCHUP Penn State tackles Ryan Bates and Chasz Wright will go up against Akron's projected starting ends, Davis and Brian Reinke. The Lions' starting offensive line averages 6-3, 328.2 pounds per man. That's an advantage of 75.7 pounds per man over Akron's defensive front. // EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME 260.7 YPG, 16.1 YPC // AKRON PASS DEFENSE 241.3 YPG, 10.1 YPC THE LOWDOWN Penn State finished the 2016 season ranked third in the Big Ten in passing yards per game. McSorley enjoyed a record-breaking season, passing for 3,614 yards, with 29 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. His av- erage of 16.13 yards per completion was the best in the country. The receiver corps is led by preseason All-American Mike Gesicki, who totaled 48 catches for 679 yards last year, both Penn State season records for a tight end. Even with the loss of Chris Godwin to the NFL, many still believe Penn State has the No. 1 group of receivers in the Big Ten. DaeSean Hamilton needs only 19 catches to break Deon Butler's Penn State career receiving record of 178. Hamilton had 34 catches for 506 yards in 2016. The Lions also return veterans DeAndre Thompkins and Saeed Blacknall, they have a rising star in Juwan Johnson and they have been very adept at incorporating Barkley into the passing game. Akron struggled against the pass last season, ranking 79th in the FBS. That was partly due to an ineffective pass rush that generated only 16 sacks (including a team-high four by Gilbert.) Boundary CB Kyron Brown led the team with three interceptions. // KEY MATCHUP Johnson will go up against Brown in the secondary, while guards Steven Gonzalez and Brendan Mahon will need to watch out for delayed blitzes by Gilbert. // EDGE Penn State PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. AKRON PASS DEFENSE AKRON RUNNING GAME 132.2 YPG, 4.2 YPC // PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE151.3 YPG, 3.8 YPC THE LOWDOWN Akron had trouble running the ball throughout the 2016 season, in part because of an injury to RB Warren Ball. A transfer from Ohio State, Ball rushed for 110 yards in the Zips' opener against VMI but suffered a season-ending injury vs. Wisconsin the following week. He has since been granted a sixth season of eligibility by the NCAA, and his return means that Akron's rushing attack could be greatly improved. Also returning are Van Edwards (100 carries for 492 yards last season) and Manny Morgan (81 carries, 417 yards) as well as four starters on the offensive line. Penn State finished eighth in the Big Ten in rushing defense last year but greatly improved in the second half of the season, allowing only 106.4 yards per game 3.0 yards per carry. Marcus Allen was Penn State's leading tackler with 110 stops and six tackles for loss. Overall, the Nittany Lions return seven starters on defense and five of their top eight tacklers. Penn State finished second in the Big Ten with 113 tackles for loss last fall. // KEY MATCHUP Penn State's starting defensive tackles, Parker Cothren and Curtis Cothran, will face an interior offensive line led by guards Stephen Ericksen and Kyle Ritz. Ball, who stands 6-foot-1, 232 pounds, is a solid power runner between the tackles. // EDGE Penn State AKRON RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE AKRON PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE W H E N A K R O N H A S T H E B A L L PENN STATE RUNNING GAME VS. AKRON RUN DEFENSE A U G U S T   3 0 ,   2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 4 AKRON PASSING GAME 255.3 YPG, 14.1 YPC // PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE216.6 YPG, 10.4 YPC THE LOWDOWNAkron might have the top quarterback in the MAC this fall in senior Thomas Woodson, but there are concerns about his health. The 6-1, 233-pounder missed spring practice aDer undergoing surgery to repair a shoulder injury that forced him to sit out much of last season. When he was healthy, he completed 146 of 242 passes for 2,079 yards, with 18 TDs and only six interceptions. Woodson is expected to start against Penn State, but if he can't go Akron may turn to juco transfer Nick Johns. Johns threw for 2,243 yards and 16 TDs last fall at

• Cover