Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/880022
O T H E R M A T C H U P S THE LOWDOWNOne area in which Indiana has the advantage here is on punt returns. The Hoosiers lead the Big Ten with an average of 26.1 yards per return, thanks primarily to J-shun Harris, who averages 21.8 yards and has two touch- downs. Hayden Whitehead is averaging 42.2 yards per punt, while PK Griffin Oakes is 3 for 3 on field goal attempts, including a 51-yarder. Penn State's special teams have, for the most part, been very good, but PK Tyler Davis has been in an uncharacteristic slump. He's missed three of his eight attempts so far, and one other attempt was blocked. This is a problem the Lions need to fix quickly with the heart of the Big Ten schedule approaching. // EDGE Even SPECIAL TEAMS THE LOWDOWNThis is the most lopsided of Penn State's 13 Big Ten rivalries, with the Nittany Lions having won 19 of the 20 games between the two teams. The only time the Hoosiers were able to beat Penn State was in 2013, when they pulled away for a 44-24 victory in Bloomington. This year's game will take place in Beaver Stadium, where the Lions have not lost since November 2015. // EDGEPenn State THIS 'N' THAT THE LOWDOWN This is Tom Allen's first full season as Indiana's head coach. He was promoted last December aBer serving as defensive coordinator during the 2016 regular season. His first game was the Foster Farms Bowl, in which the Hoosiers lost to Utah, 26-24. This is James Franklin's fourth season as Penn State's head coach. He led the Lions to a Big Ten championship in 2016 and a Rose Bowl appearance against Southern Cal. // EDGE Penn State COACHING STAFF S E P T E M B E R 2 7 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 5 fellow wideout Luke Timian is second with 17 catches for 112 yards. Thomas is Indiana's top target on third down and in the red zone, as three of his 11 catches have been for touchdowns. Penn State is ranked fourth in the Big Ten in pass defense and leads the league with six interceptions. CB Grant Haley has two of those picks, while Allen, Troy Apke, Amani Oruwariye and Tariq Castro-Fields have one apiece. The secondary's success is partly due to the pressure that Penn State has been able to put on opposing quarterbacks. As a team, the Lions rank second in the Big Ten with 12 sacks. // KEY MATCHUP Cobbs will face Haley and Campbell in the secondary, while Cronk will try to keep Miller out of the backfield. Indiana's passing game has been hurt by the loss of WR Nick Westbrook due to an ACL injury. Westbrook had 54 catches for 995 yards last fall. // EDGE Even