Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/892054
O T H E R M A T C H U P S THE LOWDOWNOhio State leads the Big Ten in kickoff-return average at 30.6 yards per attempt, and Campbell is av- eraging just over 39 yards. Penn State is second at 29.3 yards per return. The Nittany Lions also rank second in the Big Ten in punt returns at 15.1 yards per attempt, with DeAndre Thompkins averaging a Big Ten-best 16.2 yards. Ohio State ranks 14th with a 3.1-yard average. Penn State's Blake Gillikin is averaging 44.6 yards per punt with a net average of 42.9 yards. His 28 punts have been returned for only 7 total yards. Ohio State PK Sean Nuernberger has hit 7 of 9 field goal attempts, but his longest is only 33 yards. Penn State's Tyler Davis has struggled, convert- ing only 6 of 13 attempts, with a long kick of 47 yards. // EDGE Even SPECIAL TEAMS THE LOWDOWNPenn State has gone 7-11 in Columbus since the series began in 1912, but four of those road victories predate the start of the Paterno era in 1966. The Nittany Lions' most recent win at the Horseshoe was in 2011 when they pulled off a 20-14 upset. Ohio State has won eight of its past 12 games against Penn State. // EDGEOhio State THIS 'N' THAT THE LOWDOWN This is Urban Meyer's sixth season as Ohio State's head coach. He posted a record of 11-2 in 2016 and has an overall record of 67-7. He won a Big Ten championship in 2014 and went on to lead the Buckeyes to the national title with a victory over Oregon in the College Football Playoff. James Franklin has gone 32-15 at Penn State but is 16-1 since October 2016. // EDGE Ohio State COACHING STAFF O C T O B E R 2 5 , 2 0 1 7 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 5 three TDs. Penn State is ranked second in the Big Ten in pass defense and is also second in interceptions with nine. Cornerbacks Amari Oruwariye and Grant Haley have three and two interceptions, respectively. Penn State leads the Big Ten in sacks with 24, including a team-high four by Toney. // KEY MATCHUP Ohio State's Jones will be try- ing to keep Toney away from Barrett, while Prince will match up with Miller. Penn State sacked Barrett five times in the second half of last year's game, so that will no doubt be a point of emphasis for the Buckeyes. In the secondary, Parris Campbell's matchup with Haley will be crucial. Campbell is Barrett's go-to receiver in critical situations. Haley needs to play solid man-to-man coverage. // EDGE Penn State