Blue White Illustrated

KEY MATChuPS P E N N S TAT E V S . N E B R A S K A | B Y E R I C T H O M A S 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 VS. RUN DEFENSE NEBRASKA PENN STATE PASSING GAME VS. PASS DEFENSE NEBRASKA PENN STATE RUNNING GAME 140.2 YPG, 3.6 YPC NEBRASKA RUN DEFENSE 183.1 YPG, 4.4 YPC THE LOWDOWN As a team, the Nittany Lions are near the bottom of the league standings in rushing aver- age. But even so, they have been effective in spurts – enough to get the job done against most of their opponents. Case in point: Zach Zwinak last week against Purdue. However, we have to ask, what's up with Bill Belton? Is he practicing hard enough? Is he healthy? Will he be a factor in the team's final three games? Cameron Meredith and Blake Steinkuhler have 71 starts between them for Ne- braska. This will be a tall order for the Penn State offensive line. EDGEEven PENN STATE PASSING GAME 272.0 YPG, 11.5 YPC NEBRASKA PASS DEFENSE 156.5 YPG, 11.5 YPC THE LOWDOWN Kyle Carter's availability was still uncertain as of Tuesday, but Matt McGloin knows how to find others in the passing game. The Cornhuskers will attempt to take away the pass because they feel PSU cannot win this one if it cannot throw the ball. So expect Bill O'Brien to take some shots early, get some points, and then use the running game to grind it out. Eric Martin is among the Big Ten leaders in sacks, so he will be a focal point. If McGloin is rushed and makes bad choices, figure P.J. Smith and Stanley Jean-Baptiste will be there to knock a pass down. EDGENebraska W H E N N E B R A S K A H A S T H E B A L L NEBRASKA RUNNING GAME VS. PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE NEBRASKA PASSING GAME VS. PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE NEBRASKA RUNNING GAME 269.6 YPG, 5.9 YPC PENN STATE RUN DEFENSE 123.6 YPG, 3.6 YPC THE LOWDOWN It's uncertain whether Rex Burkhead will play after he tweaked a knee injury two weeks ago. But even if the one-time Heisman Trophy candidate sits out, the Cornhuskers' running game is likely to be in good hands. Ameer Abdullah has filled in quite nicely for Burkhead, rushing for 826 yards and eight touchdowns and averaging 91.8 yards per game. Penn State's defensive line has been solid all season, but if Jordan Hill isn't healthy enough to play after injuring his knee against Pur- due, it'll be a big blow. EDGE Nebraska NEBRASKA PASSING GAME 217.8 YPG, 12.5 YPC PENN STATE PASS DEFENSE 211.0 YPG, 10.2 YPC THE LOWDOWNTaylor Martinez has developed into the polished passer that many thought he might never become. Kenny Bell, who has 322 receiving yards and six touchdowns, is his top target. Penn State's secondary is really becoming a threat, but it cannot afford to get caught out of position against Mar- tinez like it did two weeks ago against Ohio State. Playing the Buckeyes might have prepared Ted Roof's defense for this type of game. Martinez has trended much like McGloin and is one of the most improved passers in the Big Ten. EDGEEven O T H E R M A T C H U P S SPECIAL TEAMS THE LOWDOWN Penn State has started to develop some consistency on special teams. Despite a nagging leg injury, Sam Ficken has been reliable lately, and Alex Butterworth has had two strong games in a row. Now PSU must figure out a way to get something from the return game. Abdullah, meanwhile, is one of the best return men in the conference, giving Nebraska a clear edge here. EDGENebraska THIS 'N' THAT THE LOWDOWN Nebraska has been very good in the fourth quarter. The Cornhuskers have had three comeback victories and have outscored opponents 37-14 in the fourth quarter during those games. They also average 6.1 yards per play in the final quarter and have nearly doubled opponents' time of possession. In other words, if this is a tight game in the final 15 minutes, bet on Red. EDGENebraska COACHING STAFF THE LOWDOWN Remember a year ago when Bo Pelini didn't think the game against Penn State should have been played? Was it really even fair for Nebraska to be thrust into that situation? O'Brien will gamble more in this game. The team might have been a little too amped up against Ohio State two weeks ago, but don't think O'Brien hasn't been itching for another big game. EDGEEven N O V E M B E R 7 , 2 0 1 2 3 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M

• Cover