The Nittany Lions defense has been nothing short of season-altering over the past few weeks. Without several solid performances, they may not have a chance to become bowl eligible. Still, they have one final task, stopping one of the Big Ten’s most underrated offenses in Rutgers. However, what with a new sense of rejuvenation, the Nittany Lions feel well equipped to handle anything. Here are some defensive keys to the game for Penn State.
While Rutgers have a very versatile passing attack, the reason for their continued success offensively is the ground game. Antwan Raymond has rushed for over 1,00 yards and has 12 touchdowns on the ground. With him, Rutgers are able to better utilize their passing game. This has been the one struggle of the Nittany Lions’ defense this season as big plays allowed on the ground have cost them in key moments sometimes. It will be up to their two seniors, Zane Durant and Dani Dennis-Sutton, to step up and control the line of scrimmage and the linebackers to finish the job.
Get to Kaliakmanis
Athan Kaliakmanis has been one of the Big Ten’s most surgically accurate quarterbacks. That is..when he remains upright. That hasn’t happened all the time as Rutgers have allowed 35 sacks this season. Most importantly, while Kaliakmanis has shown he can escape pressure, it is not his first reaction when he’s under duress. Penn State can take advantage of this, as they have the front seven to generate pressure and the secondary to force Kaliakmanis into bad decisions. This could also be pivotal in terms of flipping the possession battle on its head, as Rutgers will look to control the tempo of this game. If Penn State can disrupt that tempo in anyway, it could be crucial in critical moments.
Win on early downs
As mentioned above, Rutgers are one of the best squads in the nation at controlling possession and tempo with their offense. However, it often gets dicey on third down for them, as they only have a 42% success rate. After a poor start to the season in terms of forcing three-and-outs, Penn State have shored up nicely over the past few weeks. If they can force Rutgers into uncomfortable third down situations, chances are they can get off the field quicker without Rutgers having any sense of momentum. This could ultimately decide whether or not Penn State go bowling this year.
