Can Penn State Hang With Indiana?

Penn State returns to Beaver Stadium as a double-digit underdog against one of the hottest teams in the country. Indiana arrives at 9-0 under Curt Cignetti with a top-three offense and defense. The Nittany Lions are 3-5 and winless in the Big Ten after last week’s 38-14 loss at Ohio State. Penn State has left “reset” mode and is now in survival mode.

Penn State Prepares For High-End Indiana

Indiana’s Firepower Stresses a Leaky Penn State Defense

Indiana brings one of the most balanced and explosive attacks in the country. The Hoosiers average 504.9 yards per game, with 245.7 on the ground and 259.2 through the air (sports.yahoo.com). They have scored 418 points in nine games, which is more than 45 points per game. Quarterback Fernando Mendoza is in the thick of the Heisman race. He has thrown for more than 1,900 yards and over 20 touchdowns and sits near the top nationally in efficiency and touchdown passes. He plays on time, punishes soft zones, and punishes late rotations. If Penn State busts coverages like it did in Columbus, the game can get out of hand early.

The backfield is just as dangerous. Kaelon Black has 619 rushing yards and averages 6.4 yards per carry. Roman Hemby has topped 600 yards from scrimmage and adds a receiving threat. Indiana’s run game punishes light boxes and arm tackles. Penn State’s front has leaked yards on the ground during this five-game skid and cannot afford soft fits again.

The status of wideout Elijah Sarratt looms large. He has been one of the Big Ten’s most productive big-body receivers, but he is day-to-day with a hamstring issue. Linebacker Aiden Fisher, the tackling machine from last season, is also working back from a lower-body injury. Cignetti sounded encouraged. “Aiden Fisher, we thought, made really good progress toward the end of last week,” Cignetti said in his press conference on Monday. “Wasn’t quite ready to go. Very optimistic on him.” (SI.com)

Even if Sarratt is limited, Indiana still has a problem for every coverage look. Omar Cooper Jr. has turned into a nightmare matchup, winning off the line and finishing through contact. Together, Sarratt and Cooper might be the second-best receiving duo in the country, trailing only Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. That combination stretches defenses vertically and horizontally, forcing safeties to pick their poison.

That puts pressure on a Penn State defense that just gave up more than 300 passing yards and 38 points to Ohio State and has not held a Big Ten opponent under 30 since September.

Penn State’s Offense Meets Another Elite Defense

The story on the other side is no kinder to Penn State. Indiana ranks among the national leaders in scoring defense at 10.8 points allowed per game. Only Ohio State and San Diego State sit ahead of the Hoosiers. Coordinator Bryant Haines has built an aggressive, well-schooled unit. Indiana mixes simulated pressures with A gap blitz that stresses protections and forces quick decisions. The front does not need constant all-out pressure because the coverage holds up and the linebackers tackle in space. Linebackers like Isaiah Jones and Fisher fill downhill and close windows fast.

That is a problem for an offense that has not found any consistent rhythm. Penn State has averaged barely more than 330 yards per game and has scored only 252 points in eight contests. The scheme under Andy Kotelnicki has leaned on horizontal screens, gadget calls, and conservative third-down concepts. Fans have turned on the approach, and the locker room has felt that frustration.

Interim head coach Terry Smith said again this week that the plan is to push the ball vertically and get freshman receivers Koby Howard and Tyseer Denmark more involved. He said the same thing before Ohio State. Howard played seven snaps, caught one ball for 26 yards, and disappeared. Denmark saw the field once. That disconnect between words and usage has defined this season.

Indiana’s defense will not give many free yards on the perimeter. If Penn State keeps throwing sideways into a fast tackling unit, drives will stall just like they did in Columbus.

What Penn State Must Do to Have a Chance

For Penn State to hang around, the defense has to steal possessions. That means tight red zone play, disciplined rush lanes, and tackling in space against Hemby and Black. If Mendoza turns this into a seven-on-seven game, it will get ugly.

Jim Knowles needs to change the picture more often than he did against Ohio State. Simulated pressures can help without exposing a secondary that has been stressed by breakdowns and missed tackles. The goal is simple. Force Indiana to stack long drives and hope for a mistake.

On offense, Penn State needs to finally match its words with calls. The vertical passing game has to be more than a talking point. Howard and Denmark should see targets early in the first quarter, not cameos after halftime. Taking a few calculated shots can also loosen the box for Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, who remain the best chance to control tempo.

This matchup is brutal on paper. Indiana brings a top-three scoring offense and a top-three scoring defense into Beaver Stadium. Penn State brings a battered roster, a porous defense, and an offense still searching for an identity deep into the season. If the Nittany Lions are going to surprise anyone, it starts with finally doing what they keep promising and playing a vertical, aggressive game on their own field.

How To Watch Penn State vs. Indiana

Date and Time: Saturday, Nov. 8th | 12:00 PM EST
Location: Beaver Stadium, Penn State University
Television: Fox