Penn State moves onto its second out of conference game, welcoming the FIU Panthers to Beaver Stadium for the first time since 2007. How does the staff see this one playing out?
Lando
I think FIU will put up a little more of a fight than Nevada, but not much. Singleton and Allen have a more productive day stat-wise, and the second and third-teamers get more playing time in the second half.
Penn State 42, FIU 10
Bennett
Penn State will punt. As for things we didn’t see last week that we want to see… Singleton breaks
a long run, Devonte Ross nets his first big play, and Chaz Coleman gets his first career sack (I’m calling it every week until it happens).
Penn State 48, FIU 14
Chris
I think FIU will be feistier than Nevada (they got a vote in the Coaches Poll!) but I think Penn State makes big strides from week 1 to week 2. Some reserves are due to make some extra contributions, and the run game gets back on track after a “meh” performance against Nevada. Also, look for Devonte Ross to get going in the passing game.
Penn State 52, FIU 10
Colin
The offense will continue to roll against a struggling FIU defense, and any concerns about the run game will be quelled with Singleton and Allen each eclipsing 100 yards. Like last week, Penn State’s starting defense will allow just one scoring drive, but the Panthers are overwhelmed by Penn State’s speed and depth.
Penn State 56, FIU 7
Tim
Seeing Nick or Kaytron rip off a run play for 20-plus yards would quell any concerns I had from last week about the lack of explosiveness in the run game. I think there is a focus on doing so this week, as the coaching staff tries to balance that with continuing to build chemistry between Drew Allar and his newly improved batch of receivers. While FIU might have a more potent offensive attack compared to Nevada, they are still very mistake-prone and had at least three dropped interceptions thrown against Bethune-Cookman (watch Landon Tengwall’s breakdown of FIU’s offense on his YouTube channel and you’ll see what I mean), so I think the secondary is in for a big day if they can snag their hands on some errant passes.
Penn State 52, FIU 10
Jared
(First appearing in the Game Preview)
It feels safe to expect a similar outcome from week one. Florida International should be about the same caliber as Nevada, just with a better offene and worse defense. I’m expecting a similar gameplan on offense as well, allowing Allar to continue building chemistry with the new batch of receivers. Week two could be more about getting the ball to Devonte Ross, provided he is back to full health and not on a limited snap count.
We should also see a deep rotation along the defensive line, providing opportunities for the likes of Jaylen Harvey, Chaz Coleman and Xavier Gilliam to gain experience that will become quite valuable once the schedule becomes more difficult.
The offense has another effecient outing, reaching the end zone six times and settling for just one field goal. Dom DeLuca once again shows his big-play ability with a pick-six to add to the total.
Nittany Lions roll to 2-0.
Penn State 52, FIU 14
