The Wisconsin Badgers are getting ready to face the No. 13 Penn State Nittany Lions in their Big Ten opener on Saturday evening, marking one of their biggest challenges of the season.
Ahead of the game, we got some help from Penn State analyst Brian Bennett of our sister site at Black Shoe Diaries for some insight on the Nittany Lions.
Penn State has started out 3-0 with three comfortable wins, albeit against non-P4 opponents. What have you learned about this new team under Matt Campbell so far?
BB:
For the most part, Penn State fans are pleased with how stress-free things have been, and a lot of credit is being given to Campbell and staff for how he’s brought together this team quickly. While there are certainly some concerns – namely red zone offense and penalties – the Nittany Lions have just looked mostly clean.
Other than that, the realization is that it still looks like Penn State football. There has been good defense. There has been some hand-wringing about the offense. We’ve even had the slow start in a noon road game. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Star WR Koby Howard looks to be questionable. How big of a deal is that injury and how will Penn State look to replace him?
BB: Update – he’s out and will be for some time. This is a major blow to a program that hasn’t had good wide receiver play the past few seasons. I remain steadfast in my belief that Penn State plays for a national title – and might have even won the national title – back in 2024 with even adequate wide receiver play.
Howard was on the roster last year, but somehow couldn’t crack the rotation until after James Franklin was fired. Then, in the first few games, Howard looked like a bona fide No. 1 all-conference type wideout that Penn State hasn’t had since Jahan Dotson was an All-American.
So, without him, there are still some capable pass catchers. Focus on the tight end spot, starting with Benjamin Brahmer, who has three touchdown catches already this season. There’s actually an injury worth noting there, too. Andrew Rappleyea is also banged up. He caught a touchdown last week.
This is also where I’d note that quarterback Rocco Becht has seemed willing to spread the ball around, which should alleviate some of the issues with Howard’s injury. It’s definitely not ideal, however.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions are near the top of the country in almost every statistic. Who has stood out so far on that end, and what do you expect on Saturday?
BB: I attribute a lot of this to opposition. I thought Penn State played very well against Marshall, while Buffalo was overmatched. Temple did a good job moving the ball, though there were some troublesome missed tackles in that game.
As for who to watch? Start at linebacker with Tony Rojas and Kooper Ebel. Rojas has battled injuries throughout his time in Happy Valley. But when he’s on the field, he’s one of the best linebackers in the conference. Ebel, an Iowa State transfer, has been all over the field making plays this season.
I also would point to the secondary as a major strength with this team. They haven’t been challenged, something that will absolutely change on Saturday evening. But with corners like Audavion Collins and Daryus Dixson, the Nittany Lions have the right players to make life difficult for the Badgers.
What are the keys to Penn State winning on Saturday? How does it play out?
The big keys are how Penn State plays in the red zone and if they can cut down penalties that kept drives alive for Buffalo (and stalled drives for Penn State). I am still learning about this team, but I think they have a stingy defense that will frustrate most teams they play.
The Koby Howard news changes some of the math, but I still think Penn State has enough in reserve to make some explosive plays and at least get to the red zone. I have concerns about Penn State settling for field goals against teams that can score more points. But, that’s a future Penn State problem. I think the Lions find enough points to win what is a pseudo Beaver Stadium night game.
Prediction: Penn State 23, Wisconsin 13
