The Nittany Lions look to build on the momentum of the Purdue victory to get its second Big Ten win.
Penn State (4-4, 1-4) vs. Washington (5-3, 2-3)
Kickoff: 3:30 p.m., Husky Stadium, Seattle, WA
The Betting Line: Penn State +2.5 (Fanduel)
TV: FS1, 3:30 p.m., Dan Hellie (play-by-play), Robert Smith (analyst)
Weather: A cloudy day with highs in the upper-50s and a chance of showers in the afternoon.
Matt Campbell:
PENN STATE RECORD: 4-4, 1st Year
OVERALL RECORD: 111-74, 15th Year
VS. WASHINGTON: 0-0
Jedd Fisch:
WASHINGTON RECORD: 20-14, 3rd Year
OVERALL RECORD: 37-36, 6th Year
VS. PENN STATE: 0-0
FUN FACTS
Cam Wallace rushed for a career-high 135 yards in his first start against Purdue…Penn State held the ball for 43:27 against the Boilermakers, its largest time of possession since playing Iowa in 2023…Audavion Collins has allowed only five completions on 20 targets, the lowest rate in the nation per PFF…the Nittany Lions rank first in the Big 10 in pass defense, and third nationally…Penn State is 4-0 against Washington in the all-time series.
WASHINGTON OFFENSE VS. PENN STATE DEFENSE
Demond Williams seems to be back as QB1 with the Huskies after coming off the bench to lead the game-winning drive against Nebraska. Williams was expected to be one of the best returning quarterbacks in the nation, but things have not quite worked out between nagging injuries and an offense that seems to miss several key skill players who are now playing on Sundays, including star receiver Denzel Boston.
Williams has been sufficient, but not at the level expected heading into the season. He’s completing 66% of passes with nine touchdowns and three interceptions, and is also the team’s second-leading rusher. Penn State will need to account for his explosiveness, as he is capable of making momentum-swinging plays with his legs for chunk yardage, or just to convert third downs and keep the defense on the field.
Washington relies mainly on freshman Brian Bonner on the ground. While Bonner has looked like a rising star at times, he has also struggled against the better defenses the Huskies have faced, combining for just 53 yards against Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska. He has reached the end zone just once, with Washington’s running backs accounting for only five rushing touchdowns on the season.
Dezem Roebuck and Chris Lawson continue the Huskies recent success at the receiver position. Roebuck is a smaller possession receiver that knows how to get open and can easily frustrate a defense, especially on third downs. Lawson is a speedy explosive threat that can stretch the defense and get creative in the open field. Williams also looks often to his two tight ends, Baron Naone and Decker DeGraaf who are both big targets that can create match-up issues.
While Penn State has the Big Ten’s top-ranked pass defense, they could be challenged with a talented bunch of pass catchers. Josiah Zayas finally looked like a true freshman at times against Purdue, and may be targeted. However, he can easily make the offense pay.
Penn State’s front seven is coming off its best game of the season, holding Purdue to just 33 rush yards and only 175 total yards. The defensive line was able to produce regular pressure, something that has been missing all season. We will see if the problems were fixed during the bye week if this trend continues against Washington.
PENN STATE OFFENSE VS. WASHINGTON DEFENSE
Cam Wallace was the big story of the Penn State offense in the 31-17 victory over Purdue. Despite limited carries and making his first career start, Wallace exploded for 135 rushing yards and a touchdown. After a largely ineffective rotation of running backs throughout the year, Wallace has likely claimed the starting spot and should be the primary ball carrier moving forward. He ran with aggressiveness that made him hard to take down at initial contact, as well as explosiveness that led to a 48-yard burst.
Rocco Becht also had his strongest performance as a Nittany Lion after struggling throughout conference play. He appeared much more poised in the pocket and comfortable running the offense, finally playing like the nation’s most experienced quarterback. He did it all without his top two targets in Chase Sowell and Koby Howard. Both receivers will be a more than welcome addition to an offense that had been struggling to create explosive plays.
Washington’s defense was off to a strong start but have hit difficult spots in conference play. They allowed 27 and 41 in losses to Minnesota and Iowa, and allowed Purdue to score 26 points. They found improvement against Nebraska, holding them to just 10 points.
They are led by safety Alex McLaughlin, one of the best safeties in the Big Ten who seems to make a huge play or two each week. He is responsible for the clutch pick-six against Nebraska that helped put the game away after the Huskies trailed until 1:30 left in regulation. He currently leads the team in tackles, TFLs, sacks, and interceptions, and has the versatility to be used all over the field. Jacob Manu is also a standout linebacker who serves as captain of the defense. He’s a true sideline-to-sideline ‘backer who makes it tough to move the ball on the ground, and he can also get to the quarterback when needed. While the Huskies do not have a dominant pass rusher, they often are able to provide pressure from a committee approach.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Washington kicker Tyler Robies is 10-of-12 on the season, with a long of 50 yards. He is perfect on all 24 PATs. Hunter “The Punter” Green has a booming leg that can flip field position. He is averaging 48.1 yards per punt and has regular attempts well beyond 50 yards.
PREDICTION
Penn State-24, Washington-21
It’s hard not to feel a sense of optimism after Penn State got back in the win column. It wasn’t just that they managed to get a victory, but how they looked in doing so. The Nittany Lions were doing things that they just could not manage throughout the first half of the season – consistently run the ball, stop the run, pressure the quarterback, avoid turnovers, etc., etc. Yes, it was one win over Purdue, but it gave the sense that maybe, just maybe, Penn State was able to fix some major issues in the bye week.
A road trip to Seattle will not be easy, and the Huskies defense can shut down an offense that doesn’t create explosive plays. This could easily go either way, but the Nittany Lions have provided me with just enough confidence that they can pull out a win over a Washington team that is nowhere near the playoff contender many expected heading into the season.
