Penn State is looking to build on its 2-0 start to the season in a few days when they take on the Buffalo Bulls. The two teams will face off for the first time this decade, but they are headed in two different directions as the Bulls are coming off a loss.
The Nittany Lions offense has been strong for the most part this year, although they are coming off a sloppy game, so they should be able to stick it to Buffalo. Let’s look at some key stats for Penn State’s offense and Buffalo’s defense that will tell the story of the game.
Points per game
Penn State offense: 36 points per game
Buffalo defense: 25 points per game
The scoring stats say that Penn State should be able to run away from with this game. It left at least 10 points on the board against Temple, which
would have raised the scoring average even more, so it seems like they have the advantage here.
Buffalo was solid in its first game, allowing just 17 points in its win, but the Nittany Lions are an entirely different animal. Let’s see if the Bulls have what it takes to keep up with an offense that’s done a lot of good things this season.
Rush yards per game
Penn State offense: 155 yards per game
Buffalo defense: 113 yards per game
Don’t let the 155 yards per game fool you — Penn State hasn’t been a great running team. They certainly haven’t been bad, but they’ve often struggled to move the opponent’s defensive line and have been stuffed a ton through two weeks. They found a little bit of juice with 12 personnel, but they’ll get a tough test this week.
Buffalo went down early last week and trailed for much of the game, yet they still only gave up 154 yards on 3.9 yards per carry. They have a stout front seven, and the Nittany Lions will need to find a way to combat it — or just go with a different game plan altogether.
Pass yards per game
Penn State offense: 296 yards per game
Buffalo defense: 295 yards per game
Airing the ball out might be the approach Penn State wants to take this week. Buffalo has gotten killed through the air in the first two weeks of the season, but especially in Week 2 when they gave up 386 passing yards. We’ve seen quarterback Rocco Becht dice up defenses twice now, and he could make it a third this weekend.
It could also be the perfect time to get wide receiver Brett Eskildsen involved. The talented Iowa State transfer has just 59 yards on the year, so what better time to showcase him than against a team who struggles defending the pass?
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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: How Penn State’s offense stacks up against Buffalo Bulls’ defense
