This week the Penn State Nittany Lions will head home to face the Indiana Hoosiers. Penn State is now 6-2 following their 20-12 loss against Ohio State. This week the offense will need to step up after a rough game against the Buckeyes, which was a major Big Ten matchup. Here is everything to expect this week as Penn State faces Indiana.
What to Watch for
While the Nittany Lions may have lost to Ohio State last weekend, their defense remained strong. Holding the Buckeyes to 20 points was important, and they did what they could. This week, expect them to be able to hold off the Indiana offense to even less than that. The key thing to watch for this weekend is not just them making stops but forcing turnovers too. Perhaps fans can see a defensive touchdown this weekend.
Penn State DB Zakee Wheatley (6) – AP Photo/Jay LaPrete
The offense will need a strong game this weekend to brush off how they played last weekend. Only one touchdown in the game could be a knock to their confidence and they will need to aim to put up a high-scoring game. The team as a whole also only rushed for 49 yards. Even without the explosive runs, the team should be able to do more than that. Of course, last weekend they faced the Ohio State defense, which means they should be able to hit the 100 mark against Indiana this weekend.
It will also be interesting to see how many passing attempts quarterback Drew Allar gets. It’s been seen that he does get a lot each game, but usually, it is fairly even with rushing the ball. Last weekend, Allar attempted 42 passes. Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen rushed the ball just 18 times combined. Of course, the Ohio State defense is different than Indiana’s but it will be interesting to see if the two play styles become more equal.
Penn State TE Theo Johnson (84) – AP Photo/Jay LaPrete
Penn State Players to Watch
KeAndre Lambert-Smith
Wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith is clearly the top receiver for Penn State this season. He has had a couple of drops this year but has not been bad by any means. Against the Ohio State defense, Lambert-Smith totaled six receptions for 52 yards, according to ESPN. He was the team’s leading receiver in week eight.
This season, Lambert-Smith has had 37 receptions for 454 yards and three touchdowns, according to Sports Reference. He has averaged 12.3 yards per reception, which could be key to the offense having a bounce-back game this weekend. Lambert-Smith has been a clutch player for Allar, and since the team is not focusing on explosive plays, the receiver just has to get open for the easy plays and make something out of it.
Drew Allar
Allar has gotten his first loss as a starter over with. It is out of the way, and now it is time to see how he adjusts. It is his first year starting, and now he has had to win games that Penn State was trailing in and faced his first loss. What Allar needs this week is a big game. Last weekend he looked uncomfortable; this week fans want to see his confidence. Yes, it’s an inferior opponent, but it is a good opportunity for the confidence to grow.
This season, Allar has had 136 completions for 1,445 yards and 13 touchdowns, according to Sports Reference. He is not a runner but has done well sneaking the ball in for a touchdown, having three rushing touchdowns this year. As stated earlier, it will be interesting to see how many passing attempts Allar gets this weekend, coming off 42 attempts last weekend.
Penn State LB Abdul Carter (11) – Greg Pickel/BWI
Abdul Carter
Penn State linebacker, Abdul Carter had a strong game against Ohio State, but his stats in the game may not reflect that because there were no sacks or tackles for loss. Carter had a clutch pass deflection in the red zone, in a play he ran backward like he was a cornerback. Linebackers who can do that are special and watch for him to have a big game this weekend.
This season, Carter has had 23 combined tackles, 12 solo, and one sack, according to Sports Reference. He has also had two tackles for loss and two pass deflections. He has had one interception this season which came against Illinois. In his second season with Penn State, Carter has had much less tackles for loss, but he has been a presence on the field. Hopefully, he has a big game next week as Penn State looks for a big game.
Game Predictions
The Penn State Nittany Lions are the favorites to win this game despite coming off of a loss. Returning to their home stadium will be a big help as well. The final score prediction for this game is 37-10, with Penn State taking the win. The game will take place this Saturday at Noon Eastern at Beaver Stadium.
