Penn State looks to rebound from first loss of the season
Prior to its bye week, Penn State collided with then-No. 4 Ohio State at Beaver Stadium. Things were looking good for the Nittany Lions to improve to 5-0 on the season as they led the Buckeyes 26-14 with eight minutes remaining in the game. However, two late strikes by Dwayne Haskins resulted in a narrow 27-26 Ohio State win in Week 5. Penn State now has had two weeks to stew over this loss and will look to release that anger upon Michigan State in Week 7.
Penn State has a tremendous crime that has averaged 49.6 points each game, fifth-most in the nation. The Nittany Lions are led by senior dual-threat quarterback Trace McSorley, who has thrown for 1,049 yards with 10 touchdowns and two interceptions while rushing for 410 yards and six TDs too. Additionally, they possess junior running back Miles Sanders, who ranks 26th in the NCAA with 538 rushing yards and has scored six touchdowns. Defensively, Penn State has allowed 21 points a game that ranks 34th in the country, and senior cornerback Amani Oruwariye has made passing tough since he’s two interceptions.
This past year, Michigan State hosted Penn State and pulled off the upset since it was rated No. 24 while the Nittany Lions were ranked No. 7. Penn State carried a 24-21 lead into the fourth quarter but was closed out and held to just 87 yards in the last quarter, while Michigan State finished two field goals to fasten the 27-24 win. The Spartans restricted the Nittany Lions to only 65 rushing yards in the match, including shutting down Saquon Barkley for just 63 yards. Then-sophomore Brian Lewerke tossed 400 yards and 2 touchdowns in the win, while Trace McSorley threw a season-high 381 yards while tacking on three touchdowns of his own about the losing side.
Michigan State struggling this season Michigan State saw its two-game winning streak come to an end last week since it fell 29-19 into Northwestern, the Spartans’ second loss of the year. Michigan State seemed to be trending in the right direction before the reduction, setting up 66 joint points in its victories over Indiana and Central Michigan while racking up 695 total yards of offense. However, turnovers were a glaring problem as junior quarterback Brian Lewerke threw two touchdowns but also threw three interceptions in those 2 games.
The Spartans average 27.2 points per game, which will be 85th in the country, and Lewerke has thrown for 1,328 yards with six TDs and six interceptions on the year. Defensively, though, Michigan State has been quite powerful, allowing 23.4 points per game, which is 41st in the NCAA, and giving up only 33.8 rush yards per game, that is the best mark in the country by a long shot. Junior defensive end Kenny Willekes has been a nightmare for offensive linemen, racking up four sacks and 16 solo tackles through the first five games. The Spartans will want to prevent the Nittany Lions run sport if they need a chance to win.
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