5 things to watch in Saturday’s Penn State vs. Michigan college football game
The No. 7 Penn State Nittany Lions (6-0) will take on the the No. 16 Michigan Wolverines (5-1) in Beaver Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (ABC) in a Big Ten matchup. Here are five things you should keep an eye on:
One of the greatest environments in college football
Of course, we’re talking about Penn State’s annual White Out, where nearly the entire stadium dresses in white to create one of the sport’s great spectacles. But you don’t have to take our word for it; ESPN analyst and former Ohio State quarterback Kirk Herbstreit feels the same way.
“It’s the best environment year in and year out,” Herbstreit said last fall. “ And when they’re ranked in the top 10 and they bring in an opponent in the top 10, you’re not going to find a better, more intimidating, more involved fan base for 60 minutes than the White Out at State College.”
Former Buckeyes coach Urban Meyer half-joked earlier this week, “The best thing about the White Out is I don’t have to be there this week.”
The ground literally feels as if it shakes at different points. The noise level has been measured as high as 111 decibels, which is louder than a jackhammer. And it’s not uncommon for helmets to vibrate or ears to ring.
Beaver Stadium is known as one of the country’s most intimidating environments. And never is it louder, or more intimidating, than a White Out at night.
Michigan OC Josh Gattis vs. Penn State OC Ricky Rahne
Penn State fans might remember Josh Gattis as the Nittany Lions’ former receivers coach from 2014-2017, one who followed James Franklin from Vanderbilt. He left to become Alabama’s co-offensive coordinator in January 2018, shortly after Ricky Rahne was promoted to Penn State OC. Gattis then became Michigan’s offensive coordinator this past January.
Franklin has said all the right things this week when asked about Gattis. “Very happy for him professionally, very happy for him personally,” Franklin said. But there might still be some hurt feelings among the players.
Immediately following the Iowa game, in the visiting media room, wideout KJ Hamler sat down while reporters hovered over him to ask questions. When one writer asked Hamler if he was looking forward to seeing Gattis, Hamler paused and glanced up. “Next question,” he said, matter-of-factly.
Depending on the way you look at it, Gattis’ departure either helped or hurt Penn State. Optimists will point to the fact that Franklin was able to hire recruiting dynamo and RB coach Ja’Juan Seider because of the new opening; pessimists will point out that since-fired David Corley had to move from RBs to wideouts, a position he was ill-suited for and one that set Penn State’s receivers back.
Regardless, it’s worth watching to see what coordinator has the better play-calling game Saturday night. Rahne and the Penn State offense are starting to try some new things — like straying away from being solely an inside-zone run team — and Gattis is trying to find his footing after a slow start to the season.
Can PSU’s interior DL win the battle in the trenches?
There’s no getting around just how dominant the Nittany Lions’ defensive ends have been. (Yetur Gross-Matos is a midseason All-American, after all.) But the defensive tackles — who, at times, have been overlooked — really stole the show last week.
Against Iowa, Robert Windsor finished with 2.5 tackles for loss and seven QB pressures. And backup PJ Mustipher had seven stops, one tackle for loss and a forced fumble. The depth here is impressive, but Penn State’s interior knows it’s going into its biggest challenge so far this season.
“I told Coach (Sean Spencer) that this is going to be our biggest test in the interior,” Mustipher said, referring to his defensive line coach. “They have three guys in the middle who are very good football players. They’re downhill blockers. They want to get on you, and they want to drive you down the field.”
Michigan’s three interior OL — Ben Bredeson, Cesar Ruiz and Michael Onwenu — weigh an average of 331 pounds apiece. And the three already have four combined All-Big Ten selections to their names. They’re experienced, they all have the potential to play on Sundays, and they’ll put up a good battle Saturday night.
This is one matchup to watch.
Penn State WR KJ Hamler & RB Noah Cain
Sure, Michigan has some playmakers to watch. Wideout Ronnie Bell is a former basketball commit whose only major football offer came from Michigan, and he’s the most improved player on this offense. WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is healthy and could be a first-round pick in the 2020 NFL draft. And running back Hassan Haskins broke out last week against Illinois, rushing for 125 yards on 12 carries.
But the Penn State duo of Noah Cain and KJ Hamler have consistently been threats this season, and they’ll undoubtedly need to have solid performances Saturday night for the Nittany Lions to win.
Hamler, one of the Big Ten’s fastest playmakers, had just a single catch last season against Michigan — and that game didn’t go too well for the Nittany Lions. (PSU lost 42-7.) But Michigan VIPER Khaleke Hudson still knew plenty about the “Human Joystick” in the offseason.
“He’s a magnificent player,” Hudson told the Centre Daily Times during Big Ten media days in July. “He’s a player that we really got to focus on when we play against those guys. He’s very quick, elusive and can really make a big play at any moment in the game.”
Hamler is a versatile player, one who returns punts and kicks, and one who also isn’t a stranger to taking handoffs. He accounted for seven of QB Sean Clifford’s 12 completions last week. And he has the ability to take over a game.
Cain isn’t anywhere near as explosive as Hamler, but he doesn’t need to be. He’s Mr. Consistency on an explosive-but-sometimes-inconsistent offense, a compact 206-pound back who can grind for 3-6 yards at a time.
The true freshman is now a staple of the four-minute Penn State offense, a back who can wear a defense down and grind out the clock. He may not start Saturday, but he should still be heavily involved in the game plan — especially as the game wears on. How those two play should determine how the Penn State offense as a whole plays.
Turnovers
Turnovers made all the difference against Iowa, as the Nittany Lions scored 10 points off two takeaways in the 17-12 win. And the turnover margin could again play a big role Saturday night.
Penn State QB Sean Clifford hasn’t always lit up the stat sheet but, when he hasn’t, he’s done a good job managing the game and avoiding mistakes. He’s thrown just two picks in 159 attempts, and Penn State is tied for a No. 20 national ranking by committing just six total turnovers this year. Michigan? Totally different.
Only nine teams have turned the ball over more often than the Wolverines, and six of those teams have played an extra game. U-M has nine fumbles and four interceptions, with Michigan QB Shea Patterson throwing interceptions at twice the clip of Clifford.
On the other side of the ball, the advantage is flipped. Penn State’s defense has forced at least one takeaway in all but one game. But Michigan’s defense has done an even better job; it’s currently ranked No. 19 nationally with 12 takeaways — three more than James Franklin’s squad this season.
What does that all mean? Well, it sure looks as if we’re going to see some turnovers Saturday night. Who takes advantage might make all the difference.
This story was originally published October 17, 2019 at 2:03 PM.