How can Penn State football prevent the upset against Auburn? Here are Saturday’s 2 key matchups
Penn State’s White Out is this weekend against the No. 20 Auburn Tigers. The Nittany Lions come into the game as the No. 10 team in the country, looking to build off wins over Wisconsin and Ball State.
Here are the two key matchups that will decide if Auburn can upset the Nittany Lions.
Jon Sauber: Auburn’s rushing attack vs. Penn State’s run defense
The running game Penn State is set to face off with this weekend is much closer to the one it played in Week 1 against Wisconsin than the one it played in Week 2 against Ball State. Auburn — like the Badgers — has a strong rushing attack and multiple runners who can carry the load if needed or break the big one for a score.
Sophomore Tank Bigsby and freshman Jarquez Hunter have been nothing short of dominant for the Tigers through two weeks, although it’s been against weak opponents in Akron and Alabama State. Regardless, the duo has combined for 41 carries for 498 yards and four touchdowns in the two games, proving to be unstoppable against weaker opponents. Both are capable of bursting through and breaking off big gains, but Penn State has seen that type of runner in Wisconsin’s Chez Mellusi.
The Nittany Lions were able to limit Mellusi to 3.9 yards per carry and a long of only 19 yards in the season opener, preventing him from breaking the game open.
They did that on the back of a talented defensive line and linebacker room that already caught the attention of Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin.
“I think Penn State’s front is very good,” Harsin said at his weekly press conference. “I think their front seven, they do a very good job. I think their linebackers are very good players. That’s a program that’s had historically very good linebackers in it. And their d-line plays hard. Schematically, they do things with them that creates a challenge. That’s going to be something for our offensive line. We know that, and we’ve got to go out there and we’ve got to be able to get that done from this week in practice.”
That front seven consists of a strong starting defensive line and an athletic linebacker group that has flown all over the field so far this season.
Defensive tackle PJ Mustipher leads the line with his ability to occupy space when necessary and shed offensive linemen when the time is right. He’s a strong athlete on the interior who could get upfield and his partners along the interior, whether it’s Derrick Tangelo, Dvon Ellies or another tackle, have all been a net positive this season.
Arnold Ebiketie and Nick Tarburton have both been formidable against the run at defensive end, with both crashing down to make plays and forcing runners back inside when they try to get the edge.
Ellis Brooks, Brandon Smith and Curtis Jacobs all have shown they can make tackles and shed blocks to prevent runners from getting to the second level, with Jacobs and Smith showing exceptional athleticism and the ability to blow up runs in the backfield.
All three will be important in the Nittany Lions’ quest to stop Bigsby and Hunter this weekend, and the second level in particular will need to prevent the Tigers’ duo from breaking big gains during Saturday’s game.
Kyle J. Andrews: Auburn’s untested rush defense versus Penn State’s running game
Auburn hasn’t faced strong opposition up until this point with Akron and Alabama State entering the confines of Jordan-Hare Stadium. That especially rings true for an Auburn defense, which hasn’t been battle-tested against the run or the pass this season, allowing just 10 points against the two programs. This is especially evident in the running game.
In the 60-10 blowout over Akron, Auburn allowed just 21 rushing yards on 35 carries for .6 yards per carry. The following game against Alabama State was nearly just as strong for Auburn’s run defense, allowing just 46 yards on 29 carries (1.59 yards per carry). Keep in mind that Auburn allowed 163.4 rushing yards per game last year and still has yet to face a Power 5 program this season.
By contrast, Penn State has rushed for 145 yards per game this season. The Nittany Lions rushed 18 times against Wisconsin for 50 yards and one touchdown and followed up with 48 carries for 240 yards and two touchdowns against Ball State. It may be time for Penn State to come off of the schneid against Auburn with their rushing attack.
Penn State has played Noah Cain, Keyvone Lee, Devyn Ford and Caziah Holmes at its running back positions and could be adding Jon Lovett soon to the mix. In a stacked backfield, Cain has 28 attempts for 117 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Lee has 11 rushes for 64 yards (5.8 yards per attempt). Ford has seven carries for 33 yards (4.7 yards per rush). That’s just the running backs. Quarterback Sean Clifford has 17 attempts for 71 yards and a touchdown this season, too.
With the amount of mobility that the Nittany Lion backfield provides, it could be tough sledding for an Auburn defense that enters a prime-time matchup in a hostile environment. Or Auburn can continue to stymie what has been an otherwise decent Penn State rushing attack.
This story was originally published September 15, 2021 at 1:49 PM.
