How can Penn State open the season with a win against Purdue? Thursday’s 2 key matchups
Penn State will open its season Thursday night on the road when they head to West Lafayette to take on the Purdue Boilermakers in a Big Ten matchup. The Nittany Lions are trying to rebound from a 7-6 season with starting quarterback Sean Clifford heading into his sixth season on campus and his fourth leading the offense. Opposite him will be another veteran quarterback and a talented Boilermaker team that will be looking to pull off the upset to open the season.
Let’s take a look at the two key matchups that will determine if the Nittany Lions can start the season with a victory.
Jon Sauber: Purdue QB Aidan O’Connell vs. Penn State’s secondary
Penn State’s offense will have its hands full, but O’Connell will present a difficult matchup for the defense that could determine how the game will go. This is going to be a common theme this season — if the Nittany Lions are able to stop the opposing team’s offense, they’re going to stay in games. If they can’t, the team is going to be in some trouble.
This week that falls at O’Connell’s feet. He’s one of the better quarterbacks Penn State is going to face this season and is in a system that should allow, and already has allowed, him to shine. He will be without former star David Bell and Milton Wright at wide receiver, with Bell off to the NFL and Wright no longer on the team, but still has talent on the outside and a high-level play caller behind him.
O’Connell finished last season with several high profile performances, including a monster game against Tennessee in a bowl game. He lit up the Volunteers for 534 yards and five touchdowns, setting the stage for 2022. He’s good in head coach Jeff Brohm’s system, which tries to get its playmakers the ball in space and give them room to work. Broc Thompson and TJ Sheffield are the best options that are returning, but it’s an incoming transfer that could give Penn State major issues if O’Connell can link up with him. Former Iowa Hawkeye Charlie Jones joins the Boilermakers after proving his worth as an elite returner on special teams in Iowa City. The skill-set of a returner — effective in the open field with the ability to make opponents miss and break big plays — is the same type that excels under Brohm’s stewardship.
Jones should be a starting wide receiver for Purdue and that should give him a chance to have a breakout season on offense rather than just on special teams. The connection between O’Connell and his new wide receiver should be put to the test relatively quickly thanks to Penn State’s talented secondary featuring Joey Porter Jr., Kalen King and Daequan Hardy at cornerback, along with Ji’Ayir Brown and a to be determined starter next to him at safety.
That group has been written about plenty this offseason, and should be one of the best in the country against the pass. That reputation will be put to the test by O’Connell, Jones and the rest of the Purdue passing game Thursday night. Stopping the Boilermakers could be the beginning of a very fruitful season for the Nittany Lion secondary.
Kyle J. Andrews: Purdue LEO Kydran Jenkins vs Penn State LT Olu Fashanu
Kydran Jenkins plays the LEO position on Purdue’s defensive line, which means he’s a defensive end who rushes from the Wide 9 technique. This will give any left tackle pause as to how to stop him, especially when it comes to sealing off outside rushing lanes. Jenkins is a problem. He’s experienced — making 35 tackles (25 solo), eight tackles for loss, five sacks (tied for the team lead with the current Kansas City Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis) and one pass deflection.
Olu Fashanu has only made one career start and it was against Arkansas in the Outback Bowl on Jan. 1. While he’s new to the field, he’s not new to the program. He’s patiently waited his turn behind departed left tackle Rasheed Walker for the past two years. Standing in at 6-foot-6, 321 pounds, Fashanu looks the part and has shown flashes in his limited playing time. He has a big challenge this week in Jenkins. How will he respond to the experience of Jenkins’ speed blitzing? Thursday will tell the story.
This will be a place where each lineman tests their will.
This story was originally published August 30, 2022 at 11:20 AM.
