How can Penn State leave Auburn with a victory Saturday evening? Here are 2 key matchups
Penn State will try to stay undefeated this season Saturday evening when the Nittany Lions head on the road to take on the Auburn Tigers in Jordan-Hare Stadium. The Tigers are 2-0 with wins over San Jose State and Mercer, making Penn State their toughest test so far this season. The Nittany Lions, meanwhile, have defeated Purdue and Ohio. This will be a step up for them too, although a less substantial one.
Let’s take a look at the two key matchups that will determine if the Nittany Lions can head into SEC country and return with a win.
Jon Sauber: Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter vs. Penn State’s run defense
Auburn’s offense isn’t good and shouldn’t give Penn State much trouble Saturday afternoon, but there is one avenue where the Tigers could make things happen. They have the ability to break off big gains with their rushing attack and feature two backs who showed that last season when these two teams met. Bigsby and Hunter combined for 32 carries for 165 yards in Penn State’s 28-20 win over Auburn and gave the Nittany Lions the most trouble of any playmakers on the team.
The biggest difference for the Tigers is at quarterback where T.J. Finley plays after Bo Nix transferred to Oregon. Finley is a threat to run the ball, as is backup Robby Ashford who has seen playing time over the team’s first two games. They can both hang onto the ball themselves and make something happen. That’s where the danger surfaces for Penn State. If the Auburn quarterbacks become threats on Saturday, they’ll have to commit defensive resources to stopping them. That could leave Bigsby and Ashford with more space to make things happen with their contrasting running styles.
Bigsby is, well, a tank. The 6-foot, 213-pound running back can plow through arm tackles and fight for extra yardage. Penn State’s newfound aggressiveness should lead to more swarming tackles when he has the ball, but odds are Bigsby is going to get his on the ground in the game. He’s one of the best players on a struggling Auburn offense but brings some level of consistency that the rest of the unit doesn’t exactly have in spades.
Hunter is the opposite. He’s an athletic game changer who can break off big runs that can alter the outcome of the matchup. He had nine carries for 63 yards in last year’s matchup, continually gashing the Nittany Lions. The sophomore only has 16 carries through the team’s first two games but still could reasonably have a similar impact as he did last season. The Penn State front four will need to get to him early and not let him get into open space where he can make things happen. The Nittany Lions will be able to win this game with relative ease if they can put a halt to him, Bigsby and the rest of the Auburn rushing attack on Saturday afternoon.
Kyle J. Andrews: Auburn’s defensive line vs. Penn State’s running game
San Jose State just completed a 16-yard pass to get to a first-and-goal against Auburn last Saturday. With the Spartans knocking on the door in the second quarter, the Tigers made multiple stops at the one-yard line to force a field goal attempt. Auburn went on to allow just 16 points in its 24-16 victory over San Jose State. The Spartans only managed 54 rushing yards against the Tigers.
The Tigers will set up with a 3-4 front that features redshirt junior defensive end Colby Wooden, sophomore Jayson Jones at nose tackle and redshirt junior defensive tackle Marcus Harris. Harris brought down runners in the backfield three times last weekend and totaled four tackles and is the major catalyst for Auburn’s run-stopping defense. At 6-foot-6, 310 pounds, Jones is a mammoth in the middle of the defensive line. Wooden has versatility, having played outside linebacker, defensive end and defensive tackle at times throughout his time at Auburn.
Penn State’s offensive line and running backs may have an answer to the behemoth Auburn defensive line. The Nittany Lions had one of their best rushing performances in years with 34 rushing attempts for 234 yards and three touchdowns. Freshman running back Nick Singleton led the way with 10 carries for 179 yards and two touchdowns and redshirt senior quarterback Sean Clifford added 14 yards on eight attempts with a touchdown.
The key for Penn State is its offensive line. Redshirt sophomore left tackle Olu Fashanu and redshirt freshman left guard Landon Tengwall have blown teams away with their power blocking. The rotation of redshirt senior Juice Scruggs and senior Hunter Nourzad at center, along with Nourzad swapping with Tengwall and redshirt junior Sal Wormley at right guard, the Nittany Lions have found depth up front. Then, redshirt junior Caedan Wallace has returned as the remaining starter at his same position last season.
It’ll be a battle for Penn State, but if there’s any indication that any team could run against Auburn early and often, it’s the Nittany Lions.
