Penn State is set to take the field at noon on Saturday in Beaver Stadium for its regular season finale against Michigan State. The Nittany Lions are looking to make it three straight wins after victories over Michigan and Rutgers following an 0-5 start. Penn State isn’t perfect, but they’re getting better and looking to end the season on a high note.
Considering how the year has gone, the Nittany Lions will take any feel-good stories they can get. Here are five things to keep an eye on as Penn State faces the Spartans.
1-0 this week:
Penn State’s best teams under James Franklin have looked at what is directly in front of them and very little else. With the Nittany Lions’ 0-5 start now a thing of the past, can they get back to the forward-focused mentality? Penn State could end the season on a 4-0 winning streak if it beats Michigan State and a crossover opponent. Sure, the Nittany Lions might not be headed to all the places they’d like to go, but playing with purpose and playing with a goal, even if that goal is 4-5, is better than nothing. Does Penn State look focused? They’ve made it this far, do they look like a team trying to make the most of the game right in front of them?
Just A Bit Better:
The Nittany Lions have gotten better over the past two weeks, pulling themselves out of an 0-5 rut and turning the season into something of a feel-good story. That being said, it’s clear to anyone watching Penn State that the Nittany Lions will have to get better at just about everything between now and next season. Can they look like a team continuing to make strides? This offense is clearly watered down a bit to make up for its own shortcomings, so improvements might not be so much what it’s doing as it is how well it’s executing the plan. Limit the mistakes, the penalties, the drops and the missed tackles. It might not be flashy, but there is something to be said for getting just a little bit better. Do that enough times in a row and you’re suddenly a lot better.
Old Self:
Sean Clifford might not return to his 2019 form in 2020, but the second-year starter has managed to avoid the bad turnover bug the past two weeks and has guided the offense down the field on a fairly consistent basis. Can he hit the deep shot opportunities that he gets? Can he continue to build his confidence heading into the offseason and 2021? Unless Penn State goes shopping in the transfer portal, Clifford is going to be the guy for a third straight season. The Nittany Lions will need him to get back into form and avoid starting 2021 with the same hiccups he had to start 2020. The better he looks in these final two games, the better off James Franklin’s offseason heartburn might feel.
Not That Good:
Michigan State is not very good. Sure, neither is Penn State, but the Spartans have struggled since Day 1 in areas even the Nittany Lions have been able to overcome. The Spartans are dead last in scoring among Big Ten teams and allow just over 34 points a game, second worst in the league. Point being, Penn State has a chance here to maybe put together the game that has eluded it all year: the easy win. It’s fair to pump the breaks on the Nittany Lions suddenly becoming Alabama, but it’s not as though the Spartans are Auburn either. Penn State going out and picking up a win without having the second half stress would go a long long way for this team. Can they take advantage of playing a bad team?
Ground and Pound:
Michigan State’s defense ranks in the middle of the conference in terms of total yards allowed on the ground and through the air. Meanwhile Penn State is second in total offense, gaining 412 yards per game on average. Can Penn State rack up the yards and points however it pleases? The Nittany Lions will likely continue to lean on the running back by committee and Will Levis approach yet again, because if it ain’t broke, no need to fix it. Penn State isn’t going to reinvent the wheel in a week, so really the question is how well it can get its current wheel rolling. Run the ball, pass it when you have to and take time off the clock during long scoring drives. Michigan State is second to last in time of possession, and Penn State will gladly take the ball, averaging the fourth most time of possession in the Big Ten.
