While it might be said that App State proved no game should be taken lightly, Penn State ought this weekend to be the least stressful of the opening three weeks of the season. It’s one final tune-up before the start of Big Ten play in Illinois next Friday night and the latest chance for the Nittany Lions to continue their march towards a third-straight 10-win season.
So what to look for? Aside from the Sun on another cloudy weekend in State College, here are five things I’m keeping an eye on Saturday as Penn State looks to close out the non conference slate at 3-0.
Next Steps:
If the non conference schedule is supposed to prepare teams for the Big Ten, then this week is the last chance to clean up most of the major issues Penn State still has. It’s more likely than not that these things won’t be fixed over night, or over the course of three weeks, so Saturday is about more steps forward. Can the defense continue to look more and more cohesive? Can tackling continue to improve? Can drops turn into catches?
The final score in a game like this doesn’t really matter as much as what it looks like. If the Nittany Lions can take care of business and look improved in the process, then it’s a job well done. There’s always the risk of a team like Kent State making Penn State look better than it is, but you either play well or you don’t.
Aerial Attack:
It’s not really a secret that Penn State has been more of a run-first team this season, in large part due to awful weather last week. Even so, Trace McSorley and his receivers will have to continue to get on the same page heading into Big Ten play if they want a shot at Indianapolis. If McSorley can connect on a few deep balls to someone not named KJ Hamler, that’ll be a good sign.
Of course if Penn State opts to go the Miles Sanders route there’s nothing Trace can do about that, but that aside, the more the passing game can come together the better for this team.
Micah Micah Micah:
Micah Parsons has probably looked about as advertised so far this year. He’s raw, really talented, but also playing linebacker for the first time in his career. Kent State is another chance for him to get meaningful reps at the position and continue to move forward. If he can get his brain to match his athleticism he’s going to be a force in conference play. There isn’t a goal for him here this weekend other than continuing to look the part.
Early And Often:
There isn’t a rule that says you have to score early in the game, but if Penn State can jump out to an early lead and hang on to it, that’s a good experience building in its own right. The Nittany Lions might be a second half team this year, but as 2016 proved, life coming from behind is a little bit more difficult than it needs to be. Something between 2016’s comeback kids and 2017’s Mike Tyson offense would be a useful balance for this bunch.
Hey Juwan, You There?:
Juwan Johnson is too good to have his struggles last for long, but a game to get him back on the right side of the catch-drop column will go a long way towards bucking an early season slump. Johnson has had his moments both good and bad this year, if he can find his consistency again to go with Hamler’s own building threat, that’ll give Penn State even more depth in its pass attack. If the final tune-up game is about confidence, nobody could use that boost more than Johnson.
