After falling in a close contest to UCF last weekend, Penn State will look to rebound on Saturday against Kent State. The Golden Flashes will be missing their best player in Dri Archer for yet another week, giving Penn State a serious leg up on its opponent. Unlike UCF, Kent State doesn’t pose as much of a threat as the Knights did making the 3:30 meeting a chance for Penn State to fine tune a few things.
So what does head coach Bill O’Brien want to see on Saturday? Here are five keys to winning.
1. Don’t Forget The Fundamentals:
THUD or no THUD, Penn State’s defensive players have been playing football for almost all of their collective lives. Ironically one of Penn State’s most glaring problems on the defensive side of the ball has been one of the most basic skills any defender needs to master: Tackling.
So in response to the tackling issues, defensive coordinator John Butler has spent some time this week working on the basics with his unit. Tackling won’t make or break a game against Kent State, but a strong performance this weekend could go a long way towards gaining some confidence back.
2. Keep It Up:
It’s hard to find any major issues with how Christian Hackenberg has played over the past three weeks. Most importantly Hackenberg went the entire UCF game without coughing the ball up which was critical to keeping Penn State in the game. If Hackenberg can continue his turnover-free streak it can only help both he and the team, not to mention provide fans with a sign that he is learning from some early season miscues. If the rain holds true for the game, ball security will be even more important.
3. Sack Master:
The company line on defensive end Deion Barnes is that teams are just running away from his side of the field because he is so good. On some level this is true, but at the same time elite players make plays when the ball does come their way. It’s hard to blame Barnes entirely for his slow start on the season, but a strong day from him against Kent State might get the ball rolling heading into conference play.
4. First Down:
Third downs are something of a talking point in State College and for good reason. The horrible conversion rate has stopped many a Nittany Lion drive in its tracks. At the same time, Penn State hasn’t done itself many favors on first and second down either. Converting third down is important, but getting a manageable third down to work with can make the entire situation a lot easier.
5. Be Special:
Sam Ficken missed his first field goal in months this past weekend. Considering it was of the 57-yard variety the miss is hardly concerning. Even so, with only a game left before Big Ten play, special teams will continue to be more and more important. A few long punts by Alex Buttersworth and a make or two by Ficken would be a welcome sight for Bill O’Brien. Eugene Lewis has showed promise returning kicks, and could continue to solidify his role as a kick returner with a strong performance on Saturday, even if Penn State isn’t receiving many kicks.
