Penn State vs. Purdue: Game Preview

The Nittany Lions are still seeking their first conference win as they welcome Purdue on Halloween.

Penn State (3-4, 0-4) vs. Purdue (3-4, 2-2)

Kickoff: 4:15 p.m., Beaver Stadium, State College, PA

The Betting Line: Penn State -7.5 (Fanduel)

TV: BTN, 4:15 p.m., Chris Vosters (play-by-play), Anthony Herron (analyst), Dannie Rogers (sideline)

Weather:

Matt Campbell:

PENN STATE RECORD: 3-4, 1st Year

OVERALL RECORD: 110-74, 15th Year

VS. PURDUE: 0-0

Barry Odom:

PURDUE RECORD: 5-14, 2nd Year

OVERALL RECORD: 49-47, 8th Year

VS. PENN STATE: 0-0

FUN FACTS

Penn State is 11-8-1 on games played on Halloween…the Nittany Lions have forced 100 takeaways since 2022, the third most among Power 4 programs…Chase Sowell had a career-high 151 receiving yards against Michigan…Tony Rojas is the first Nittany Lion to post 10+ tackles in three consecutive games since Micah Parsons in 2019…Penn State leads the all-time series over Purdue 17-3-1 and are 9-1-1 against the Boilermakers at home.

PURDUE OFFENSE VS. PENN STATE DEFENSE

The Boilermakers do not make any mystery over what they want to do on offense – avoid turnovers and get the ball in the hands of their best three playmakers, running back Fame Ijeboi and receivers Asaad Waseem and Xavier Townsend. Ijeboi has nearly five times the amount of carries than any other back on the team, and has racked up 568 yards and nine touchdowns. He had a dominant performance in the team’s victory over Minnesota, gaining 195 yards and three scores on 31 carries. Waseem is the more explosive threat at receiver, averaging 15.5 yards per catch, although he’s only made it into the end zone once this season.

Quarterback Ryan Browne has been efficient, completing 66% of passes with 10 towdowns and is typically safe with the ball. He’s also an effective runner, including an 81-yard rushing effort against Minnesota.

Let’s start with the good news about Penn State’s front seven – Tony Rojas has been exceptional, and is carrying on the Linebacker U. tradition. However, the rest of the front seven has made a minimal impact. They have generated almost no pass rush, and the run defense seems to get worse over time as opponents figure out how they can get players out of position for big gains.

The secondary has been the lone bright spot outside of Rojas. The Nittany Lions have the top pass defense in the Big Ten despite getting no help from a pass rush. True freshman Josiah Zayas is a star in the making, while Audavion Collins continues to play at an extremely high level each week.

PENN STATE OFFENSE VS. PURDUE DEFENSE

The Nittany Lions offense has yet to put together anything near a complete game in Big Ten play, a big reason why they are 0-4 in conference games. The trend continued against Michigan, as Rocco Becht had three costly turnovers in the 21-18 loss. While the passing game has been hit-or-miss based on Becht’s inconsistent play, the running game has yet to get off the ground – and that does not look likely to change anything soon.

The offense could get a major boost if wide receiver Koby Howard is able to return to action. Howard was the most dynamic playmaker on offense, and it’s been clear his absence has had an impact as explosive plays and sustained drives have been minimal while he’s been sidelined. Chase Sowell is also looking to build momentum off his best career game, a 151 receiving yard effort against a stout Michigan defense.

Purdue’s defense has been hit-or-miss. The Boilermakers held Illinois to 17 and Minnesota to 13 in their two conference wins. However, they have struggled against better offenses, allowing 38 to Wake Forest, 52 to UCLA, 49 to Notre Dame, and 38 to Washington in their four losses. Those results have put the Boilermakers in the bottom four in the Big Ten in all significant defensive rankings, including last in the conference in passing defense and explosive plays allowed. If there is a game for Penn State’s offense to finally have a productive day, it’s against this defense. However, the Nittany Lions were also unable to produce against other teams who had major deficiencies on defense.

Linebacker Jojo Hayden has become one of the stars of the Boilermakers defense after transferring from Illinois. He leads the team with 48 tackles and two interceptions. Jeremy Lewis has been their most explosive pass rusher, and can make the giant leap to the NFL after starting his career at the JUCO level. The Boilermakers have not garnered a collective rush though, getting to the quarterback just 8 times while giving up 16 sacks.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Purdue kicker Jacobo Lozano has been nearly automatic this season, connecting on 15-of-16 attempts with a long of 48. The Boilermakers also have an outstanding punter in Dylan Drennan. He’s had seven of 20 points go beyond 50 yards, including a long of 78.

PREDICTION

Penn State-24, Purdue-20

My best prediction for this game is that both teams score between 17-24 points. I wouldn’t be surprised with either team coming away with the win. So with that being the case, let’s go with the optimistic side. Penn State cleans up many things during the bye week, players recover from bumps and bruises, and they figure out how to put everything together to start winning in the Big Ten. Yeah, let’s go with that…