Penn State vs Auburn: Keys to victory for the Nittany Lions
Penn State will travel to Auburn, Alabama for the first time to take on the Auburn Tigers in the final part of a home-and-home series that began in State College last season, a thrilling 28-20 White Out victory. The Nittany Lions showed they can hang and beat a more traditional SEC power in that game and they look to find the same success, this time at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturday.
Here are four keys to victory for PSU in this upcoming game.
1. Slowing down Auburn's run game and forcing T.J Finley to beat you
Auburn starting QB T.J. Finley hasn’t needed to throw the ball much in his first two games for the Tigers, totaling just 279 yards in the air, an average of under 140 passing yards a game. He and Auburn have relied much more on the running game to solidify the offense, but if Penn State can get pressure through Auburn’s offensive line and get to Finley, they’ll force him into passes much more frequently. That immediately goes into their favor as he currently has three interceptions on the season to just one passing touchdown. If Finley could only throw for 167 yards against San Jose State at home, imagine what will happen against one of the country's best secondaries.
2. Get the run game going early and often
The rushing attack seems to be a common theme with keys this season because a successful rushing attack opens up the field more for Sean Clifford in the pocket and turns Penn State into a dual-threat offense. So far, Penn State has answered the call there, running for 166 yards a game in two games this season. Auburn was fifth in the SEC in rushing defense last season, giving up 129.3 rushing yards a game, but will have their biggest test so far on Saturday. The Tigers' defense will have to step up in a way it hasn’t done before so far. That alludes to a higher possibility of more mistakes and more opportunities for Penn State to capitalize on them whether it's on the ground or potentially opening up more lanes in the passing game.
3. Silence Jordan-Hare Stadium early
Jordan-Hare Stadium has been the site of numerous memorable college football games, most notably the "Kick Six" against Alabama in 2013. With a capacity of over 80,000, the Tigers get loud and get rowdy. Penn State doesn’t have much history against SEC teams during the regular season, having most recently played Alabama on the road in 2010. The most recent non-Crimson Tide SEC opponent that Penn State has played on the road was Kentucky in 1978, so this is very much uncharted territory for the Nittany Lions. Their objective to begin this game is simple: score early or force a big turnover early to suck the life out of the Auburn fans. The less they’re into the game, the more of an advantage that plays for Penn State.
4. Sean Clifford needs to have another solid game under center
Clifford has proven himself early this season to be a fantastic quarterback for Penn State, orchestrating a game-winning, fourth-quarter drive against a tough Big Ten opponent and passing for nearly 250 yards a game so far. His 5-1 touchdown to interception ratio is encouraging coming into this game against a defense in Auburn that was in the bottom three in the SEC last season in passing yards allowed. The Tigers already allowed nearly 40 yards more in the air to opponents than passing yards thrown in 2022, so the more the Auburn secondary can get tested, the better chances Penn State will be able to pick up a few key plays through the air.
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