Penn State will head to the deep depths of the SEC on Saturday afternoon against the Auburn Tigers. Their first visit to an SEC stadium since 2010, when the Nittany Lions took on the future national champions that year, Alabama Crimson Tide. Last year’s game against the Tigers was exciting and came down to the wire end and Saturday's matchup could present a very much similar script. We’ll see how well the Nittany Lions can handle the atmosphere of Jordan-Hare Stadium, but here are a few players to keep an eye on for both teams in Saturday’s afternoon clash.
Penn State:
QB Sean Clifford
Clifford is a no-brainer for a player to watch having come off two solid weeks under center for the Nittany Lions to begin the season. Having averaged around 250 passing yards a game so far, he’s looking comfortable and looking like someone who’s coming into his own at just the right time. Saying that as someone who’s currently in his sixth season at Penn State sounds silly, but many are still looking for that signature season from Clifford, and a great performance against Auburn will go a long way toward solidifying that.
CB Johnny Dixon
Dixon has seemingly been everywhere this season for Penn State, leading the team in tackles for loss and sacks, while being amongst the team leaders in pass breakups and total tackles. He’s already blown past a number of totals from last season and is looking like a major defensive leader for this team this season. The junior has found spots to attack outside of the front seven to get to the quarterback or just get to players quickly for tackles and to stop their momentum.
RB Nicholas Singleton
The freshman has made his presence felt almost immediately for Penn State this season and has taken over the fray as the No. 1 running back on the depth chart. After a relatively tough performance against Purdue, he exploded against Ohio for 179 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the day. Those kinds of numbers play and against one of last year’s better rushing defenses in the SEC, he’ll get to test himself out on Saturday. A big game from him has big ramifications moving forward.
Auburn:
QB/RB Robby Ashford
While it’s looking like T.J. Finley will start for the Tigers on Saturday, Ashford’s case is an interesting one as it seems he’s stopped trying to throw it and instead, is using his legs more. It seems to have worked out so far as he’s gained around 130 yards on the ground this season. However, Ashford can still very much throw the ball, so depending on what offensive schemes Auburn will run on Saturday, he’s a reliable player to have the ball in his hands at some point.
WR Ja’Varrius Johnson
Johnson is Auburn’s leading receiver this season and in two games, he’s more than well on his way to surpassing last season’s receiving totals for him. All signs are pointing to him being the No. 1 receiving option for this team, which means plenty more targets from Finley as the season progresses. What’s most impressive for him thus far is his yards per catch, averaging nearly 23 yards per catch in two games. When he’s getting the ball, most of the time, it’s going for big plays, which will benefit Auburn greatly against Penn State.
EDGE Derick Hall
Hall is one of Auburn’s best defensive threats, if not their best defensive threat when it comes to getting to the quarterback. With three quarterback hits and a sack to his name this season, Hall has found a way to penetrate through offensive lines and get to the quarterback quickly. 2021 was a big year for the edge rusher, having recorded seven sacks on the season. If he can continue to find gaps through an offense’s front seven to get to the quarterback, that could very well spell disaster for Clifford and the Nittany Lions.
--------------------------------------------------------------
• Subscribe to our YouTube Channel
