Penn State is sitting pretty in the top 15 of this week’s AP Poll after dismantling Auburn on the road at Jordan-Hare Stadium last Saturday. What was expected to be the toughest non-conference game on PSU’s schedule this season, looked like the easiest of the bunch so far, with the Nittany Lions scoring 41 points on an SEC defense including a dominating second half that saw the Nittany Lions put up 27 points.
The Nittany Lions close out their non-conference schedule this Saturday against Central Michigan at home, another MAC opponent. We saw what Penn State did to fellow MAC team Ohio earlier this season in a 46-10 win. If the Nittany Lions want a repeat of that win, here are the keys for another dominant performance this Saturday.
1. Air it out
Sean Clifford once again looked poised in the pocket last week and helped to pick apart the Tigers’ defense in a big way. However, like the week previous against Ohio, the Nittany Lions dominated on the ground, rushing for over 240 yards and five touchdowns. While it looks like PSU will continue to put pressure on teams through the run game, Clifford is still more than capable of making big plays with his arm.
Central Michigan has given up nearly 300 passing yards a game, about 7.5 yards per completion, through three games. The secondary is vulnerable and that’s the perfect opportunity for Clifford to take advantage of it. Getting Clifford in a groove will also benefit Penn State down the road as they'll need to pass the ball to beat the likes of Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio State among others.
2. Do not rely just on the run game
This statement might sound bonkers considering what Penn State has done in its last two games, putting up nearly 500 total rushing yards in that time. However, even though the MAC pales in comparison to the competition of the Big Ten, the Chippewas have only given up 103 rushing yards a game this season. The front seven and linebacker core for Central Michigan have been good, and knowing what Penn State has done successfully on the ground, they’ll be expecting the rush more often than not.
Central Michigan is here to play spoilers, so keeping that defense on its toes with a mixture of play-calling. It keeps the offense fresh as well going into the remainder of its Big Ten schedule.
3. Sustain drives, convert on third downs
Despite a 1-2 record, Central Michigan has been able to hold onto the football an average of just over 31 minutes a game this season. The last thing Penn State needs, especially at home, is an opponent grinding out seven-minute or eight-minute drives consistently. That means the Nittany Lions need to be the ones doing that, slowing down the pace of the game, and not being afraid to use the middle of the field to run the clock down. Those might seem like little things, but if PSU can control the time of possession battle, they’re simply going to not allow the Chippewas any time to fight back in the game.
4. Ride the home crowd and momentum
Many of these keys sound redundant, but when playing a team that is a 28-point underdog, the expectation is that Penn State will blow Central Michigan out of the water. Playing at Beaver Stadium is going to tremendously help out with that, having 100,000+ Nittany Lion fans screaming and yelling the entire game, making it an incredibly rowdy and intimidating environment to play in. Score a few touchdowns early, keep the crowd rowdy and Saturday is going to be a fun day in Happy Valley.
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