10/13/2023 football Edit

Penn State vs UMass: Three Things to Watch in Homecoming Matchup

Marty Leap • Happy Valley Insider

Staff Writer

Staff writer for Happy Valley Insider

Saturday afternoon no. 6 Penn State will welcome UMass to Beaver Stadium for the team's 2023 Homecoming Game. The Minutemen will enter this contest as one of the worst teams in the FBS with a 1-6 record. Due to this, the non-conference finale does not offer much intrigue.

That said, there will still be things worth watching on Saturday afternoon, there always are in the game of football. As Penn State prepares to improve to 6-0 on the season ahead of next Saturday's showdown with Ohio State in Columbus, these are three things we will be watching for.

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Explosive plays

Odds are you are tired of hearing about it by now. But the question remains - where are the explosive plays for the Penn State offense? It's an enigma that can no longer be ignored.

Even though Penn State has scored at least 30 points in every game this season, including two games of 40+ points, the offense has not been explosive. Penn State's offense has just 12 plays of 20+ yards this season which is tied for the fewest in the FBS.

Thus far, the lack of explosive plays have not burnt the Nittany Lions but it's hard to envision them doing what needs to be done to reach the Big Ten Championship Game without explosive plays. The UMass defense is one that is susceptible to explosive plays. Not only is there a massive talent gap between the Penn State offense and UMass defense, but a Don Brown defense is one that can be burnt on big plays.

So, how does Penn State's offense become more explosive this weekend? No, it's not just chucking it deep no matter what. Ultimately, it comes back to execution. There have been plays where a throw that was just a split second late from Drew Allar or dropped passes have prevented big plays. Nicholas Singleton has not run with the same confidence as last season but has also been impacted by a lack of effective blocking on the edge at times.

It does feel like the offense is close to breaking through. Having a game where Penn State hits three or four explosive plays could take a lot of pressure off the offense, provide some confidence, and lead to improvement in that category. With better execution, there is no reason those plays can't come this Saturday.

Stay healthy

Through five games and the bye week, Penn State is very healthy. Outside of losing Landon Tengwall to concussion issues that unfortunately ended his career in camp, Penn State has largely dodged the injury bug.

Kaytron Allen did not play in the second half against Northwestern but all signs are that he'll be a full go on Saturday. It remains to be seen if starting left guard JB Nelson will be ready to go on Saturday after also getting dinged up against Northwestern, but even if he does not play this should not be a long-term issue. Number two wide receiver Trey Wallace has been missing in the passing game due to injury, but signs seem to indicate he should be good to go on Saturday as well.

In a game like this one that is expected to be a blowout you just want to get out healthy if you're the favorite. Especially with a potential top 5 showdown on deck. Watching to see if Penn State can get out of this game as healthy as they go into it will be something to watch.

What freshmen see the field?

Obviously, the true freshmen who have been given the green light will see plenty of playing time on Saturday. But after this, which true freshmen will get reps? Especially since there should be plenty available in a second half that should not be close.

Could we see Cam Wallace make his collegiate debut at running back? After program guys such as Tank Smith and Tyler Holzworth got the 4th quarter carried against Delaware, it certainly seems possible if not likely that Wallace gets those carries this weekend. Perhaps London Montgomery as well.

Now that he is seemingly healthy and back on the practice field, do we see Jameial Lyons this weekend? It would be game 3 of the 4, plus postseason play, that would be allotted for the defensive end to use without burning his redshirt.

If all goes according to plan, offensive linemen Anthony Donkoh and J'Ven Williams should see plenty of run in the second half of this game. The same goes for linebacker Ta'Mere Robinson and tight end Andrew Rappleyea. Linebacker Kaveion Keys will likely see plenty of playing time as well, including with the top special teams units. Keys, who has been generating a lot of buzz, could be playing his way into a green light and a role on special teams.

Watching the young players and how they perform will be a worthwhile storyline on Saturday afternoon.