Penn State began the season ranked No. 2 in the nation, but that feels like a distant memory right now.
The slumping Nittany Lions hope to avoid a third straight defeat Saturday when they host Northwestern in Big Ten action from University Park, Pa.
Penn State (3-2, 0-2 Big Ten) opened its campaign with three wins by a combined margin of 132-17. However, the team suffered its first loss in a 30-24 double OT defeat to then-No. 6 Oregon before the wheels fell off in last Saturday’s 42-37 loss at UCLA.
The Nittany Lions trailed 27-7 against the previously winless Bruins and were never able to recover in arguably the worst loss of the James Franklin era.
“We need to overcome it as quickly as we possibly can,” said the veteran coach. “Tune out the noise, focus on getting better, but also recognize and understand we’ve had two losses in a row that are frustrating for everybody involved.”
Meanwhile, Northwestern (3-2, 1-1) is trending in the opposite direction. The Wildcats have allowed a total of just 21 points in wins over UCLA and UL Monroe over the last two games, although now they must play three of their next four on the road.
“To be coming off a couple wins here at home, I think what this group understands is that when we get all 11 people on the same page, we communicate well, and we execute, we’ve got a chance to be pretty darn good,” said Wildcats coach David Braun.
Northwestern’s defensive game plan this weekend will certainly prioritize slowing down Kaytron Allen, who has six rushing touchdowns this season and is averaging 7.0 yards per carry.
“That is a talented dude,” Braun said. “At the end of the day, if we want to win in the Big Ten, we’ve got to find ways to effectively stop the run.”
On the other sideline, Penn State will hope to generate some turnovers against Northwestern quarterback Preston Stone. In the Wildcats’ two losses, Stone has thrown six interceptions and no touchdowns; in their three wins, he has racked up seven TD passes and no picks.
“We’ve been impressed with him,” said Franklin, whose team has won the last three meetings between the schools and nine of the last 11.
