The Battle of the Victims is the focus of Saturday’s Big Ten fight between the Penn State Nittany Lions and Nebraska Cornhuskers. Talent means zilch when you can’t figure out how to close games. This was the case for both the Nittany Lions and Cornhuskers in a shortened season where they are almost halfway without a win. Penn State lost to Maryland 35-17, while Nebraska bit the dust 21-13 in a tough game against Northwestern.
Sales, sales and other sales for Penn State
If Penn State has any hope of putting the ship back in order on Saturday, quarterback Sean Clifford will have to stop throwing the ball at the other team. We’re only three games this season and he’s already made five interceptions, with at least one or more coming in each game. His foray against Maryland was a nightmare, ending with a completion percentage of 47.4 and two interceptions to get a pathetic QBR of 29.5.
It was bad – really, really bad.
But there’s no point in dwelling in the past when the team is facing the real possibility of slipping to 0-4. Penn State trainer James Franklin isn’t quite ready to close the door on Clifford as a starter, but he may be forced to turn to Will Levis if the cliff jump expedition continues.
It would be helpful if Clifford had a running game to take some pressure off his shoulders, but as of now he’s leading the Nittany Lions both in a rush and in the pass. Maybe they can finally get Devyn Ford to take on a Cornhusker defense that allows 181.5 rushing yards per game. If he can’t find a hole in this makeshift defensive front to exploit, he won’t find a hole anywhere. Nebraska actually did well in the backend of its defense. Another solo attempt by Clifford will not make it.
On the defensive side of the ball, Penn State only needs to finish the running game. Of course, that’s easier said than done when Nebraska hit two solid defenses in Ohio and the northwest. But if Penn State can close the holes along the defensive front, they will return home and celebrate their first win of the season.
Can Nebraska move the chains?
Penn State has a ton of problems on either side of the ball, but they clearly showed a knack for getting after the quarterback. Adrian Martinez’s head should be turned better in this game.
The biggest problem for the Cornhuskers is their inability to consistently convert third downs. They have the second worst average conversion percentage (30.8) in the conference, and that number would obviously worsen in third and long duration situations. The offensive line must keep Martinez’s jersey clean and avoid him standing at a distance from third parties and impossible.
They also need to make room for their rushers to hit the ball on the ground. Penn State has allowed five quick touchdowns in three games with an average rushing allowance of 124 yards per game. Even after losing two games in a row, the Cornhuskers should be able to gain confidence in the way they were exploiting the state of Ohio and the local Northwest.
It would also be helpful if they repaired the holes in their own defenses. The Nittany Lions will certainly try to put the ball on them for the first time in 2020. This game could simply be due to Nebraska’s ability to finish the doormat treatment. If they can stop the run, Clifford could be asked to fall back to pass more than 50 times.
That usually leads to the kind of backbreaking errors that games lose.
