Penn State looks to match Wisconsin’s physicality in Big Ten football opener
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Penn State defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn has chosen to ignore his group’s lofty national rankings this week and focus on Wisconsin, the Nittany Lions’ opponent in a Big Ten opener.
The Badgers are trying to get back to being the power running team they’ve been for most of the last three decades.
“They’re going to try to punch us in the mouth,” Lynn said. “They’re a physical team. They run the ball downhill. They do a good job of creating explosive plays in the passing game. They’re going to take shots. They’re going to test us downfield. It’ll be a good challenge for us.”
No. 13 Penn State (3-0) will learn a lot about itself when it faces Wisconsin (2-1) Saturday at 5 p.m. (TV-Peacock) at Beaver Stadium.
The Badgers pose the stiffest test so far for the Lions, who easily dispatched three non-conference opponents with a solid offense and a dominant defense. Their first team did not allow Marshall, Temple and Buffalo to score a touchdown.
They rank first nationally in pass efficiency defense, second in passing yards allowed, third in points allowed and fourth in total yards allowed.
“Each game there are going to be things we do well and things we need to improve,” Lynn said. “We have to grow each week. If we keep on growing throughout the year, we have the potential to be a pretty good defense.”
Wisconsin relies on dual-threat quarterback Colton Joseph, who passed for 2,624 yards and rushed for 1,007 last season at Old Dominion. For the Badgers, Joseph has thrown for 362 yards and three TDs and run for 46 yards and a score.
“He has a lot of experience,” Lynn said. “He had a ton of success at his old school. He can run. Anytime you have to deal with a quarterback who can run, it adds a different element.
“They do a good job of protecting him in the pocket. They do a good job on sprint-outs and boots and play action. He has a strong arm and gives his guys a chance downfield.”
Running back Abu Sama, who played for Penn State coach Matt Campbell the last three seasons at Iowa State, is expected to return after missing Wisconsin’s win over Eastern Michigan last week.
Sama carried eight times for 107 yards and one TD the previous week against Western Illinois. Campbell and several Lions defenders know him very well.
“Abu is a really good friend of mine,” linebacker Kooper Ebel said. “I was just on the phone with him a week or two ago. He’s a great player. He’s super fast. He’s physical. He’s a downhill runner. I’m sure we’ll see a lot of each other on Saturday.”
Penn State’s run defense has not been exceptional. The Lions are allowing an average of 111.0 yards per game, which ranks 51st nationally and 11th in the Big Ten.
“I think we’ve had our moments,” Lynn said. “I think we’ve shown we can stop the run, but it’s about doing it consistently. That’s the one thing we have to improve on, regardless of who’s in there or what the call is.”
Offensively, Penn State is seeking to improve its performance in the red zone, where the Lions have scored nine touchdowns on 17 trips inside the 20-yard line. They also would like to improve third-down conversions after going 2-for-10 last week against Buffalo.
“Situational football is critical,” Campbell said, “and it will be critical this week. I thought we were dynamic in those areas the first two weeks. I think that was a huge part of our success. I did think we took a little bit of a step back last week in those areas.
“We will have to be much better this week, for sure.”
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Rich Scarcella’s pick
Penn State 28, Wisconsin 17
The Nittany Lions will need to run the ball like they did last week against Buffalo. Their defense will be challenged by Colton Joseph and Abu Sama. Penn State has beaten Wisconsin six straight times and will make it seven as long as it continues to make few mistakes.
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