Let’s try this again. No. 10 Penn State (-49) will return to Beaver Stadium after an idle week to take on one of the nation’s least efficient teams in Kent State (0-3) on Saturday. The Nittany Lions squandered the opportunity for a blowout against Bowling Green two weeks ago, and this weekend should serve as another chance to beat up on a team they paid a hefty sum to play.
Here’s a preview and prediction for the contest, which is set to kickoff at 3:30 p.m. EDT, with broadcasting designated to Big Ten Network.
PREVIEW: The goal is to win by a wide margin, and if the betting spread says anything, it’s that Penn State is expected to do just that. How could James Franklin’s program make that happen? By executing on third down, getting off the field quickly on defense and diversifying involvement across a number of offensive players.
The Golden Flashes are coming off a 71-0 loss to No. 6 Tennessee this past weekend. And if the Nittany Lions want to define themselves as a sure-fire College Football Playoff contender, they’ll display a similar effort against a program that appears to care more about making money from “buy games” than winning early in the season.
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
Cam Miller
Kevin Winston Jr.’s “long-term” injury shakes up the Nittany Lions’ already-thin defensive back room. With Winston out, primary nickel corner Jaylen Reed will likely hold down his safety spot. That would move cornerback Cam Miller to nickel corner, a position coined the “Lion,” that has become an essential part of defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s unit.
Miller will be in the spotlight, as will freshman safety Dejuan Lane, who has played sparingly in both games this season and will be asked to step up at a position looking for immediate depth.
Julian Fleming
It hasn’t been the start to the year wide receiver Julian Fleming was likely hoping for when the former five-star recruit transferred from Ohio State this offseason. Through two games, Fleming has caught just one pass for three yards despite leading all but one receiver — Harrison Wallace III — in snaps.
Fleming’s production translates almost directly to the amount of plays Penn State will run, and so far, Franklin’s program has run fewer plays than 13 Big Ten teams this season. Fleming should see the ball early and often against one of the nation’s worst defenses in Kent State, which has especially struggled in generating quick defensive series.
KEY TO VICTORY:
Lockdown defense
The standard among the Nittany Lions’ defensive players is that their group is the best in the country. They didn’t show that two weeks ago, but now have a chance to right their wrongs with a dominant showing. If the defense can get off the field quickly, that should translate to more opportunities for the offense to play explosively and get the ball to an array of weapons.
PREDICTION: Penn State 51, Kent State 7
