Copyright Mechanicsburg Patriot News
If you are Penn State, it’s easy to get worked up about the number 46.4. The struggling Nittany Lions host No. 2 Indiana on Saturday, and Curt Cignetti’s Hoosiers are averaging an FBS-best 46.4 points per game. But IU (9-0, 6-0) is outstanding in many areas, and the Hoosiers’ defense is No. 4 in the nation in fewest rushing yards allowed per game (80.0). If Penn State (3-5, 0-5) is to have any chance against the two-touchdown favorites, the Lions will probably have to run for at least double that number. It should be another active day for lead back Kaytron Allen. “They move a lot,” Penn State interim head coach Terry Smith said of the Indiana defense. “You know, we have to make sure we stay ahead of the sticks. “They pride themselves on a lot of movement, getting you behind the sticks, second and long, third and long. It’s tough to call plays that way.” “You know, we got to get positive yards,” Smith continued. “We got to get four or five yards on first down. That way we have a couple downs to, to chip away at the first down.” Indiana, which held Iowa to 15 points in Iowa City and Oregon to 20 points in Eugene earlier, has never beaten Penn State in State College. The Lions lead the series 25-2 and PSU is 13-0 in State College. “For us, it’s just another Saturday, another game,” Indiana linebacker Isaiah Jones said when asked about possibly beating Penn State on the road for the first time. “Beaver Stadium, obviously, is an awesome environment to play in. It’s a historic place.” And playing in front of 100,000 people? “You get that when you play in the Big Ten,” said Jones, who leads IU in tackles for loss with 11.5. “Some of these stadiums, they got the 100,000 fans so, that’s something you just try to tune out, try to stay within the white lines and do the best you can.” “We need to worry about taking care of business,” said Hoosiers center Pat Coogan, who played at Notre Dame in 2024. “Because it’s going to be a huge challenge for us. Everyone knows how challenging playing at their stadium is, so we gotta prepare for it and we gotta be ready for it.”
