James Franklin’s Nittany Lions made a statement with a season opening victory over No. 12 Wisconsin at Camp Randall.
Penn State’s opportunistic defense thwarted the Badgers in the red zone and new coordinator Mike Yurcich’s offense finally took flight in the second half of a 16-10 victory.
Perhaps Penn State can breathe a little easier this week. The Lions host defending MAC champ Ball State on Saturday. The Cardinals knocked off Western Illinois in Week 1.
Here are a look at some PSU storylines at the start of the week.
Will the Nittany Lions’ run game get its act together at home?
Wisconsin’s 3-4 defense held the Lions to just two rushing yards in the first half. PSU feature back Noah Cain did get going in the second half, finishing with 48 yards and a touchdown on eight attempts to go with 27 receiving yards.
The Penn State offensive line returns three starters in tackles Rasheed Walker and Caedan Wallace and center-guard Mike Miranda, plus top reserve guard Juice Scruggs. Can the Lions’ starting five consistently gain push against the Ball State front four?
Will Penn State’s pass rush be able to rattle Ball State veteran quarterback Drew Plitt?
The Lions’ front four caused problems for Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz. Defensive end Arnold Ebiketie, the transfer from Temple, was a standout with two tackles for loss, a sack and a late-game pressure that forced Mertz into an intentional grounding call.
Plitt, a three-year starter, was a big reason why Ball State finished 7-1 and won the MAC championship in 2020. The 6-2, 217-pounder threw 17 touchdown passes and ran for four scores a year ago. In Ball State’s season-opening 31-21 victory over the Western Illinois Leathernecks, Plitt complete 17 of 28 pass attempts for 188 yards and two touchdowns and added 18 yards rushing.
Penn State offensive lineman Rasheed Walker and defensive tackle PJ Mustipher celebrate their 16-10 win over Wisconsin on Sept.4, 2021. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
How much will Penn State’s defense miss starting middle linebacker Ellis Brooks in the first half on Saturday?
Brooks led the Lions in tackles with 11 (eight solos) and added a sack. But he will sit out the first half against Ball State after getting called for targeting in the second half of the Wisconsin win for his sideline hit on Badgers quarterback Graham Mertz.
With Brooks out, the Lions will turn to Jesse Luketa. A veteran, Luketa is playing defensive end and linebacker this season but he will likely spend more time at linebacker this week in practice.
Will Ball State’s secondary have any answer for Penn State big-play wideout Jahan Dotson?
Dotson led the Big Ten in receiving yards last year with 884 in nine games. He kicked off his 2021 season with five catches for 102 yards and a touchdown against a very good Wisconsin secondary.
And Ball State’s secondary is nowhere near as talented as Wisconsin’s. Western Illinois receiver Dennis Houston torched the Cardinals’ back end for 237 yards and two scores on 12 receptions.
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September 04, 2021 at 02:00PM
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Penn State-Ball State storylines to start the week: How good are the defending MAC champs? - PennLive
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