Penn State Begins BIG 10 Play Under the Lights Against Illinois

Tagged under: News, Penn State, Pennsylvania Colleges

Mason Eddinger | September 26, 2024

After their three non-conference games, Penn State begins their journey to a BIG 10 title as they welcome in #19 ranked Illinois. The game will be Penn State’s first night game, as kickoff is slated for 7:30 PM EST.

Throughout their first three games, Penn State is 6th in the country in rushing yards per game. Just last week, they ran for over 300 yards in the win over Kent State. A huge catalyst for the lethal rushing attack through three games is Nick Singleton. Although only averaging just under 13 carries a game, Singleton is averaging over 8 yards per carry and has found the endzone on four separate occasions. His partner in crime, Kaytron Allen is also off to a great start. On 35 carries, Allen has ran for 187 yards, or 5.3 yards per carry. Against an Illinois defense that has been modest in defending the run, Penn State could continue to impose its will up front. So far in 2024, Illinois ranks 52nd in the country, giving up an average of 125 yards per game. However, against Nebraska last week, Illinois allowed just 48 yards, which was one of the highs across all of College Football last week.

Any great running game stems from the boys up front. In three games, Penn State’s line has held opposing teams to 3 total sacks, which is good for 22nd in the nation. After losing three linemen to the NFL Draft, Penn State has not missed a beat both run and pass blocking. The phenomenal offensive line play was expected to start the year. Penn State has a veteran line, with two seniors and a junior headlining the group. If Penn State wants to have another stellar performance on the ground, the line needs to continue to play at the level they have been so far in 2024.

Defensively, Penn State has been stout. The Nittany Lions rank 15th in the country averaging just 13 points per game. The defensive woes of the Bowling Green game seem to be behind the Nittany Lions, and the unit has returned to top-notch form. Illinois presents a plethora of challenges, QB Luke Atmyer has been stellar in 2024. In four games, Altmyer has a 10-0 TD-INT ratio. Compared to last year, Altmyer had 13 TDs and 10 INTs, and Illinois struggled. He’s also uber-efficient, completing over 71% of his passes, a mark near the nation’s best. It will be interesting to see how Penn State’s defense looks against the best QB they’ve faced all year.

Possibly the biggest deciding factor in this matchup is the crowd. In his postgame presser last week, Coach James Franklin called for, ” White-Out Energy” for their top-20 matchup with the Illini. Fans have taken that quote and ran with it. Rumblings of an “unofficial white-out” have spread across the internet like fire. Penn State has had two games at Beaver Stadium already, but this one feels like the real home opener, given the opponent. Win or lose, it should be a scene in Happy Valley Saturday Night.

PREDICTION

#9 PENN STATE 27 #19 ILLINOIS 17

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