Penn State Welcomes in Kent State for Week 4 Encounter

Tagged under: News, Penn State, Pennsylvania Colleges

Mason Eddinger | September 18, 2024

After a razor-sharp win over Bowling Green, Penn State returns to Beaver Stadium to take on another Mid-American Conference (MAC) opponent: Kent State.

The Nittany Lions struggled last time out at Beaver Stadium, surviving over Bowling Green by just 10 points. The narrow win was a shock to the fanbase and the country. After a dominant victory over a better opponent in West Virginia, Penn State just flat-out didn’t perform to their ability against Bowling Green. The unimpressive win dropped PSU from #8 to #10 in the AP Poll. The early bye week seemingly came at the perfect time for Penn State, as they have had excess time to fix the holes that appeared against Bowling Green. This week, they have a chance to put that game behind them and dominate Kent State.

Between Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, Penn State boasts one of the most impressive rushing attacks in the nation. The Nittany Lions rank 22nd in D-1 FBS in yards per game, whilst being 24th in attempts per game. Penn State has emphasized the run, and been effective while doing so.

Drew Allar didn’t have the greatest game the last time he took the field. The clear scar on his 204-yard 2TD game against Bowling Green was a red zone interception as Penn State was on the brink of points. The matchup against Kent State is the perfect bounce-back opportunity for Allar. Kent State has allowed over 50 points in both games they’ve played against D-1 FBS schools, including a 71-0 loss last week to Tennessee.

The Penn State defensive unit was shocked to see the success Bowling Green had a couple of weeks ago. BGSU QB Connor Bazelak threw for over 250 yards and 2TDs. Although the Penn State defense allowed just three second-half points in that game, it is still a cause for concern. Like Allar, the defense gets a favorable matchup against one of the worst offenses in the country.

You’d be hard-pressed to find many positive things to say about the Kent State Golden Flashes this year. They’ve had a tough start with road games against Pittsburgh and Tennessee to start their season. But the game sandwiched in between those, home against Saint Francis, Kent State still couldn’t prevail. Even as a 19.5-point favorite, Kent State lost to a team that up to that point had not beaten a D-1 FBS squad. QB Devin Kargman has thrown for over 400 yards on the year with 3TDs and 2 INTs. Given the quality of play for Kent State, the numbers are not as bad as they may seem. Nonetheless, Kent State will be in for a long day against PSU.

Penn State should have an all-around field day against Kent State. Expect young backups to receive playing time early into the 2nd half.

PREDICTION :
PENN STATE 56  KENT STATE 7

ALL PHOTO CREDIT TO PAUL BURDICK

Follow PA Football News on Twitter @PaFootballNews