Path to victory: 3 things Penn State football must do to beat Ball State
Penn State Nittany Lions football will welcome defending MAC champs Ball State to Beaver Stadium on Saturday for its home opener, with both teams looking to start the season 2-0.
What do the Nittany Lions need to do to send their fans home happy?
Let's break it down, below.
1. Air it out
We saw Penn State's big-play potential come to life in the second half of the Nittany Lions' 16-10 victory over the Badgers.
Quarterback Sean Clifford passed for 206 yards and and a touchdown in the second half, including three passing plays of at least 40 yards.
Extrapolate that out over a full game and Penn State is in business, right?
If only it were that simple. But the Nittany Lions certainly have the opportunity to make some hay in the passing game against Ball State.
FCS Western Illinois, which entered this game as a 31-point underdog, passed for 367 yards and two touchdowns against the Cardinals in Week One.
Clearly, there is some vulnerability in the Ball State secondary for the Nittany Lions to exploit. It's just a matter of executing properly, and giving Clifford the time he needs in the pocket.
2. Hall don't lie
As wideout Justin Hall goes, so goes the Ball State offense.
The fifth-year wideout averaged 95 receiving yards per game in 2020, with four touchdowns across seven games.
The Cardinals will also get him involved in the running game. He carried the ball 30 times last season for 231 yards and a touchdown.
Last week, he started his year with eight receptions for 137 yards and two touchdowns — which came on plays of 48 and 49 yards, respectively.
He is the clear danger man within the Ball State offense, and he will provide an interesting test for what we think is a very good Penn State secondary.
If the Nittany Lions can limit his production, they should find themselves in good shape.
3. No time like the present
Penn State is coming off of one of its biggest road victories in years against then-No. 12 Wisconsin.
It will host another ranked opponent for its annual White Out game next week, when No. 25 Auburn comes to town.
It would be very easy for the Nittany Lions to take Ball State too lightly here with an eye on next week.
James Franklin spoke earlier this week about consistency of mindset and approach, and that will be very, very important for Penn State here.
Approach this game the right way and they likely won't have very many problems. Fail to do so and things could become uncomfortable fast.
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