Trouble ahead for PSU?
EVANSTON, Ill. — Penn State coach James Franklin sees the talent Northwestern has and the success the Wildcats have experienced under Pat Fitzgerald.
That’s why he sees potential trouble for the Nittany Lions.
No. 4 Penn State looks to remain unbeaten and in line for a playoff spot when it visits Northwestern on Saturday.
“I think whenever you’re at an academic school like Northwestern ... everybody just likes the story to be that you don’t have the same type of athletes,” said Franklin, who coached Vanderbilt before taking the Penn State job in 2014. “I don’t know if I necessarily would agree with that.”
The Nittany Lions (5-0, 2-0 Big Ten) have been rolling along, racking up more points and yards than any other team in the Big Ten except Ohio State. They are also allowing a league-low 9.4 points.
Running back Saquon Barkley keeps padding his Heisman Trophy resume. Trace McSorley so far is the Big Ten’s leading passer.
Four of Penn State’s wins were by at least comfortable margins. The exception came at Iowa two weeks ago, when Juwan Johnson caught a 7-yard TD pass as time expired to give the Nittany Lions a 21-19 victory.
Yet if Franklin is feeling a little uneasy, the reasons go beyond his 0-3 record against Northwestern (2-2, 0-1). That includes two losses coaching Penn State.
“I think they are a blue-collar (team), hard-nosed, tough, smart and talented in my opinion, and that’s why they are a tough out because they have all the necessary ingredients to be successful,” he said.
Northwestern finished strong after a 1-3 start last year and finds itself hoping to do the same this time. The Wildcats lost 33-24 at Wisconsin last week after a rally came up short.
Here are some things to know as the Nittany Lions try to stay unbeaten while the Wildcats look to pull off a surprising win:
DO IT ALL
Tops in the nation at 243.6 all-purpose yards per game, Barkley has been doing it all for Penn State. He has scored rushing, receiving and return touchdowns, and he ran back the opening kickoff 98 yards for a score against Indiana last week.
