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PSU needs to look deep against USC

Keys to the game

Penn State head coach James Franklin, right, greets Southern California head coach Clay Helton during an NCAA college football news confernce for the Rose Bowl, Saturday, Dec. 31, 2016, in Los Angeles. The Nittany Lions will take on USC on Monday, Jan. 2. (Joe Hermitt/PennLive.com via AP)

LOS ANGELES — Five things to look for as Penn State faces USC in what should be a fantastic and entertaining Rose Bowl.

No. 1: Air it out

Want to know why Ohio State looked so bad in its shutout loss to Clemson in the College Football Playoff? Because the Buckeyes were incapable of presenting any type of challenge through the air down the field. When that happens, defenses will just load up to stop the running game, and most offenses will fizzle.

Earlier this season, defenses loaded up the box to stop Saquon Barkley and force then-unproven PSU quarterback Trace McSorley to beat them through the air. Which is exactly what McSorley started doing, with the help of coordinator Joe Moorhead’s desire to keep taking deep shots 30 or 40 yards downfield all day.

When you can throw the ball deep, you’re never really out of a game. Even down two or three touchdowns, as we’ve seen, the Nittany Lions’ quick-strike ability and chunk plays have enabled them to come back time and again.

PSU’s offensive line is obviously a key because McSorley needs a few seconds for plays to develop down the field. And in the second half against Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game, the line played much better and provided the quarterback some time.

But even if the line doesn’t play great, McSorley’s scrambling ability will afford him opportunities to buy himself time so he can throw deep.

Let’s put the over/under on the number of throws beyond 30 yards at 8.5, and if the Lions complete at least three of them, they’ll score a lot of points.

No. 2: WR separation

The Lions have several good receivers in Chris Godwin, DaeSean Hamilton and DeAndre Thompkins, and their route running has improved significantly this season.

USC will offer a different challenge, however, because it has elite athletes in the secondary who are excellent in coverage. It will be tougher for the PSU wideouts to get open tonight, just like it was against Michigan and Ohio State, both of which also have elite athletes on defense.

Thompkins is the fastest of the Lions’ proven receivers, while Godwin is the best route runner. Both will have to rely on their strengths to get open. Don’t be surprised if Hamilton finds it tougher to get free in space.

He’s not a wideout, but tight end Mike Gesicki could be in line for a big game. The 6-foot-6, 249-pounder is tough to cover over the middle or down the field, and he’s as sure-handed of a receiving target as PSU has, which is very different from last season.

No. 3: Pressure USC’s QB

Sam Darnold is very good. And if he has all day to throw, he’s going to torch Penn State’s secondary. Maybe not as badly as Mark Sanchez did in the 2009 Rose Bowl, but still.

Darnold completes 68.1 percent and has thrown for 26 TDs with eight interceptions. The Lions just aren’t tested a whole lot by good passing attacks in the Big Ten, so when they face this kind of opponent in a bowl or non-conference game, you just never know how well they’ll do.

The defensive line must be able to get pressure on Darnold, so the focus will be on the ends and Altoona’s Kevin Givens up the middle. The Lions rotate a lot of guys in and out on the line, keeping everyone fresh, so the pass rush in the fourth quarter should be good.

No. 4: Secondary must step up

USC has some very good receivers, led by Juju Smith-Schuster (63 catches, 9 TDs), and will present a big challenge for PSU’s defensive backs.

Man coverage might not be the way to go here, so the Lions probably will play a lot of zone. One way to get more pressure on the quarterback is to blitz, but the problem with doing that is it takes linebackers or defensive backs out of coverage and puts other defenders on an island.

Again, that can work a good bit against the weaker passing attacks in the Big Ten, but USC’s passing game is plenty good enough to cash in against man coverage.

No. 5: Players to watch

PSU: There hasn’t been much mention yet of Barkley. The dynamic running back might struggle in this matchup because USC will first try to stop him and count on its defensive backs to win in man coverage. The key, therefore, is McSorley, both as a passer and runner. He needs to be accurate, which he was late in the season, and to make great decisions with the ball on run-pass options.

USC: Darnold could be a major problem for the Lions’ defense. He’s accurate and has a lot of weapons, and if PSU doesn’t get a lot of pressure on him, he will have a big day.

Prediction: Last team with the ball wins a shootout. Penn State 33, USC 30

Follow @CoryGiger on Twitter for live updates and analysis throughout tonight’s game.

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