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Penn State Just a few weeks ago, I remember a brilliant man saying the perpetual slow PSU starts will cost it eventually. Two straight weeks that has been the case. Everything about this unit is average. We were told all offseason how dynamic the offense would be. Wrong. The line is mediocre, Drew Allar has regressed, so have the backs, and the receivers seem over-hyped.
Offense: Can PSU get a refund on the Jim Knowles hire? UCLA was two touchdowns from matching its point total through four games. One would think Troy Aikman, JJ Stokes and Maurice Jones-Drew were out there for the Bruins. After Oregon went 5-for-7 on fourth downs, UCLA was 10-of-16 on third down.
Defense: Liam Clifford tried sparking a comeback with a blocked punt for a touchdown, Ryan Barker was his reliable self and Gabriel Nwosu delivered a 46-yard punt on his lone attempt. So special teams is the one group that is pretty much excused from the debacle in Pasadena. Barker's lone miss this season was the result of a block, and he's 25-of-26 on field goals and PATs.
Special teams:
Coaching/intangibles: Last week is one of the most embarrassing losses in program history. Only four AP Top 10 teams since 1936 had lost to a team with a record of 0-4 or worse. PSU joined the club, becoming the first since 1985 to do so. With regards to preseason rankings/expectations, this is the most disappointing season since 1999 -- maybe ever. At least that team started 9-0.
Northwestern
Offense: QB Preston Stone helped ignite the SMU renaissance, which led to a 2024 playoff appearance. He threw for 3,197 yards and 28 touchdowns during a 10-2 season. He opened his Northwestern career, though, with a four-pick dud against Tulane. Keep an eye on Dashun Reeder, who is averaging 11.4 yards per carry. He ripped off a 79-yard run against Oregon.
Defense: Wildcats allow only five more yards per game than PSU and stymied UCLA a week before the Bruins went off. Still, they have intercepted just two passes. Mac Uihlein is averaging nearly seven tackles per game. This unit has improved, and outside of Oregon roughing it up, has allowed 14 or fewer points in three of its last four games.
Special teamss Kicker Jack Olsen has good numbers, going 13-of-14 on field goals and extra points but his one miss came from under 30 yards. He is a quality kicker but also not the caliber of the two PSU has gone against the past two weeks. Luke Akers is a fifth-year punter who has boosted his average the past two seasons and is at a career-high 46.6 with four of his 13 landing inside the 20 this year.
Coaching/intangibles:
Third-year coach David Braun started well, going 8-5 in his debut season but the team went backward last year, winning just two Big Ten games. The Wildcats look improved this year, but face a tough schedule the rest of the way. If Braun can squeeze a bowl game appearance out, it would be a nice achievement.
Masse’s Prediction record: 4-1
Prediction: That I seriously debated the advantages in all four categories tells you how far Penn State has fallen the last two weeks. Everything should point to a Lions blowout, but after last week everything seems a mystery. If the Lions do not play well here, things could start getting ugly. PSU 38, Northwestern 7
Chris Masse is a sports writer for the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, a sister paper of the Mirror and part of Ogden Newspapers.