Penn State is at a critical point in their season. Moired in a three-game losing streak, the Nittany Lions hope to get back in the win column this weekend at Maryland. Penn State will learn a lot about itself Saturday afternoon as tey can easily see the season go two different paths based on their performance against the Terps.
Will Penn State be able to get November off to a good start to close out the regular season on a winning note, or will the struggles continue to cast doubt over the state of the program?
Here are three keys for a Penn State win over Maryland on Saturday.
Revenge Game Motivation
It’s not often Penn State is in a revenge situation against Maryland, but that is the case this weekend. Maryland jumpe don Penn State early last season with some big plays and the Terrapins were able to hold Penn State at bay the rest of the way as the Nittany Lions were stuck on an 0-5 start to the season.
Penn State is 1-2 in revenge games this season with a win against Indiana and losses to Iowa and Ohio State. But given Penn State’s overall series history against Maryland, there is an expectation that Penn State faces a better chance of getting revenge on Saturday. The last time Penn State visited Maryland’s campus, the Nittany Lions left with a 59-0 victory. Things likely won’t be quite that lopsided this time around.
Penn State defense forces turnovers
As we know during any game, there will be moments where the defense will have to make a play that will change the game. Penn State’s defense has been doing this all season long, even in losing efforts. The Nittany Lions should be able to create some pressure on Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailia, which could lead to some mistakes by the young quarterback. Tagovailoa was on a hot streak to start the season before running up against the Iowa defense earlier this season. Hopefully, Penn State’s defense has as good a game as Iowa did against Tagovailia.
Penn State’s passing game in sync
After a rough return against Illinois two weeks after getting knocked out by Iowa, Sean Clifford turned in an impressive performance against Ohio State last week. Although Clifford had some plays he would like to have back, Clifford’s effectiveness was the reason Penn State was even in the game against the Buckeyes. Expect Clifford to stay in rhythm against Maryland with Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington creating a dominant combo and the tight ends getting ways to be involved as well.