Penn State heads back into conference play for the remainder of the season on Saturday night when the Nittany Lions host the Indiana Hoosiers. A year after coming up just short against Indiana in a wild opener, Penn State has been long waiting for their revenge opportunity.
To get a better feel about Indiana, we chatted with Kevin Brockway who covers Indiana for CNHI Sports Indiana.
What was your initial reaction to seeing when Indiana was scheduled to travel to Penn State?
Kevin: I thought it was part of a front-loaded schedule that has proven to be a challenge so far for the Hoosiers. Indiana already has taken some lumps losing at Iowa and falling to Cincinnati at home to finish 2-2 in September. There is no shame losing both games, considering Iowa and Cincinnati are currently ranked in the Top 10. But it took some swagger away from an Indiana team that entered the year with high expectations. The Hoosiers could regain some of that confidence with a win at Penn State, and at least have been battle tested early in the season. We will see if they can learn from their mistakes from both losses against another high-level opponent. They have turned the ball over seven times in their two losses, and no times in their two wins.
How to Watch/Hear/Stream Penn State football vs. Indiana Hoosiers
Who on Offense should Penn State be concerned about?
Kevin: The connection from quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to wide receiver Ty Fryfogle fueled the offense last season. The duo started to regain their chemistry last week in Indiana’s win over Western Kentucky. Fryfogle had 10 catches for 98 yards, including a game-clinching first down catch in the final two minutes that allowed the Hoosiers to run out the clock and escape with a 33-31 win. Penix (4 TD passes, 6 interceptions) has been unsure of himself in coming back from his second torn ACL in three years, but he showed signs of breaking out last week against WKU with 373 yards passing. The timing has been off on deep routes from Penix to his receivers, which has contributed to his low completion percentage (55 percent) so far this season.
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For those who don’t follow Indiana, what makes this matchup very interesting?
Kevin: There is a revenge factor for Penn State considering Indiana upset the Nittany Lions last season. Also, Penix is a quarterback who has garnered national attention in recent seasons. It will be another test to see if Penix can help will the Hoosiers to a much-needed road win against a big-time opponent.