Penn State Nittany Lions: Keys To The Season, Top Game, Top Transfer, Fun Stats
Penn State Nittany Lions: Key To The 2022 Offense
Start running the ball better.
It’s Penn State. It’s Saquon Barkley, Miles Sanders, and those are just the recent star talents for a program known for phenomenal backs over the decades.
Penn State shouldn’t be averaging 3.2 yards per carry.
There’s a decent commitment to the ground attack, but it’s just not effective. The running game failed to get to four yards per carry in either of the last two years average averaging 4.8 yards per pop in 2019, and that’s averaging over five yards per carry in 2020.
You have to go back to 2014 when the running game was worse than it was last year, and it starts with the offensive front. The backs are good, and now the push needs to come.
The offense only hit 145 rushing yards three times last year. the team won all three games.
Penn State Nittany Lions: Key To The 2022 Defense
The pass rush has to do more.
You have to go back to 2014 for the last time the running game was as bad as the 2021 version. You have to go back to 2010 for the last time the pass rush was as mediocre as last year’s version.
The 2.08 sacks per game were light, but it was more about the lack of consistency.
There were times when it rocked. Oddly enough, the four sacks against Illinois came in a loss, and the five against Arkansas also came in defeat. It has to come from several spots, but the Nittany Lion defense needs to be good enough to generate at least three a game.
Penn State Nittany Lions: Key Player To The 2022 Season
PK Jake Pinegar, Sr.
Can he get his groove back?
Pinegar hit 16-of-24 field goals as a freshman, nailed 11-of-12 kicks in 2019, and was an okay 9-of-13 as a junior.
Jordan Stout ended up taking over last year and hit 16-of-23 field goals, but he missed a 40-yarder in the 20-18 loss to Illinois and didn’t connect on a 27-yarder in the 30-27 loss to Michigan State.
Penn State will win its share of games without needing a clutch field goal, but the difference between being 7-to-8 win good and 9-to-10 win great might come down to a few kicks for a team that played four games decided by four points or fewer last year.
Penn State Nittany Lions: Key Transfer
WR Mitchell Tinsley, Sr.
The Nittany Lions might not have another Jahan Dotson, but they’ve got a few excellent targets in place for what should be a terrific passing attack.
Helping the cause is Tinsley, a 6-1, 203-pound downfield threat who made 43 catches in his first season at WKU and blew up last year with 87 catches for over 1,400 yards and 14 touchdowns.
He doesn’t have to be a No. 1 target, and he’ll be devastating in this offense as a 2 or 3.
Penn State Key Game To The 2022 Season
at Purdue, Sept. 3
It’s the problem when you lose a bowl game – you have to wait a long time sitting on a defeat.
Penn State closed out last season with a loss to Arkansas and a 2-5 record over the last seven games following a promising 5-0 start.
It needs to kick things off with a win.
Starting out at Purdue isn’t exactly a make-or-break moment before the season even gets going, but the Nittany Lions still have to go on the road to face Auburn and Michigan, and they’ve got to deal Ohio State, Michigan State, and Minnesota, too.
Penn State Nittany Lions: 2021 Fun Stats
– 1st Quarter Scoring: Penn State 80 – Opponents 33
– Time of Possession: Opponents 32:03 – Penn State 27:57
– Penn State opponents hit their last nine field goals and 18 of the last 20 after missing the first attempt.
Penn State 2022 Preview
Offense, Defense Breakdown
Season Prediction, What Will Happen
Penn State Top 10 Players | Schedule & Analysis