5 things Penn State must do to beat Delaware on Saturday, besides just showing up.
Penn State opened up their 2023 season with a victory of West Virginia last Saturday. They did enough offensively and defensively to dominate the game in their home opener in primetime at Beaver Stadium.
The environment for this Saturday against Delaware is going to be much different. It certainly won’t be as electric at noon EST for this match up as it was for the opener at night. The Nittany Lions will have to generate their own energy and motivation, knowing they are playing an inferior opponent.
No one is going to sit here and try to convince others that Penn State has a realistic chance of losing, but it’s sports and things happen.
So, here are five reason why Penn State could (and should) against Delaware.
Defensive keys for Penn State in Week 2 vs. Delaware
While Penn State got the victory against West Virginia in Week 1, it wasn’t a dominant performance from the defense like many people expecting coming into the game.
After finishing last year as one of the top defenses in the country, there were expectations that this unit would hit the ground running and dominate from the jump. Perhaps that was a little overzealous for a team getting their first live game reps.
Regardless, this is a game against Delaware where they should flash the dominance that is expected of them.
So, what are the defensive keys to victory on Saturday?
The first is to dominate on early downs.
Delaware wants to throw the ball early and often. Their offensive scheme is to air the ball out in a spread look and use the run sparingly when the defense is expanded. Stopping this attack on the early downs will force the Blue Hens into long down and distance situations where Penn State should wreak havoc.
The second key is to lock up the opposing wide receivers.
Penn State’s secondary is more talented overall than Delaware, but this scheme will be a good test for the Nittany Lions. It’s a quick hitting offense that wants to get the ball out fast, so defensive backs and linebackers will need to cover in space quickly. Seeing how they look covering an offensive style like what the Blue Hens run, will be good to see how they perform going forward.
The third key to victory is stopping the run.
Again, this is something that could be harped on throughout the season if things don’t improve. It was something that was supposedly going to be addressed this year as their interior defensive lineman gained weight. However, some of the struggles looked the same in Week 1 and it would be alarming if that continued against Delaware in Week 2.
[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] put on a show in the opening game of the season against West Virginia. The former five-star recruit was everything he was billed to be and more, showing off his strong arm and accuracy throughout the game.
The matchup against Delaware will not pose the same challenge that they faced against their Big 12 opponent in Week 1. The FCS level of talent on the Blue Hens’ roster won’t challenge Penn State.
However, there are still keys to victory for the Nittany Lions in this game and for them to develop habits going forward the rest of the season.
So, what are those keys?
The first one is to establish dominance on the ground.
They finished last week with 146 rushing yards and 4.2 yards per carry, but there weren’t a lot of big plays by the Penn State running backs. [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] finished with 70 yards and a touchdown, while his backfield mate [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] had 51 yards. Explosive plays on the ground should come this week, which will help the Nittany Lions win this game and others in the future.
The second key is to run the offensive scheme.
Sticking within the designed offense will be good enough for Penn State to get past Delaware on Saturday. Going forward, it’s important for Allar to get as many live reps in a game setting as possible within the offensive scheme. Developing chemistry with the wide receivers will be massively important moving forward.
The third key to victory is dominating the line of scrimmage.
Overall, the offensive line performed pretty well against West Virginia, but there were still some moments that were leaky in pass protection. This game won’t pose the same overall challenges, so it’s a game that has to be dominated by this offensive line unit. They need to leave no doubt and bludgeon running holes and give the quarterbacks time to throw the entire game.
The staff of Nittany Lions Wire didn’t have to lose sleep figuring out their Week 2 predictions for Penn State vs. Delaware.
Penn State celebrated the start of the 2023 season with a fun primetime victory over West Virginia in Week 1. The second game of the season will see far less of the national spotlight as the Nittany Lions host the Delaware Blue Hens for a noon kickoff that won’t even be airing on traditional television. Instead, Penn State’s Week 2 contest with the FCS opponent will be streaming on NBC’s Peacock platform, meaning this should be the least viewed Penn State game of the season by far.
But this may be the most optimal game to place on the streaming service as there is little drama surrounding it and the outcome should be a pretty lopsided one in the end. Will fans miss a few highlights along the way? Quite possibly. But will they end up missing out on a memorable game for the ages? Again, most likely not.
Our staff is once again putting our predictions on the line for this weekend’s game, and we are once again feeling pretty good about Penn State’s chances of going 2-0 to start the season.
Brad Wakai, Contributor
Coming out of an electric environment in primetime against West Virginia, the Nittany Lions will have to generate their own energy against an unknown FCS school Delaware. Expect this to be a big win and to see the young players get a lot of playing time. Penn State rolls 48-7.
Final score: Penn State 48, Delaware 7
Season record: 1-0
Season record ATS: 1-0
Kevin McGuire, Editor
There are very few reasons Penn State fans should be concerned about this week’s matchup against Delaware. I expect the Blue Hens to stand their ground on a few drives and move the ball for a couple of solid drives because there is good talent on this Delaware roster. But it’s not nearly athletic and deep enough to keep pace with Penn State on either side of the football. I do suspect a slow start from Penn State on offense before really laying the hammer down and pulling away as the game continues on.
5 things to know about the Delaware Blue Hens prior to Penn State’s matchup against the FCS school on Saturday
Penn State is going into Week 2 sitting with a 1-0 record after beating West Virginia in primetime last Saturday.
They were able to take care of business against an upset minded Big 12 team but now have to flip the page towards their upcoming opponent Delaware. Going from the electric night game atmosphere to a Noon game against an FCS opponent will present some challenges regarding motivation.
On paper and on the field, this game is definitely a mismatch as Penn State is a top 10 FBS team taking on an FCS level school.
However, there are still plenty of things to get familiar with regarding the Blue Hens before Saturday.
Game-by-game predictions for Penn State football from the Nittany Lions Wire staff for the 2023 season.
The expectations for Penn State football in 2023 are pretty high, and it is easy to see why. Coming off an 11-2 season capped by a victory in the Rose Bowl with some big-time players on both sides of the football to look forward to this fall, and a new starting quarterback with plenty of hype, good things could be coming to Penn State this season.
Penn State is starting off the season with a consensus no. 7 ranking in the USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll, the AP Top 25, and the FWAA Super 16 Poll. That puts Penn State firmly on the radar for a Big Ten championship and College Football Playoff appearance, although the big question is whether or not the Nittany Lions can get ahead of either Ohio State or Michigan, or both!
Below are the game-by-game staff predictions from Nittany Lions Wire editor Kevin McGuire and contributor Brad Wakai for the upcoming Penn State football season. As you’ll see, the optimism runs pretty deep here for the season we are about to witness. What could possibly go wrong?
Penn State hosts Delaware in Week 2. Here’s a way-too-early scouting report on the Blue Hens.
The second game of the season for Penn State in 2023 will be against FCS opponent Delaware. It will be the first time these teams have ever played on the football field.
The Nittany Lions played Villanova from the Colonial Athletic Association in 2021. They’re scheduled to face them again in 2025 and Delaware again in 2027.
The Big Ten had previously banned their schools from playing non FBS opponents in 2015, but changed that rule in 2017. The Blue Hens are the only non-FBS opponent on Penn State’s schedule this season.
They’re next on the mini series taking a look at the early scouting reports of every opponent on the 2023 schedule.
Last Year’s Results
Syndication: Wilmington News Journal
2022 Record: 8-5 (4-4 in conference)
Head Coach: Ryan Carty (1 season; 8-5 record)
Ryan Carty took over the head coaching job last season after Danny Rocco was fired in 2021. Carty was a member of the 2003 national championship team and returned to his alma mater after being the offensive coordinator at Sam Houston State for four years.
He used an explosive offense to power Delaware to a winning season and an FCS playoff victory in the first round. Carty is the first coach in program history to make the FCS playoffs in his inaugural season. They beat Navy in the season opener, marking their first victory over an FBS school since 2007.
Offensive Preview
Syndication: Wilmington News Journal
Delaware is bringing back seven starters from their explosive offense last season, including all five of their offensive lineman. The biggest replacement they’ll have to make is at quarterback. Nolan Henderson graduated after starting 34 games over four seasons.
Two quarterbacks are battling to be the starter heading into the season. Ryan O’Connor has been in the program and started four games his sophomore season. He’s competing with junior college transfer Zach Marker for the job.
Leading rusher Kyron Cumby and their best receiver Jourdan Townsend headline the returning skill position players. Three other receivers off last year’s team are back for the Blue Hens as well.
It’s an offense that is set up to continuing scoring a high amount of points in the second season of Carty’s offense.
Defensive Preview
Syndication: Argus Leader
Defense is the biggest question mark heading into the 2023 season. They are tasked with replacing nine starters from last year’s team. The headliner is defensive end Chase McGowan who led the team in sacks and tackles for loss.
The linebackers and defensive backs are inexperienced and will have to get up to speed quickly if Delaware wants to build on their successful season in 2022. Carty is confident there is talent at every position group, it’s just about getting that talent experience.
Overall, Penn State won’t have a problem with the Blue Hens. The talent gap is just too big. However, if the game becomes a rout early, many of the backups will get into the game. It will be a good test to see how the young secondary performs against a high octave passing offense.
Power-ranking Penn State’s schedule from the easiest matchups to the toughest, and which games are the biggest possible traps.
Hopes are high for Penn Stater football in 2023, and it is easy to understand why.
The Nittany Lions are coming off an 11-2 season with a Rose Bowl victory. They possess a dynamic running back duo, a solid defense, arguably the best offensive line of the James Franklin era and a rising star in the making at quarterback. That is a great deal to look forward to this season in Happy Valley.
Penn State also has a fairly favorable schedule that could help lead to a good start and build confidence for some tougher matchups later in the year. A lot could hinge on what happens early in the season, but Penn State’s schedule is not only manageable but one that could pave a path to a possible Big Ten title shot with a spot in the College Football Playoff awaiting.
Here is a look at Penn State’s schedule starting with the easiest opponents on the schedule up to the most difficult games on the schedule this fall for the Nittany Lions.
Penn State announces start times and TV info for four more games, updates one primetime matchup
Already with a few primetime matchups locked in for the upcoming college football season, Penn State now has four more games set for the 2023 season, including a pair of Big Noon Kickoff games on FOX. The highlight of the latest schedule updates from Penn State is the confirmed start time for the big home game against Michigan. And the first game to be made exclusively on NBC’s streaming app is now confirmed as well.
Penn State will host Delaware on September 9 with a noon kickoff. The game will be made exclusively available on Peacock, the streaming app from NBC. This will mark the first time Penn State will have a football game exclusively available on a streaming app, but it almost certainly will not be the last. All games appearing on NBC are also available on Peacock, but this is the first game to be exclusive to the streaming service.
Penn State will be featured in FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff time slot twice this season. A road game at Illinois on September 16 will be the Big Noon Kickoff game on FOX. As previously rumored, Penn State will get the Big Noon Kickoff timeslot for its home game against two-time Big Ten champion Michigan on November 11.
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Penn State also announced the start time for its home game against UMass on October 14, although the network airing the game is still to be determined. Given how the schedule is coming together, this could be a Big Ten Network game, but that is pure speculation at this point. No game has been designated for BTN at this point in time.
Penn State has also confirmed an adjustment to its primetime schedule. The whiteout game against Iowa, set for September 23 on CBS, has been moved up to 7:30 p.m. from 8:00 p.m.
That gives seven games on the schedule a confirmed start time and six of those have confirmed broadcast partners. Here is the breakdown of where Penn State has been confirmed for the programming schedule so far;
As Penn State breaks in Drew Allar at QB, how did Penn State’s opponents in 2023 rank in pass defense last season?
[autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] is expected to take over the Penn State offense this year after sitting behind [autotag]Sean Clifford[/autotag]. The questions remain though of how will he handle talking on the larger role and whether he can live up to the hype of being a top prospect.
Allar has shown he is very much up to the task of impressing coaches during workouts this winter and early spring. Clifford’s work ethic seems to have made a lasting impact and could give Allar a jumpstart on his new career as the starter and star of the program.
It is worth taking a look though at what type of defenses he will be facing this year. Here is where each Penn State opponent in 2023 ranked in terms of passing defense in 2022.
