STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (AP) — Penn State’s players remain focused on their main objective, knowing it’s still within reach.
The No. 6 Nittany Lions (7-1, 4-1 Big Ten, No. 6 CFP) are aware that a spot in the College Football Playoff could slip from their grasp if last week’s tough loss to No. 3 Ohio State leads to further setbacks.
They’re determined to bounce back against the UW Huskies (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten) in front of a White Out crowd on Saturday.
“We control our own destiny,” said quarterback Drew Allar. “We’ve got a strong team coming into town that’s playing well, so it’ll be a test for us offensively, and we need to rise to it.”
While the Huskies may not be the Buckeyes, they still pose a challenge.
Washington boasts the nation’s second-ranked pass defense and brings confidence to Beaver Stadium after a crucial goal-line stand against Southern California last week.
In contrast, Penn State recently struggled in a similar scenario. The Nittany Lions had four chances from inside Ohio State’s 3-yard line with just over five minutes left. Three runs stalled, and a fourth-down pass was incomplete, allowing Ohio State to regain possession and run out the clock.
“We need to make some adjustments in our scheme, but we also have to focus on fundamentals and techniques to create the movement we need,” Penn State coach James Franklin said.
• Receivers wanted
Allar recognizes that this will be a tough challenge for his wide receivers but is committed to getting them involved this week.
Since tight end Tyler Warren’s standout 17-catch performance against USC on Oct. 12, Penn State’s top three wideouts have managed only 12 catches in their games against Wisconsin and Ohio State.
Liam Clifford and Omari Evans were shut out in the catch department by the Buckeyes and now face a secondary that leads the Big Ten, allowing just 142 passing yards per game. On top of that, the Huskies have intercepted eight passes this season, including three last week.
“If not the best, they’re certainly one of the best,” Allar said. “They stay tight on their coverage, so we’ll need to make contested catches throughout all four quarters this weekend.”
• Two-headed monster
The Nittany Lions need to revitalize their running game.
Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen combined for four 100-yard rushing games early in the season but haven’t hit that mark since.
Ohio State’s tough defense held Singleton to a career-low 15 yards on six carries, while Allen was limited to just 27 yards on 12 carries.
“We need to get our traditional running game going,” Franklin said. “I think that will require a mix of continuing with the power runs, but we also need to incorporate more spread concepts to pull defenders out of the box and create more space.”
• Rowdy crowd
Washington coach Jedd Fisch has witnessed the atmosphere of a Beaver Stadium White Out, where over 107,000 fans wear white and create a stunning visual effect under the lights.
While the spectacle is impressive, Fisch believes the real challenge lies in the deafening noise.
Earlier this week, Fisch showed his players footage from Michigan’s 2015 win at Beaver Stadium, when he was part of Jim Harbaugh’s staff.
“I know it’ll be loud,” Fisch said. “We just have to go out and play and try to have our best game of the season.”
• Managing the load
Fisch has been closely managing running back Jonah Coleman’s workload since the junior was unable to finish the game against Rutgers on Sept. 27.
Since the team’s bye three weeks ago, Coleman has been improving. He set a career-high with 23 carries against the Trojans and now leads the Huskies with 889 yards on 141 carries, along with seven touchdowns.
“We really needed that bye week for Jonah to recover as much as possible,” Fisch said. “Our goal is around 20 carries per game. He had 58 total plays in the USC game, including passes, which is a significant number of reps for a running back.”
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