After holding a solid Illinois offense to just seven points in their Big Ten opener, the Penn State Nittany Lions now prepare to welcome UCLA to Happy Valley for their first game as Big Ten opponents. Who are the players to watch and what are the keys to victory for the Nittany Lions? Let’s dive in.
Penn State Nittany Lions vs. UCLA Bruins history
This will be the first time these two schools have met in conference play, now that the Bruins are a part of the Big Ten. However, there is some history in this series.
This will be the sixth time Penn State and UCLA meet on the football field; but you have to go all the way back to 1968 to find their last meeting where Penn State won with a 21-6 score. Overall, Penn State is 2-4 all-time against UCLA, with all the games coming in six years from 1963 to 1968.
Key players for Penn State
The dynamic duo in the backfield of Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton was at it again Saturday against Illinois. Allen rushed for 102 yards on 18 carries while Singleton had 94 yards on 16 attempts. Both players rushed for a touchdown. The two have a combined 697 yards on 106 attempts (53 each) this season, with Singleton at 408 and Allen with 289 yards. This week, they face a UCLA team that is 26th in the country in rushing yards allowed per game (107.3).
Edge-rusher/linebacker Abdul Carter had a strong showing against Illinois with two sacks and four tackles for a loss. He added a pass defended for good measure. With safety Kevin Winston injured, Penn State has had to adjust and need other defenders to step up and Carter has done just that. His NFL Draft stock continues to rise.
Key players for UCLA
Quarterback Ethan Garbers is off to a bit of a roller coaster start to the season. He is averaging just over 200 passing yards per game, but has only thrown three touchdowns. On top of that, he has six interceptions through four games. Garbers has thrown at least one interception in all four games and has been sacked 12 times already. A player like Abdul Carter is itching to add to that number.
Defensively for UCLA, linebacker Carson Schwesinger leads the way with 34 total tackles and 23 solo tackles. He has posted back-to-back games with double-digit tackles with 12 against LSU and 13 versus Oregon. He’ll be tasked with stopping the pair of Singleton and Allen on Saturday, which isn’t an easy task but one he is ready for.
Keys to victory for Penn State
Get After the Passer
Establish an early pass rush, get UCLA off their game early. Penn State can get after the quarterback, while UCLA has struggled to protect theirs so far in this football season. The Bruins are tied for 108th in the nation with three sacks allowed per game (3.0) while Penn State is tied for 23rd with 2.8 sacks per game.
One would think that should give Penn State a major advantage in the passing game. And if UCLA can throw the ball, Penn State has the secondary to keep their receivers in check; no Bruins receiver has more than 200 receiving yards and only two have more than 100.
Win the Turnover Battle
Continue to win the turnover battle. Penn State did just that against Illinois by a 2-0 margin, recovering a fumble and picking off quarterback Luke Altmyer. They currently have a +1.0 average turnover margin per game, tied for 13th in the nation.
Meanwhile, UCLA’s average of -1.0 is tied for 112th in the country. Penn State is hoping to make it five straight games with an interception thrown for Garbers.
Take Advantage of Running Game
Penn State’s second-leading rusher has over 150 more rushing yards than UCLA’s top rusher. That should tell fans what they need to know about the mismatch in this game.
On the flip side, Penn State has the seventh-best rushing defense in the nation, while UCLA has the fourth-worst rushing offense in the nation. If Penn State can take advantage of this mismatch, UCLA will have a long day.
