Penn State Hosts Indiana for Generations of Greatness Game
Coming off of a thriller at Kinnick Stadium against Iowa, Penn State hosts Indiana for Generations of Greatness game on Saturday. The festivities on Saturday cannot take away the strength of the Indiana offense, whose only loss this season is to Ohio State.
Four Things to Look for: Penn State vs. Indiana
1. Generations of Greatness Game
Penn State hosts Indiana for Generations of Greatness game on Saturday. No. 4 Penn State has some of the most iconic uniforms in college football. The basic blues and black shoes have rarely changed since 1890 when the Nittany Lions switched their colors from black and pink. This Saturday, Penn State will be paying homage to their history with retro uniforms. While the Nittany Lions will not be racing out of the tunnel in black and pink, there will be subtle changes to the basic blues and black shoes.
The biggest change to look for on Saturday is white cleats. Penn State will be wearing white cleats on Saturday for the first time since the 1979 Sugar Bowl (the only time white cleats were worn). In addition, there will be numbers on the helmets, a stripe on the pants and striped socks. Head coach James Franklin stated, in regards to the Generations of Greatness game, “Penn State has such a great tradition and history and we wanted to find a way to honor and celebrate those.” It should be a fun game filled with a lot of nostalgia.
2. Nittany Lion Offense Against the Hoosier Defense
The Penn State offense had record numbers against the Hawkeye defense on Saturday, but had trouble finding the end zone. Trace McSorley, Saquon Barkley and co. will have to find creative ways to get around an experienced Hoosier defense on Saturday. Indiana had no trouble shutting down Barkley last season and has one of the Big Ten’s best defensive players in middle linebacker Tegray Scales. Scales has created havoc in the first three games of the season with 26 tackles. The Hoosier secondary is also a veteran group that will make it hard for Trace McSorely to throw the ball deep on Saturday. McSorley will have to get back in rhythm to set the tone and keep the Hoosiers in check.
3. Indiana Hoosier’s Two Quarterbacks
Indiana has a two-quarterback offense. The primary starter is senior, Richard Lagow. He is big, 6-6 and 240 lbs, and a drop back passer with a strong arm. His best game was the opener against Ohio State, where he completely dismantled the Buckeye secondary in the first half. He threw for 410 yards in that game, but his production has slowed as the season has gone on. He has four touchdowns and three interceptions on the year. The quarterback to watch for is freshman Peyton Ramsey. Ramsey is a mobile quarterback and the Hoosier’s second-leading rusher. Finally, he has yet to throw an interception this season. No matter which quarterback is in the game, both have a talented, veteran receiving corp. to throw to, highlighted by receiver Simmie Cobbs.
4. Marcus Allen and the Penn State Secondary
Marcus Allen has been outstanding through four games this season. He has 23 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, and one interception. Furthermore, he is responsible for two safeties. Allen has been a reliable member of a very strong Penn State secondary that will have its hands full against both of these quarterbacks and receiver Simmie Cobbs on Saturday. In addition to Allen, Amani Oruwariye and Christian Campbell will have to make their presence known and shut down Cobbs early. If the secondary continues the same level of play that they have through the first four games, the Nittany Lions should be 5-0 after Saturday.
Take Aways
Penn State hosts Indiana for Generations of Greatness game on Saturday. It will be a day filled with nostalgia for alumni and fans. The Nittany Lions will have to set the tone early against a strong Indiana team that has threats on both sides of the ball. The Penn State offense needs to find creative ways to get Saquon Barkley and the receiving corp open against a veteran Hoosier defense. Finally, it will be essential for the Penn State secondary to shut down Simmie Cobbs and both quarterbacks. If all of this happens, the Nittany Lions should move to 5-0 on the season.
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