No Huddle Breakdown: Scouting Penn State’s Impact Players

The Nittany Lions have a number of weapons offensively, but the game will be decided in the trenches as both teams are tasked with slowing down elite defenses and equally potent offenses.

Penn State has had their fair share of issues in pass protection, allowing 18 sacks on the season, which ranks 92nd nationally. Furthermore, the offense has allowed 57 tackles for loss, “good” for only 121st nationally. Bear in mind, Saquon Barkley is among the best at avoiding tackles for loss, which makes this stat that much more glaring.

As mentioned earlier, this game will be decided in the trenches and the Buckeyes have an opportunity to generate pressure without committing too many defenders, which will allow for the use of a “spy” for either McSorley or Barkley.

A surprising statistic concerning the Penn State offense is their inability to convert third downs. On the season, they rank 68th nationally with a 39.3% conversion rate. For comparison’s sake, Ohio State ranks 10th nationally with a 49.4% conversion rate. Perhaps what makes this surprising is the fact that Penn State ran for 295 yards versus Iowa and threw for another 284, yet only converted on 6-of-18 third-down attempts.

Again, to compare to other opponents, Penn State converted 4-of-7 versus Michigan and only 6-of-18 attempts versus Indiana.

The Penn State defense ranks 7th nationally in sacks with 24.0, and 6th in tackles for loss with 59.0. Ohio State, on the other hand, ranks 11th nationally in tackles for loss allowed, with only 29 allowed on the season thus far.

Largely, this game will be decided in the trenches, and it will be up to Jamarco Jones, Michael Jordan, Billy Price, Demetrius Knox, and Isaiah Prince to allow the offense to function. This unit has only allowed 12 sacks on the season, but will surely be tested come Saturday afternoon.

Below, we take a closer look at the individual players who may impact the game Saturday in this edition of No Huddle Breakdown.

Penn State Offense

Saquon Barkley (#26)
Running Back
Junior
5’11” 230

An All-American and possible top-5 pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, Barkley has phenomenal strength and balance with ankle-breaking agility. Saquon has excellent vision to locate cutback lanes and does a great job of avoiding big hits as a runner. He is a threat to score with every touch and is utilized out of the backfield as a pass catcher to much success, entering this contest as the leading receiver for Penn State. Barkley will dance behind the line of scrimmage as he consistently looks to bounce runs to the outside. He is a liability as a run blocker.

Trace McSorley (#9)
Quarterback
Redshirt Junior
6’0” 195

An undersized quarterback with very good athletic ability and good competitive spirit. Trace is a solid overall quarterback who thrives within the RPO system where he can make single reads and use his running ability to move the chains. Good accuracy in short and intermediate routes and does well to improvise out of the pocket. Lacks consistent accuracy to the deep third of the field and puts a lot of air under the ball, creating too many opportunities for 50/50 balls. Struggles with a messy pocket and lacks the technical footwork to deliver an accurate ball under pressure.

Penn State Defense

Marcus Allen (#2)
Strong Safety
Senior
6’2” 207

The leader of the Penn State defense, Marcus Allen has very good size and is a physical safety who plays with aggression and superb instincts. Allen is most comfortable as a box safety where he can play at or near the line of scrimmage in run support. Shows very well in pursuit and takes very efficient angles to the ball. Not relied upon as a deep safety where he will be in coverage.

Shareef Miller (#48)
Defensive End
Redshirt Junior
6’5” 257

A long, lean defensive end with very good speed and athleticism. Utilizes his speed to strain the edge and has the lateral quickness and agility to pursue outside runs to the sideline. Struggles to disengage from blockers due to lack of functional strength. Needs to improve his pass rush repertoire as he relies upon his speed rush too often.

Other Notables

Juwan Johnson (#84) WR 6’4” 226 – Big target who is utilized in the short passing game and shallow crossing routes. A primary red zone target for McSorley. Johnson has very good strength and uses his body well to win contested catches.

DaeSean Hamilton (#5) WR 6’1” 206 – Slot receiver who is coming off his best game of the season versus Michigan. Primarily a deep threat who is a mismatch versus opposing safeties with his combination of size and speed.

Mike Gesicki (#88) TE/H 6’6” 250 – Tall target, primarily aligns as a “Y” who is utilized on short and intermediate passing routes as well as a redbone favorite of McSorley. Very good overall athlete as his leaping ability will likely be profiled for the umpteenth time Saturday evening. Is not a factor as a blocker due to strength issues and is often utilized in the Split Zone run scheme where he is responsible for blocking the backside defensive end.