PSU and Indiana seek to rebound
Penn State coach James Franklin is all too familiar with this week’s daunting scenario.
He watched the Nittany Lions’ conference title hopes and playoff possibilities slip away with back-to-back road losses last October. Two early losses during a three-week stretch in 2016 kept the eventual Big Ten champs out of the playoffs. In 2014, a fourgame midseason losing streak prevented Penn State from reaching a major bowl game.
Now, No. 18 Penn State heads to Indiana, hoping to turn things around again after losing two straight home games.
“What happens is, in any organization, with any CEO, with any team, there are typically three steps forward and one step back and that step back is painful and you’ve got to learn from it,” Franklin said. “You’ve got to grow and you’ve got to evolve and you’ve got to get better. That’s what we’re going to do.”
But the long road back this time could be far more challenging.
First, the Nittany Lions (4-2, 1-2) have less experience than previous years.
Plus, when the previous stumbles started on road trips, allowing them to rebound at home. This time, they’ve lost two straight in State College and the Lions are forced to solve their problems Saturday on the road — at Indiana.
One problem: The Hoosiers (4-3, 1-3) also are attempting to snap a two-game skid following their worst game of the season, and coach Tom Allen could be throwing Penn State a curve ball.
“I want to push the envelope in both tempo and creating bigger plays, trying to get our guys in position,” Allen said. “You’ve got to be able to find creative ways of trying to do that . ... I want to see us be able to put pressure on the defense.”
That’s not something Franklin needed to hear from a coach who has a defensive mindset and has proven the last two years he could hold Penn State’s ground game in check. But if Penn State’s players learned anything from the past, it’s that they need to focus on fixing their own flaws.
“Ultimately, we’ve got to get better. I mean, we can’t live in the past,” linebacker Koa Farmer said.
Both teams have lost two straight and are likely out of contention in the Big Ten East. But there’s still plenty of opportunities to salvage something from this season. The Lions want to prove the two late-game collapses were a fluke. Indiananeeds to win two of its last five to become bowl eligible for the third time in four years.
KEY MATCHUP
Indiana’s run defense vs. Penn State QB Trace McSorley and RB Miles Sanders. The Hoosiers have given up 91 points over the last two weeks. If they have another bad showing against one of the nation’s top dualthreat quarterbacks and the emerging Sanders, it could be a long day. PLAYERS TO WATCH
Penn State: McSorley’s Heisman hopes appear to be fading but his elusiveness remains a problem. Sure, Michigan State held him in check last week but the Spartans have the nation’s No. 1 run defense. Indiana does not.
Indiana: RB Stevie Scott. The true freshman has struggled the last two weeks against Ohio State and Iowa, and it’s not getting any easier against Penn State. Indiana desperately needs Scott to be a threat, to keep defenses honest.
FACTS & FIGURES
Penn State has topped 200 yards rushing in nine straight games and McSorley has thrown at least one TD pass in 34 consecutive games.
... Indiana’s 14 takeaways are tied with Maryland for the most in the Big Ten . ... The Nittany Lions haven’t lost three consecutive games since dropping the last four in 2015, James Franklin’s second season as coach . ... The Hoosiers have lost five straight October games dating to last season. ... Penn State has scored 45 points in each of its last two games against Indiana.