Penn State Vs Indiana

Before I began writing this pre-game, I had not previously researched Indiana's stats. To put it bluntly, I am more than a little worried about all the talent of Indiana. They are not the push-over they have been in the Big-Ten for the last few years. Their quarterback, Kellen Lewis has a 61% completion rating, having thrown for 16 TD's and just 6 interceptions through 7 games. However, I wouldn't worry too much about it because the best team Indiana has beaten was Iowa in a 38-20 victory. The Hoosiers (what the heck is a Hoosier anyway, I guess that could be a blog of its own) are 5-2 overall, but 2-2 in the Big-Ten having lost to Illinois, 27-14 at home and Michigan State, 52-27 at Michigan State. Needless to say, Indiana's schedule has so far been conducive to winning, but that is all going to change this Saturday. Kellen Lewis has been sacked 15 times so far, and, for anyone that watches Penn State Football, I can safely say the Lions will add another 4 or 5 sacks to Lewis's total. Indiana is a spread offense though, but the Lions dealt well with Illinois, arguably the best spread offense in the Big-Ten. The leading rusher is Kellen Lewis again, and he has 80 carries this season for 470 yards and 4 touchdowns. The Hoosiers do have other rushing weapons though, as does any spread team. Marcus Thigpen and Bryan Payton, the Hoosiers' featured backs, have a combined 483 yards rushing and 4 touchdowns, all coming from Payton. The Hoosiers' biggest offensive weapon, besides Lewis of course, is their big play receiver, James Hardy, who has 31 grabs for 606 yards and 9 touchdowns. Those are pretty gaudy numbers for a wideout, and the only reason he isn't mentioned in the Heisman race is that he plays for Indiana. The Lions are going to have to do a lot of things on defense to keep Indiana out of the endzone. First, they are going to have to rush Lewis, and make him pass because if they let him run out of the pocket, he is going to burn you. Dan Connor and Sean Lee, THE Linebackers, will have to play more smart football, and always keep their eyes glued to the ball because there is far too much talent on this Indiana team to leave anyone unnoticed. Second, I assume that Justin King is going to match up with Hardy, and King is just the man to do it. Despite some minor lapses against Buffalo late in the game, King has proved himself to be the lock-down corner that he is. The whole secondary, with few exceptions, is playing very well, and they have been playing like they have something to prove ever since Buffalo. I am sure Tom Bradley, the Lions' defensive coordinator, has been wrapping his head around all the talent the Hoosiers have on offense this whole week, so expect the defense to be ready and play smart football as usual. If we look at the offense then, we will notice the theme through all of my blog posts so far is NO TURNOVERS! The Lions played a nearly perfect game last week as far as ball-control. There was only one fumble on a punt return and just one penalty that was declined. The Lions can play a clean game at home, and they have proved it, but the big question is how will they handle an away game. Last week, the Hoosiers gave up an astounding 52 points to Michigan State, probably the second best team they have played, and The Spartans' offense isn't big news in the Big-Ten. Penn State is going to run the ball well. They have found their rhythm in the run game, and it did wonders for Morelli last week, who looked like he had taken a dose of "The Right Stuff." He finally found his rhythm last week, and that was because the team was running on all cylinders. If he gets excited early and the rest of the team plays well, then Morelli will have another good game, and there is no need to worry about how the receivers are going to play because with so much talent, someone is bound to be hot. The Lions' keys to tomorrows game are again ball security with Anthony Morelli, and they need to keep an eye on the ball while on defense with good pursuit and a heavy rush. I will not be convinced of Morelli until he wins a game in the 4th quarter, but I think this one could be over well before then if the Lions do what they need to. My prediction is Penn State 38, Indiana 21, in a convincing victory in hostile territory. Look back Saturday Night or Sunday Morning for Post-Game Analysis! WE ARE...PENN STATE!