Penn State vs. Nebraska: Keys to victory, HOL score predictions – Rivals.com – Nebraska

There was a time from 2011 to 2013 where Penn State and Nebraska played an annual crossover game before the Big Ten split into East and West Divisions in 2014.

With that said the Nittany Lions have not been to Lincoln since 2012, and the two teams have met just one time (2017) since that annual crossover series ended in 2013.

PSU (0-3) comes to Lincoln today after a very disappointing start to the 2020 season. They hope to get back on track against NU (0-2), who also is off to a rocky start.

As we get closer to kickoff, here are today’s keys to victory for Nebraska against Penn State. The Huskers are currently a 3.5 point underdog for today’s match-up. It’s a near-identical point spread to a week ago at Northwestern. Kickoff is set for 11 am CST on FS1.

KEY 1: A better start on offense

There’s no other way to say it, but Nebraska’s start on offense a week ago set the tone for the entire day. The Huskers were penalized four times on their first three possessions, and that let the Wildcats jump up 7-0, and it easily could’ve been much worse. The Huskers cannot afford another start like this on Saturday.

KEY 2: Make Penn State one-dimensional

Penn State’s running game is a lot like Nebraska’s. Their backs have not been that productive, as they have just a season-long run of 23 yards. However, quarterback Sean Clifford has been a problem at times, as they will draw up on average eight designed run calls per game to him. The Huskers need to be aware of Clifford as a runner today.

KEY 3: Keep tabs on Jahan Dotson

In Penn State’s loss to Maryland, they targetted wide receiver Jahan Dotson 17 times in the passing game. Through three games he’s been targetted 34 times and leads PSU with 21 catches for 361 yards and five touchdowns. There’s no question he is their go-to offensive weapon and you have to expect he will have at least 10 to 15 passes thrown his way today. They have also targeted their tight end, Pat Freiermuth, on average nine times per game.

KEY 4: The kicking game

Nebraska missed a field goal last week and had a net punt average well under 30 yards a week ago. That was against a very pedestrian Northwestern offense. They cannot afford to give Penn State a short field like that or miss out on scoring opportunities.

KEY 5: Find more big plays

Other than runs from the quarterback, Nebraska’s offense has struggled to find big plays down the field in the passing game. The Huskers need to come out with a better plan of attack that will draw up more big plays. They can’t keep living off quarterback run plays to bail them out. They also need to do a better job of staying out on schedule, and that will open up a lot more things.

Sean Callahan – HuskerOnline Publisher

Can Nebraska win this game on Saturday? Absolutely. However, there are still too many questions and unknowns for me to pick them. I expect Luke McCaffrey to start at quarterback, but how will things look with him under center? PSU has a lot of experienced players on this roster still, and I think they find a way to get the win. This game will go down to the final possession.

Penn State 31, Nebraska 30

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Robin Washut – HuskerOnline Senior Writer

For Nebraska to beat anyone, let alone a preseason top-10 team, it has to find a way to put together four quarters of even relatively clean football. But until they can stop the dumb penalties, costly turnovers, and glaring defensive breakdowns, it’s hard to put much faith in the Huskers right now.

Penn State 31, Nebraska 27

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Nate Clouse – HuskerOnline Lead Recruiting Analyst

This is a golden opportunity for the Huskers to get on track this weekend. I think NU gets back to the basics and we see Luke McCaffrey get the nod. He subsequently guides the Big Red to a close win behind some big plays from him and Wan’Dale Robinson.

Nebraska 28, Penn State 24

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Mike’l Severe – 1620 the Zone

I see several paths to victory for Nebraska in this one. The Huskers should be able to limit PSU on the ground and that would give NUs pass rush a chance to really harass Clifford. The Huskers should be able to produce some explosive plays vs the Lions defense. The problem with all of that is the Huskers haven’t shown they can win a game like this in a while. Hopefully that changes Saturday.

Penn State 27, Nebraska 24

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Andy Kendeigh – KETV Channel 7 Sports Director

Turnovers, explosive plays and third down. If the Huskers win those three categories, they will win the game. Penn State is -5 in turnover margin. Nebraska must get Wan’Dale Robinson more involved–10 offensive touches in two games is not cutting it. And third down–Nebraska is allowing opponents to convert 52% of its chances while only converting at a 31% clip. Nebraska does just enough to get its first win.

Nebraska 31, Penn State 27