|
Penn State |
Value (Nat'l Rank) |
Value (Nat'l Rank) |
Advantage |
|
| Rushing Offense (ypg) | 126.0 (85) | 201.1 (102) | Rushing Defense (ypg) | Push |
| Passing Offense (ypg) | 209.2 (70) | 213.1 (64) | Passing Defense (ypg) | Push |
| Pass Efficiency | 110.0 (104) | 162.1 (118) | Pass Efficiency Defense | Push |
| Total Offense (ypg) | 335.2 (85) | 414.3 (97) | Total Defense (ypg) | Push |
| Scoring Offense (ppg) | 18.2 (102) | 31.7 (98) | Scoring Defense (ppg) | Push |
| Rushing Defense (ypg) | 145.5 (58) | 141.6 (76) | Rushing Offense (ypg) | Push |
| Passing Defense (ypg) | 169.3 (18) | 238.6 (60) | Passing Offense (ypg) |  |
| Pass Efficiency Defense | 132.5 (77) | 138.6 (36) | Pass Efficiency |  |
| Total Defense (ypg) | 314.8 (26) | 380.1 (60) | Total Offense (ypg) | |
| Scoring Defense (ppg) | 18.0 (21) | 24.9 (76) | Scoring Offense (ppg) |
|
| Net Punting Yds | 39.2 (22) | 7.2 (71) | Punt Return Yds | |
| Punt Return Yds | 7.1 (T-74) | 32.6 (108) | Net Punting Yds | |
| Kickoff Return Yds | 26.8 (9) | 21.9 (73) | Kickoff Return Defense |
|
| Kickoff Return Defense | 18.4 (10) | 21.3 (68) | Kickoff Return Yds |
|
| Turnover Margin | -0.2 (71) | 0.43 (41) | Turnover Margin |  |
| Penalty Yds/Game | 21.8 (1) | 45.4 (30) | Penalty Yds/Game | |
| Sacks | 1.33 (91) | 1.14 (25) | Sacks Allowed |
|
| Sacks Allowed | 0.83 (14) | 0.43 (120) | Sacks |
|
| Redzone Offense (%) | 0.70 (T-109) | 0.88 (T-93) | Redzone Defense (%) | Push |
| Redzone Defense (%) | 1.0 (T-120) | 0.89 (T-18) | Redzone Offense (%) |
|
| Redzone TD % | 0.30 | 0.73 | Redzone TD % Defense |
|
| Redzone TD % Defense | 0.69 | 0.58 | Redzone TD % | Push |
| 3rd Down Conv. % | 38.8 (71) | 50.0 (T-114) | 3rd Down Defense % | |
| 3rd Down Defense % | 24.3 (3) | 41.6 (48) | 3rd Down Conv. % | |
| 1st Downs Per Game | 17.0 (T-97) | 19.4 (T-66) | 1st Downs Allowed PG | |
| 1st Downs Allowed PG | 15.5 (T-12) | 20.9 (45) | 1st Downs Per Game | |
Legend
Difference <25 in National Rank = Push
Difference >25 in National Rank =
Difference >50 in National Rank =
Difference >75 in National Rank =
Differences >100 in National Rank =
Note: The Redzone TD% and Redzone TD% Defense are calculated by me and not ranked by the NCAA. Determining who has the advantage in these categories is strictly my arbitrary judgement.
More analysis after the jump.
At this point in the season it's really difficult to evaluate how accurate Penn State's numbers are. They played very poorly against three very good defenses, but then they played pretty well against three pretty bad defenses. So the truth probably lies somewhere in the middle, and I would guess a little closer to the bad side.
The good news this week is that State will be playing a defense that hasn't proven to be very stiff. The Gophers give up nearly 32 points per game and don't seem to be good at stopping the run or the pass. Hopefully this is the week where Penn State can have some success and build a little confidence.
The Gopher offense has been pretty middle-of-the-road to date scoring 25 points per game and averaging 380 yards of total offense. The Penn State defense has been good, but not great. The big question for the Lions is how many guys they can get on the field after missing 10 or 11 guys against Illinois. If Mauti, Gbadyu, Hodges, Stanley, and Massaro all return it will help Penn State tremendously.
Special teams continue to be a strength of this Penn State squad, and they should have the advantage in this game. A big play to either score or set up an easy score for the offense could be the spark this team has been looking for for weeks.