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Penn St. Nittany Lions (7-2; 4-1 Big Ten East) vs Northwestern Wildcats (6-2; 2-2 Big Ten West)
12 p.m. ET, November 7, 2015--ESPNU
Ryan Field (Capacity: 47,130 / Evanston, IL)
| Penn State | Value (Nat'l Rank) | Value (Nat'l Rank) | Northwestern | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rushing Offense (ypg) | 145.2 (96) | 145.5 (43) | Rushing Defense (ypg) |
|
| Passing Offense (ypg) | 204.1 (88) | 164.8 (7) | Passing Defense (ypg) |
|
| Pass Efficiency | 135.33 (52) | 95.22 (3) | Pass Efficiency Defense | |
| Total Offense (ypg) | 349.3 (104) | 310.3 (17) | Total Defense (ypg) |
|
| Scoring Offense (ppg) | 25.7 (91) | 17.6 (T-19) | Scoring Defense (ppg) |
|
| Rushing Defense (ypg) | 143.9 (42) | 186.1 (46) | Rushing Offense (ypg) | Push |
| Passing Defense (ypg) | 157.9 (4) | 145.6 (119) | Passing Offense (ypg) |
|
| Pass Efficiency Defense | 104.81 (15) | 100.76 (118) | Pass Efficiency |
|
| Total Defense (ypg) | 301.8 (14) | 331.8 (116) | Total Offense (ypg) |
|
| Scoring Defense (ppg) | 17.1 (17) | 20.9 (111) | Scoring Offense (ppg) |
|
| Net Punting Yds | 35.91 (91) |
10.0 (48) | Punt Return Yds | |
| Punt Return Yds | 8.04 (70) | 37.5 (67) | Net Punting Yds | Push |
| Kickoff Return Yds | 23.9 (26) | 20.96 (58) | Kickoff Return Defense | |
| Kickoff Return Defense | 23.86 (107) | 25.1 (14) | Kickoff Return Yds |
|
| Turnover Margin | +.89 (17) | +.25 (50) | Turnover Margin | |
| Penalty Yds/Game | 38.33 (10) | 40.25 (17) | Penalty Yds/Game | Push |
| Sacks | 3.89/gm (1) | 1.63/gm (T-41) | Sacks Allowed | |
| Sacks Allowed | 3.44/gm (T-124) |
2.0/gm (T-63) |
Sacks |
|
| Redzone Offense (%) | 91.2% (14) |
75.0% (T-17) |
Redzone Defense (%) | Push |
| Redzone Defense (%) | 91.3% (113) |
83.3% (T-69) | Redzone Offense (%) | |
| Redzone TD % | 55.88% | 45.83% |
Redzone TD % Defense | |
| Redzone TD % Defense | 69.57% | 29.17% |
Redzone TD % | |
| 3rd Down Conv. % | 28.9% (125) |
31.8% (18) |
3rd Down Defense % |
|
| 3rd Down Defense % | 33.3% (T-34) |
44.1% (29) | 3rd Down Conv. % | Push |
| 4th Down Conv. % | 30.0% (T-114) | 46.7% (T-57) | 4th Down Defense % |
|
| 4th Down Defense % | 16.7% (3) |
42.9% (T-85) | 4th Down Conv. % |
|
| 1st Downs | 147 (99) | 137 (T-19) | 1st Downs Allowed |
|
| 1st Downs Allowed | 152 (T-49) | 140 (111) | 1st Downs |
|
| Time of Possession | 29:24 (79) |
29:23 (80) | Time of Possession | Push |
Difference
Difference >25 in National Rank =
Difference >50 in National Rank =
Difference >75 in National Rank =
Difference >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 judgment.
Quick thoughts: In nearly every category, Penn State saw improvement after the thorough dismantling of the Illinois Fighting Illini that was last week's game--the notable exception, of course, being redzone defense, as the defense didn't even allow the Illinois offense into the redzone.
I note this because this bodes well for the matchup this week, against the Wildcats. The Wildcats look, statistically, very similar to Illinois--defensively very strong, offensively not so much. The difference, of course, is that Northwestern gets their offensive yards on the ground rather than through the air--and their defense is slightly better than Illinois' (and, of course, they run different schemes on both fronts). Either way, provided Bob Shoop's guys can keep Clayton Thorson relatively in the pocket, and keep their defense off the field for much of the game (much like Iowa and Michigan were able to do), then this shouldn't be as close of a game as Vegas seems to think.
What do you guys think?