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Penn St. Nittany Lions (1-5 Big Ten East) vs Rutgers Scarlet Knights (2-4 Big Ten East)
12:00 p.m. ET, December 5, 2020--FS1
SCI Stadium (Capacity: 52,454*** / Piscataway, NJ)
| Penn State | Value (Nat'l Rank) | Value (Nat'l Rank) | Rutgers | Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rushing Offense (ypg) | 158.2 (69) | 170.3 (69) | Rushing Defense (ypg) | Push |
| Passing Offense (ypg) | 259.7 (42) | 260.2 (93) | Passing Defense (ypg) |
|
| Pass Efficiency | 123.76 (88) | 157.69 (116) | Pass Efficiency Defense | |
| Total Offense (ypg) | 417.8 (48) | 430.5 (85) | Total Defense (ypg) |
|
| Scoring Offense (ppg) | 25.0 (89) | 35.7 (108) | Scoring Defense (ppg) | Push |
| Rushing Defense (ypg) | 144.5 (48) | 135.8 (92) | Rushing Offense (ypg) |
|
| Passing Defense (ypg) | 203.3 (31) | 233.5 (61) | Passing Offense (ypg) |
|
| Pass Efficiency Defense | 137.1 (62) | 129.28 (75) | Pass Efficiency | Push |
| Total Defense (ypg) | 347.8 (29) | 369.3 (87) | Total Offense (ypg) |
|
| Scoring Defense (ppg) | 32.8 (92) | 30.8 (52) | Scoring Offense (ppg) |  |
| Punt Return Defense (ypr) | 4.57 (72) | 13.4 (14) | Punt Return Yds |
|
| Punt Return Yds | 16.0 (7) | 4.43 (35) | Punt Return Defense (ypr) |
|
| Net Punting Yds | 38.45 (68) | 41.48 (19) | Net Punting Yds |
|
| Kickoff Return Yds | 15.33 (119) | 21.62 (76) | Kickoff Return Defense | |
| Kickoff Return Defense | 25.0 (115) | 25.33 (16) | Kickoff Return Yds |
|
| Turnover Margin | -1.33 (T - 121) | +.17 (T - 58) | Turnover Margin |
|
| Passes Had Intercepted | 8 (T - 96) | 3 (T - 80) | Passes Intercepted | Push |
| Passes Intercepted | 2 (T - 97) | 8 (T - 96) | Passes Had Intercepted | Push |
| Penalty Yds/Game | 41.83 (25) | 71.0 (110) | Penalty Yds/Game |
|
| Sacks | 2.0 (67) | 1.83 (44) | Sacks Allowed | Push |
| Sacks Allowed | 3.5 (113) | 1.5 (100) | Sacks | Push |
| Tackles for Loss (tpg) | 6.0 (66) | 6.67 (9) | Tackles for Loss Allowed (tpg) | Push |
| Tackles for Loss Allowed (tpg) | 6.83 (85) | 6.7 (45) | Tackles for Loss (tpg) | |
| Redzone Offense (%) | 68.0% (120) | 89.7% (T - 104) | Redzone Defense (%) | Push |
| Redzone Defense (%) | 90.9% (T - 111) | 90.5% (T - 24) | Redzone Offense (%) |
|
| Redzone TD % | 44.0% | 72.41% | Redzone TD % Defense | Push |
| Redzone TD % Defense | 63.64% | 66.67% | Redzone TD % | |
| 3rd Down Conv. % | 46.8% (25) | 39.8% (64) | 3rd Down Defense % |
|
| 3rd Down Defense % | 44.7% (94) | 38.9% (76) | 3rd Down Conv. % | Push |
| 4th Down Conv. % | 46.7% (92) | 63.6% (T - 90) | 4th Down Defense % | Push |
| 4th Down Defense % | 50.0% (T - 37) | 50.0% (T - 78) | 4th Down Conv. % |  |
| 1st Downs | 151 (58) | 145 (70) | 1st Downs Allowed | Push |
| 1st Downs Allowed | 111 (42) | 126 (T - 74) | 1st Downs |
|
| Time of Possession | 33:02 (22) | 34:31 (7) | Time of Possession | Push |
| Strength of Schedule | 9 | 49 | Strength of Schedule |
|
Difference >25 in National Rank =
Difference >50 in National Rank =
Difference >75 in National Rank =
Difference >100 in National Rank =
Note:
All of the above rankings are taken directly from the NCAA except for strength of schedule, which is not ranked by the NCAA and instead taken from team rankings.
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:
I was wrong last week when I said the game wouldn’t be fun (a win over Michigan with no turnovers’ll do that), but this week it’s pretty much lose-lose. Both teams are Not Good, and it’ll be a good test of whether the Nittany Lions can use the victory in the Big House to springboard into a strong finish, or whether the fighting Harbaughs just didn’t have it in them.
Some of the things that stood out for me in these numbers are the overall offense, which looked more efficient last week and saw a modest bump in the numbers, as did the pass efficiency defense (despite not getting a defensive turnover yet again this season). And with still only one kickoff returned all season, the sample size for that low PSU ranking is small - though in most instances I’d rather a return of 25 yards over the multiple kicks that went out of bounds last week.
Lastly, but certainly not leastly, when did Rutgers rename their stadium? High Point Solutions was much funnier, imo.
What say you all?