Headed into Week 3, the Nittany Lions look to get into better shape for Big Ten Play. Villanova comes to town as one of the best FCS programs in college football, having won their season opener against Colgate. Penn State is no Colgate however, and on the road, the Wildcats will be up against a wall. Look for Penn State to effectively use this game as a tuneup before Oregon comes to Beaver Stadium for the Whiteout. Here are several reasons why Penn State should be highly optimistic headed into this matchup.
Overwhelming talent disparity
This might sound cliche, but it’s going to be highly apparent when both teams step on the field that the Wildcats will struggle to compete. Being an FC school means that in many ways, you have less resources and much less money to throw around to try and build a competitive squad. While Nova’s team building is good enough for FCS supremacy, they can’t compare with the waves of talent that Penn State can attract. Add in the fact that Villanova lost a lot of talent to the portal and could not compete enough on the recruiting path, and it’s quite clear that Villanova is just lucky to even share the same field with the Nittany Lions.
Penn State’s last matchup against Villanova much like this one
While some fans may be surprised to know that Villanova leads the all-time series over Penn State, their last matchup shifted the narrative. Much like this year, in 2021, Penn State was ranked in the top 10 at No. 6 and was looking for a tuneup victory before heading into Big Ten play. In that game, it was Sean Clifford and Jahan Dotson at the helm leading the Nittany Lions to a 38-17 victory. While that Penn State squad faltered down the stretch, finishing 7-6, this year’s iteration will not just be using this game as a springboard into a Big Ten gauntlet, but a reminder as what they need to achieve the rest of the way. This team won’t rest on their laurels unlike the 2021 squad.
Defense could have huge day again
In the first two games of the Jim Knowles era at Penn State, the defense has compiled 6 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 12 quarterback hurries, and have 2 forced fumbles and interceptions to their name. Most impressively, they have held opposing running backs to only 78 yards per game. Villanova are expected to utilize a run-heavy attack, spearheaded by both David Avit and Isaiah Ragland. The downside to this is that after losing four starters from last year’s O-line, the Wildcats’ line simply won’t contain the most fearsome front seven in college football. Look for both Zane Durant and Dani Dennis-Sutton to excel in this matchup and feast against smaller, less experienced O-linemen.
Run game could look stout after improved Week 2 performance
Last week looked to be back to normal for the Nittany Lions’ run game. Both Singleton and Allen combined for 144 yards and 2 touchdowns and ultimately set the tone in a rough outing for their offense. In all honesty, Villanova’s run defense last year was not all that terrible, in fact, ranking 25th in the country. They only allowed 4.27 yards per carry and 157 per game. However, this was against FCS level competition and not against one of the best running attacks in college football. If both Singleton and Allen can set the tone in this one, it will be smooth sailing for the Nittany Lions.
All three receivers project well against depleted Nova secondary
Villanova return eight starters on their defense. Unfortunately, only one remains in the secondary. And while that one, Zahmir Duwad, was an honorable mention-All CAA selection, the multiplicity of Penn State’s passing game won’t just come down to one player’s excellence in coverage. All three receivers have now proved themselves capable of big plays and have all displayed the traits that make them so tough to defend. Kyron Hudson’s catch radius. Trebor Pena’s speed on the perimeter. And Devonte Ross’s route running acumen. The passing attack has mainly to this point just been efficient rather than flashy. All that can change Saturday afternoon against a weakened Villanova secondary.
This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Five reasons for optimism for Penn State in Week 3
