Our last game preview of the 2022 regular season is here. As always, we’ll tell you what to expect, what to keep an eye, and where and when you can watch the Nittany Lions this weekend.

Game details: No. 11 Penn State (9-2, 6-2) vs. Michigan State (5-6, 3-5). 4 p.m. kickoff. Broadcast on FS1.

Venue: Beaver Stadium

Weather forecast (via Accuweather): High temperature of 47. Variable cloudiness and wind gusts as high as 32 mph, with a 25% chance of rain.

The Line: Penn State -18.

All-Time Series: Michigan State leads 18-17-1.  

Last Week: Penn State raced past Rutgers, 55-10. Michigan State dropped a home matchup with Indiana in double overtime, 39-31.

Last Meeting (2021): In very snowy conditions, Penn State fell 30-27 last season in East Lansing. Sean Clifford led a late rally for the Nittany Lions that fell short, throwing for 313 yards and three touchdowns. Jahan Dotson caught eight passes for 137 yards and two scores, while Parker Washington had four catches for 60 yards and a touchdown.

The Lead: Expectations were sky high for Michigan State to begin the season. Coming off an 11-win season and Peach Bowl victory over Pitt, the Spartans were ranked No. 15 in the preseason AP Poll and were expected to challenge for the Big Ten East crown. Things have not gone according to plan for Mel Tucker’s squad, who sit at 5-6 overall and 3-5 in Big Ten play. The Spartans will need a win over Penn State on Saturday to become bowl eligible, something they failed to do at home last week against an Indiana team that had previously been winless since September.

Michigan State’s ground game will present a decent challenge for a Nittany Lions defense that has played exceptionally this season. Jalen Berger rushed for 119 yards for Sparty a week ago, while Elijah Collins collected 107 rushing yards and two touchdowns, giving MSU a decent duo of running backs. So much of what quarterback Peyton Thorne does is predicated on the Spartans establishing their ground attack.

Speaking of running back duos, what else is there to say about Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen? They’re phenomenal and only going to get better. With Allen’s 117 rushing yards against Rutgers, Allen (748 rushing yards) and Singleton (863 rushing yards) became the first freshman duo in Big Ten history to both rush for 700+ yards in a season.

Since 2000, Allen and Singleton are one of four FBS true freshman duos over 700 yards in a season. They are Penn State’s seventh 700+ rushing yards duo.

Look for the Nittany Lions to lean heavily on the freshmen pair once again on Saturday.

Keep An Eye On: The Penn State front seven. With 15 tackles for loss against the Scarlet Knights, Penn State has recorded at least seven tackles for loss in each of the last six games (Michigan, 7; Minnesota, 7, Ohio State, 7; Indiana, 16; Maryland, 9; Rutgers, 15).

The run defense also limited Rutgers to 32 rushing yards on 35 attempts (0.9 per attempt) and has limited eight opponents to less than 100 rushing yards this season. If the defense can stifle the ground game for the Spartans, the Nittany Lions have a great shot at moving to 10-2.

Big Ten Schedule:

– Nebraska at Iowa (Friday, 4 p.m. ET. BTN)

– No. 3 Michigan at No. 2 Ohio State (Noon ET. FOX)

– Rutgers at Maryland (Noon ET. BTN)

– Illinois at Northwestern (3:30 p.m. ET. TBD)

– Minnesota at Wisconsin (3:30 p.m. ET. ESPN)

– Purdue at Indiana (3:30 p.m. ET. BTN)

Trivia Tidbit: Penn State head coach James Franklin earned his 100th career win last Saturday against Rutgers. He became the 27th active FBS coach with 100 career wins.

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Each week, we’ll tell you what to expect, what to keep an eye, and where and when you can catch the Nittany Lions this football season.

Game details: 3:30 p.m. kickoff, at Rutgers, broadcast on Big Ten Network.

Venue: SHI Stadium (52,454.

Weather forecast (via Accuweather): High of 41. Sunny to partly cloudy, breezy and chilly; coldest air so far this season; feeling like January, so dress warmly if you’re going to be in attendance for the game.

The Line: Penn State -19.5.

All-Time Series: Penn State leads 30-2.

Last week: Penn State blanked Maryland, 30-0. Rutgers fell at Michigan State, 27-21.

Last meeting (2021): With a flu-bug taking its toll on the team, including starting quarterback Sean Clifford, backup Christian Veilleux led the Nittany Lions to a gritty 28-0 win over the Scarlet Knights in a late November clash. Jahan Dotson, Parker Washington and Malick Meiga caught touchdown passes and Keyvone Lee ran for a score for the Nittany Lions. Veilleux completed 15 of 24 passes for 235 yards.

The Lead: The 33rd meeting between Penn State and Rutgers sees both schools competing with plenty to play for. If Penn State can beat Rutgers and then Michigan State next week on Senior Day, a New Year’s Six berth is a strong possibility. Rutgers, meanwhile, can earn a bowl bid with a win over the Nittany Lions and then another over Maryland in the finale.

Penn State comes into this one with plenty of momentum, notching back to back resounding victories against Indiana and Maryland. The offense has been efficient in those wins and the defense has been suffocating. Penn State followed up 16 tackles for loss and six sacks against the Hoosiers with nine tackles for loss and seven sacks against Maryland, it marks the first time since 2007 that the Nittany Lions have recorded six or more sacks in back-to-back games.

Much like the previous two games on the schedule, this one heavily favors Penn State. The Nittany Lions are playing some of their best football of the season, using the combination of an explosive rushing attack and dominant defense. That typically paves the way for success in the cold days of November.

Greg Schiano has Rutgers on the right track, however, this one shouldn’t be close.

Keep An Eye On: Juice Scruggs. It’s not as easy to watch a center from afar as it is a quarterback or running back, but Penn State’s snapper deserves praise and attention. Penn State’s offensive line has been an improved unit this season, despite some injury troubles. Scruggs has played a huge part in that.

Check out this great feature from Sports Illustrated writer and Penn State alum Mark Wogenrich on Scruggs’ importance to the offense.

Big Ten Schedule:

– Illinois at No. 3 Michigan (Noon. ABC)

– Wisconsin at Nebraska (Noon. ESPN)

– Northwestern at Purdue (Noon. FS1)

– Indiana at Michigan State (Noon. BTN)

– No. 11 Penn State at Rutgers (3:30 p.m. BTN)

– No. 2 Ohio State at Maryland (3:30 p.m. ABC)

– Iowa at Minnesota (4 p.m. FOX)

Roar Tour: Penn Staters can also join in Piscataway this weekend for our Roar Tour event before the Nittany Lions face Rutgers. Get all the details for our Roar Tour regular season finale here. We hope to see you there.

Penn State In The Polls: Penn State jumped up to No. 11 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Nittany Lions received the same ranking in the AP Poll. The USA Today Coaches Poll placed Penn State at No. 12.

Trivia Tidbit: Fourteen Penn State players have at least one sack this season, which is tied for the most among Power Five teams.

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Penn State has completely dominated the series against Maryland (41-3-1) and won 31-14 last season at College Park (pictured). Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Beaver Stadium, and alumni and fans not attending can catch the game on FOX. Photo credit: Steve Manuel

Each week, we’ll tell you what to expect, what to keep an eye, and where and when you can catch the Nittany Lions this football season.

Game details: 3:30 p.m. kickoff, vs. Maryland, broadcast on FOX.

Venue: Beaver Stadium, where Penn State boasts an all-time record of 308-80.

Weather forecast (via Accuweather): High of 49; breezy and cooler with intervals of clouds and sunshine.

The line: Penn State -12.

All-time series: Penn State leads 41-3-1.

Last week: Penn State rolled Indiana 45-14, while Maryland stumbled at Wisconsin, 23-10.

Last meeting (2021): The Nittany Lions brushed aside the Terps 31-14 at College Park, with Sean Clifford throwing three touchdowns — all to Jahan Dotson, who scored four times early this season for the NFL’s Washington Commanders before an injury sidelined him. Current safety and team captain, safety Ji’Ayir Brown, iced the win with an 87-yard interception returned for a touchdown.

The lead: Saturday’s game features the third- and fourth-ranked scoring offenses in the Big Ten, with Penn State (34.4) and Maryland (31.4) both averaging 30-plus per game. The two squads are also ranked together for scoring defense: Penn State (21.1), Maryland (24).

So, what will give?

At 6-3, Maryland is having a successful season by its standards, though the Terps lost to Michigan and have yet to face Ohio State, so Maryland has largely feasted on mid- and lower-tiered teams. Penn State defensive tackle Chop Robinson faces his former team, transferring to University Park from College Park, home to Maryland. The Terps beat Indiana and Northwestern by a combined 12 points. That’s respectable, I guess, though that type of effort won’t get them a win Saturday.

Penn State’s the better team, so from any angle, with much more to play for this season. If the Nittany Lions stay focused and don’t play down to their competition — and play up to their standards — they should continue their march to a 10-win season.

Big Ten schedule:

Indiana at Ohio State, noon (FOX)

Rutgers at Michigan State, noon (BTN)

Purdue at Illinois, noon (ESPN2)

Wisconsin at Iowa, 3:30 p.m. (FS1)

Nebraska at Michigan, 3:30 p.m. (ABC)

Maryland at Penn State, 3:30 p.m. (FOX)

Northwestern at Minnesota, 3:30 p.m. (BTN)

Academic excellence: Per Penn State football’s game notes: A total of 552 Penn State student-athletes have earned Academic All-Big Ten honors since the team began competing in the conference in 1993. Each honoree totaled at grade point average of at least 3.0 while being a letterwinner.

Trivia tidbit: Penn State tied a program record last week with 16 tackles for loss.

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For more on The Football Letter, (requires Alumni Association member log-in), click here.

Not yet an Alumni Association member? Click here.

Follow the Football Letter on Twitter for more videos, photos, and features.

Each week, we’ll tell you what to expect, what to keep an eye, and where and when you can catch the Nittany Lions this football season.

Game details: at Indiana, kickoff at 3:30 p.m. ET, broadcast on ABC.

Records: No. 15 Penn State (6-2, 3-2), Indiana (3-5, 1-4).

Venue: Memorial Stadium (52,656), Bloomington, Indiana.

Weather forecast (via Accuweather): High of 68, with rain showers in the morning. Mostly cloudy with the rain tapering off; windy in the morning, turning warm in the afternoon.

The line: Penn State -15.

All-Time Series: Penn State leads 23-2. The Nittany Lions have emerged victorious in seven of the last eight matchups.

Last Week: Penn State dropped a tough one to No. 2 Ohio State, 44-31, after leading midway through the fourth quarter. Indiana is coming off a bye but lost the week prior to Rutgers, 17-24. The Hoosiers have lost five-straight games. Their last win came against Western Kentucky on Sept. 17.

Last Meeting (2021): Penn State blanked Indiana in Beaver Stadium, 24-0. The Penn State defense held Indiana to 264 total yards, while Ji’Ayir Brown and Joey Porter Jr. each had a pick. Sean Clifford threw three touchdown passes, including two to Jahan Doston and one to Brenton Strange.

The Lead: The Nittany Lions can’t afford to dwell on their defeat to the Buckeyes last Saturday with a trip to Bloomington now on tap. Penn State can already match last season’s win total (7) with a triumph over the Hoosiers and maintain a decent position to earn a New Year’s Six Bowl Berth.

Indiana is one of the Big Ten’s basement dwellers thus far and lost to Rutgers the last time it played. With that result in mind and coming off a bye, expect head coach Tom Allen’s to come out a little feisty in front of the home crowd at Memorial Stadium and keep it competitive with Penn State early.

With all due respect though, this game shouldn’t be close entering the fourth quarter. Penn State proved last week it has what it takes to hang with the best of the best in the Big Ten, outplaying Ohio State for most of the afternoon. Now, it’s about matching that level of play every time the Nittany Lions take the field.

Scouting Indiana: Indiana has struggled on both sides of the ball in conference play, ranking last in the Big Ten in scoring defense and 11th in scoring offense.

Missouri transfer Connor Bazelak hasn’t quite hit his stride for the Hoosiers, completing 208-of-379 passes (55%) for 2,099 yards and 12 touchdowns to 9 interceptions.

Indiana also ranks dead last in the Big Ten in rushing offense with just 80.4 yards per game. Shaun Shivers leads Hoosier ball-carriers with 405 yards on the season.

Keep An Eye On: Parker Washington. Washington has been playing some stellar football over the past few weeks and set career highs in catches (11) and receiving yards (179) against Ohio State. His 179 yards are the ninth-highest in a single game in Penn State history. Washington joined Jahan Dotson as the only Nittany Lion receivers to have multiple 100-yard receiving games against Ohio State.

Roar Tour: We’re looking forward to another fun Roar Tour event in Bloomington this weekend before Penn State takes on Indiana. Penn Staters can also join us on Nov. 19 in Piscataway before the Nittany Lions face Rutgers. Get all the details for our Roar Tour regular season finale at Rutgers here. We hope to see you there.

Penn State In The Polls: Penn State checks in at No. 15 in this season’s first College Football Playoff Rankings, one of four Big Ten teams to feature in the rankings — Ohio State (No. 2), Michigan (No. 5) and Illinois (No. 16) are the other three. The Nittany Lions are ranked No. 16 in both the AP Top 25 and USA Today Coaches’ Poll.

Trivia tidbit, Part 1: Penn State has registered 60 pass breakups this season, 15 more than any other FBS team.

Trivia tidbit, Part 2: Penn State and Indiana first played in 1993, the Nittany Lions’ first season in the Big Ten.

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For more on The Football Letter, (requires Alumni Association member log-in), click here.

Not yet an Alumni Association member? Click here.