Nov. 6, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Having won seven of its last eight games, Penn State heads on the road Saturday for a matchup against Northwestern.
The Nittany Lions (7-2, 4-1) will battle the Wildcats (6-2, 2-2) in a 12 p.m. (ESPNU) kick at Ryan Field in the penultimate road game of the season. Penn State will be seeking its third-straight victory following a complete team effort in a 39-0 triumph over Illinois.
"Going on the road in the Big Ten is never easy," said head coach James Franklin. "And obviously, you are talking about a team that started the season really well with a win over Stanford and Duke out of conference and a team that has played good football in our conference. It's going to be a tremendous challenge. We're going to have to find a way to make some plays, especially on special teams."
Junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg was masterful in directing the offense to its largest margin of victory in a Big Ten game since 2008 last week. Hackenberg finished with three total touchdowns, including two through the air to Chris Godwin and Geno Lewis and one receiving score on a pass from Nick Scott. The Nittany Lions finished 7-for-7 in the red zone against Illinois.
The Nittany Lion defense turned in a stellar outing against the Illini in the first shutout during a Big Ten game since 2009. Penn State limited Illinois 167 total yards on 71 plays. Sophomore linebacker Jason Cabinda led the defense with seven stops, while linebacker Troy Reeder made three stops and snagged the first interception of his career.
Led by head coach Pat Fitzgerald, Northwestern (6-2, 2-2 Big Ten) returns to action following a bye week. The Wildcats opened the season 5-0 before dropping two-straight to Michigan (38-0) and Iowa (40-10). Northwestern has two wins in Big Ten play, including a 27-0 triumph over Minnesota and a 30-28 victory at Nebraska in the team's last game. Non-conference victories over then-No. 21 Stanford (16-6) and at Duke (19-10) highlights the season for the Wildcats, who were in the Associated Press Top 25 for five-straight weeks earlier this season.
The Nittany Lions and Northwestern rank among the Big Ten's best in penalty yardage. The Nittany Lions are No. 1 in fewest penalty yards in the Big Ten (37.6) and Northwestern is No. 3 (40.3). Additionally the Lions and Wildcats field two of the top pass defenses in the conference, ranking second and third, respectively.
In a series that dates back to 1993, Penn State and Northwestern will meet for the 18th time on Saturday. The Nittany Lions own a 13-4 mark in the all-time series. That includes a 6-2 record in games played in Ryan Field. The Nittany Lions have won six of the last seven games in the series, including each of the last three in Evanston.
Penn State will reach its bye week after the matchup against Northwestern. After four weeks of training camp and 10 weeks of football, the Lions will have a little time off before preparing for the final home game of 2015 against Michigan on Nov. 21.