Penn State-Purdue Game Preview

Penn State vs. Purdue Game Preview
No. 12/11 Penn State welcomes the Purdue Boilermakers to Beaver Stadium for the first time since 2013. Saturday's game marks the 100thHomecoming game in program history and will be the Generations of Greatness game in which the Nittany Lions will wear special uniforms that reflect the tradition of the program. 
 
Fresh off a record-breaking performance, quarterback Sean Clifford will make his second conference start and fourth appearance inside Beaver Stadium. The Ohio native has thrown for 200 yards or more in four-straight games this season. On the other side, Purdue will be without its starting quarterback Elijah Sindelar as the fifth-year senior had surgery on Monday to repair a broken collarbone and Freshman All-American wide receiver Rondale Moore. 
 
The Boilermakers hold a 1-3 (0-1 Big Ten) record and are coming off a 38-31 loss to Minnesota. Purdue is led by third-year head coach Jeff Brohm, who has never faced Penn State. The game will be televised on ESPN and broadcasted on the Penn State Sports Network. 
 
Penn State Spotlight
If there's one name you should watch for this Saturday, take note of No. 40 Jesse Luketa. The Ottawa, Ontario native has continued to make a name for himself this season while earning an increased role on the defensive side of the football. Last week, Luketa collected a season-high five tackles, all of which were solo tackles. The sophomore has 12 total tackles this season with a half-tackle for loss and three pass breakups. 
 
"Micah [Parsons] is doing some really good things obviously, but it's impressive when Micah gets ejected for a targeting call and Jesse [Luketa] goes in," head coach James Franklin stated earlier this week. "We have tremendous confidence in Jesse, and he goes in and we don't even skip a beat."
 
Although Micah Parsons will return at linebacker, keep an eye on No. 40 throughout Saturday's contest.
 
Scouting the Boilermakers
Head coach Jeff Brohm and his Big Ten leading pass-heavy offense enter Beaver Stadium for the 100thHomecoming game in Penn State history. After suffering two significant injuries on the same play last weekend, the Boilermakers will be without quarterback Elijah Sindelar and sophomore wide receiver Rondale Moore. Redshirt freshman Jack Plummer will get the start at quarterback after going 23-for-41 with 245 yards passing and a touchdown against Minnesota. Purdue is currently averaging 351.0 yards per game which ranks first in the Big Ten, however, Brohm's offense ranks last in the conference with an average of just 68.3 rushing yards per game. 
 
One player to keep an eye on is tight end Brycen Hopkins. The fifth-year senior leads Purdue with three touchdowns and has 13 receptions for 202 yards this season. "We've been impressed with Brycen Hopkins, who we know all the way back from our days in Nashville, who is having a really nice career there," Franklin said during his press conference. 
 
Defensively, the Boilermakers are allowing an average of 296.5 yards per game through the air and 154.5 yards per game on the ground. Penn State is 19-for-19 in the red zone this season while Purdue is allowing opponents to score 85.7 percent of the time from inside the 20-yard line.
 
Purdue quick facts
Head Coach: Jeff Brohm
Record at Purdue (3rdseason): 14-16 (.467)
vs. Penn State: First Meeting
 
Unrivaled Postgame
Former Penn State and NFL quarterback Matt McGloin will join Mitch Gerber for week four of the Unrivaled Postgame Show. The all-access program can be found on Facebook Live via Penn State's official Facebook page and on GoPSUsports.com. McGloin and Gerber will breakdown every home game by interviewing head coach James Franklin and select student-athletes. The show will start moments after the conclusion of the game. 
 
Game Information 
Fans are encouraged to visit Game Day Central for all information as it relates to Penn State football game day traffic, parking, clear bag policy and information on the match up.

The Purdue game is the Generations of Greatness game in which the Nittany Lions will wear special uniforms to pay homage to the history of the program. The contest also caps Homecoming week with the various student, faculty and alumni courts being honored throughout the game.