Buckeyes, Nittany Lions Meet in Primetime Saturday Night
9/24/2018 10:40:08 AM | Football
COLUMBUS, Ohio – For the second time in three weeks, No. 4 Ohio State hits the road for a primetime matchup against another ranked foe. This week, the Buckeyes meet No. 9 Penn State in a 7:30 p.m. game Saturday at Beaver Stadium.
Ohio State closed out the non-conference portion of its schedule with a 49-6 win over Tulane last week that was highlighted by the continued explosive play on offense. QB Dwayne Haskins was 21 of 24 for 304 yards and ?ve TDs in just two quarters of action.
Ohio State vs. Penn State Links
Game Notes | Urban Meyer Press Conference
Haskins completed passes to 13 different receivers on the day. His favorite target was Parris Campbell, who set a career high in catches (eight), yards (147) and touchdowns (two).
Ohio State’s offense has put up 40 or more points and 500 or more yards in each of its ?rst four games. The Buckeyes rank No. 3 nationally in total offense (599.0 yards/game), No. 2 in scoring offense (54.5 points/game) and No. 6 in passing offense (365.8 yards/game).
Defensively, Ohio State registered 14 tackles-for-loss and held Tulane scoreless in the second half. Eight different players have already registered double digit tackles, with standout defensive tackle Dre’Mont Jones already totalling 14 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, three sacks, one “pick-six” interception and one pass break-up.
Notes to Know
GameDay Heads to State College
ESPN’s College GameDay will be in State College for the game and it marks Ohio State’s 42nd game at a GameDay site. Ohio State has an overall GameDay record of 28-13, including an 11-4 mark in road games.
The Buckeyes are now tied with Alabama for the most GameDay appearances since the show started in 1993.
GameDay is no stranger to Ohio State-Penn State matchups. It’s originated from the site of the game six times before, most recently last October in Columbus. The Buckeyes are 5-1 in GameDay games involving Ohio State and Penn State.
A Couple Streaking Teams
Ohio State and Penn State have the second and third-longest winning streaks in the Football Bowl Subdivision, respectively. The Buckeyes have won nine consecutive games while Penn State has won eight. Each team’s last loss came Nov. 4 of last year: Ohio State at Iowa, 55-24; and Penn State at Michigan State, 27-24.
Scouting Penn State
Much like the Buckeyes, Penn State has relied on a high octane offense through the ?rst four games. The Nittany Lions are averaging 55.5 points per game, best in the nation, and have produced 400 or more yards of total offense in three of their ?rst four games.
All-Big Ten quarterback Trace McSorley is completing 53 percent of his passes thus far (57-of-106) for 763 yards and eight touchdowns. The senior is also the team’s second leading rusher with 235 yards and six touchdowns.
Miles Sanders has been productive at running back, posting 80 yards or more in all four games, capped by his 22-carry, 200-yard performance last week in a 63-24 win over Illinois. On the season, Sanders has 495 yards and is averaging 7.0 yards per carry.
The duo of KJ Hamler and Juwan Johnson lead the receiving corps. Hamler is the team leader in yards (170) and TDs (three) while Johnson has 12 catches for 141 yards and one score.
Defensively, linebacker Jan Johnson leads the way with 24 tackles – 13 solo – and also has one interception. Defensive end Shareef Miller has six tackles-for-loss and three sacks and is the team leader in both catagories.
