Penn State vs. Army Prediction, Game Preview

The offense might be taking baby steps forward, and it might not be the prettiest-looking product, but Penn State (3-1) has rebounded from the loss to Temple to put together a nice string of wins to get back on track. This is still the easy part of the schedule against an Army West Point (1-3) team that’s not able to get the O going like it’s supposed to, and now has to deal with a very big problem. Check out the Penn State vs. Army prediction and game preview.

Penn State vs. Army Game Preview

Broadcast

Date: Saturday, Oct. 3
Game Time: 12:00 pm
Venue: Beaver Stadium, University Park, PA
Network: ESPNU

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Why You Need To Care

If Penn State is playing the way it has over the first month of the season, the defense shouldn’t have any problems shutting down the Black Knight attack to a dead stop. So now it’s all about whether or not the offense can keep progressing – or at least the passing game – after a solid performance against San Diego State. With a suddenly dangerous Indiana up next and the tip to Ohio State to follow, this is the last dress rehearsal.

Army has been close. Losing for Fordham was a problem, but the three losses were by a total of ten points before finally coming up with the first win of the season, taking down Eastern Michigan last week with everything starting to work like it’s supposed to. With Duke and Bucknell up next at home, there’s never a dull moment, but first, it’s going to try throwing Penn State a curveball.

Why Army Will Win

Is it possible the Black Knights can just sit on the ball? The running game will have a hard time getting moving against a tough Penn State front seven with the type of linebackers who can hang on and keep the option from breaking off anything big, but if the precision attack works just a little bit, then it’s possible the Black Knights might be able to hang on to the ball for close to 35 minutes and keep the D off the field. Penn State has been a disaster on third downs and doesn’t go on long, sustained drives. The Army D will have come up with one big play here and there – and then stay off the field.

Why Penn State Will Win

The offense should be able to do whatever it wants to. Christian Hackenberg finally started to find a groove last week against San Diego State, throwing for 328 yards with three scores, getting some big plays off of short passes with lots of yards after the catch. He had to with a running game that struggled to get going with just 72 yards on 34 carries. Against Army, Penn State will start out by pounding away, and then Hackenberg has to do what he did against the Aztecs and find his receivers on the move past the linebackers. It took a few weeks, but the O might finally be working.

Player Who Matters

Will Ahmad Bradshaw be ready to go? The Army quarterback suffered an ankle injury last week, and now A.J. Schurr has to be ready to try to run the attack. No matter what, the offense has to once again try to work around Aaron Kemper, a 5-6, 210-pound scooter of a back who took off for 140 yards against Eastern Michigan last week on just 12 carries. Army will need some pop from somewhere.

What’s Going To Happen?

Army’s offense won’t go anywhere. This is a horrible matchup for the Black Knights against a Penn State defensive front that’ll collapse into the backfield and stop the option before it can get going.