NCAAF · 11 months ago

Penn State’s 5 Keys to Winning Against SMU in the CFP

TJ Inman

Host · Writer

5. Happy Valley Mojo
One of the key elements of the new 12-team College Football Playoff is home-field advantage for the better-seeded team in the first round. That means this is a home game in Beaver Stadium for Penn State. That kind of advantage needs to be a factor in this contest. The weather could be a factor, but the crowd MUST be a factor. Expect a lot of issues on offense for SMU created by the level of noise from the PSU faithful. This will be an atmosphere the Mustangs have not experienced before.

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1. Expose the SMU Defense
The SMU Mustangs have faced three opponents among the FBS’s top 25 adjusted offenses: TCU, Louisville, and Clemson. In those three games, the Mustangs allowed 34.3 points per game. Penn State is fourth in the nation in that metric, which is easily the best attack the Mustangs have faced all season. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and head coach James Franklin must trust their offense and attack the SMU defense. There is no place for conservative play-calling here, and if the Nittany Lions attack, they should find a lot of success.

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2. Feed Tyler Warren
The best way for Penn State to attack will probably be through one of the more unique and dangerous weapons in the College Football Playoff field: tight end Tyler Warren. The Mackey Award winner can take over games, and in a huge game like this, Penn State needs to ride its best offensive weapon. SMU has no one to slow Warren down, and Penn State needs to provide him with opportunities to make plays.
3. Dial Up the Pressure on Jennings
The Penn State Nittany Lions are seventh in the country in pass rush grading per Pro Football Focus, and that pass rush has to be dialed up on Saturday. Defensive coordinator Tom Allen loves to bring pressure, and he should have the chance to get after quarterback Kevin Jennings. Clemson caused the SMU offense many problems, but Jennings was often able to get out of the pocket and make a play on the run. Penn State will need to finish the pressure with a hit on Jennings a little better than the Tigers, but the opportunities will be there.
4. Make SMU One-Dimensional
SMU's running attack is dangerous and explosive, but the Penn State rush defense is capable of slowing it down. PSU is surrendering only 3.24 yards per rush, and its goal should be to make SMU’s attack one-dimensional by eliminating the running game. If they can do that and force SMU into obvious passing situations, it will make the Mustangs’ task of protecting Kevin Jennings nearly impossible.
5. Happy Valley Mojo
One of the key elements of the new 12-team College Football Playoff is home-field advantage for the better-seeded team in the first round. That means this is a home game in Beaver Stadium for Penn State. That kind of advantage needs to be a factor in this contest. The weather could be a factor, but the crowd MUST be a factor. Expect a lot of issues on offense for SMU created by the level of noise from the PSU faithful. This will be an atmosphere the Mustangs have not experienced before.

Stay ahead of the game and elevate your sports betting experience with SportsGrid.
1. Expose the SMU Defense
The SMU Mustangs have faced three opponents among the FBS’s top 25 adjusted offenses: TCU, Louisville, and Clemson. In those three games, the Mustangs allowed 34.3 points per game. Penn State is fourth in the nation in that metric, which is easily the best attack the Mustangs have faced all season. Offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki and head coach James Franklin must trust their offense and attack the SMU defense. There is no place for conservative play-calling here, and if the Nittany Lions attack, they should find a lot of success.

Have all the intel you need? Free actionable info is one click away! Sign up for our daily newsletter, SportsGrid Daily.

Penn State’s 5 Keys to Winning Against SMU in the CFP

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