No. 13 Penn State heads into Saturday’s Big Ten matchup with Wisconsin riding a seven-game winning streak, and the Nittany Lions will try to keep that roll going as a double-digit favorite at Beaver Stadium.
If Penn State is going to control this one, a handful of players could tilt the day. The obvious place to start is the backfield, where Quinton Martin Jr. and Cam Wallace gave the offense a jolt last Saturday.
Martin and Wallace were the third and fourth running backs to get into the game against Buffalo, but they ended up delivering the two longest runs Penn State has had this season. Martin broke loose for 61 yards on a first-half carry and finished with 100 yards, while Wallace scored on a 59-yard run early in the fourth quarter.
Carson Hansen and James Peoples remain Penn State’s top two options on the ground, but offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser could lean on all four backs again if the Lions want to keep fresh legs in the mix.
Special teams also has a chance to matter in a Big Ten game that figures to be shaped by field position. Nathan Tiyce has been steady at punter, averaging 41.1 yards on nine kicks and putting three punts inside the opponent’s 20-yard line. Penn State’s punt coverage unit adds another layer with speedy cornerback Audavion Collins, who can help keep Wisconsin’s return game in check.
On defense, Tony Rojas stands out as one of the most complete linebackers in the country. The redshirt junior brings speed and athleticism that can show up against the run, as a blitzer and in pass coverage.
Up front, Vaea Ikakoula could also be a factor. The 6-3, 326-pound redshirt freshman handled most of the Buffalo game at center after starter Brock Riker left in the first quarter.
In Other News...
Penn State Just Got Fresh Fuel For Its Scheduling Debate
Penn States home date with Buffalo in Week 3 still drew a massive crowd by most college football standards, but the official attendance of 103,817 was the smallest at Beaver Stadium since 2019, not counting the fan-less 2020 season. It arrived at a time when the Nittany Lions non-conference schedule is already under a microscope, with plenty of noise around whether the program should be pushing harder for more demanding early-season matchups.
Matt Campbell said he has not yet discussed scheduling with the athletic director, and that sort of ambiguity only adds to a conversation that is likely to keep coming back as the sport changes. With the playoff format now expanded, future scheduling decisions may be viewed through a different lens, and Penn State is right in the middle of the debate over whether strong gate numbers are enough when the conversation turns to resume-building games. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Has A Personal Reason To Mourn Ernie Accorsi
Penn State has another familiar NFL tie to reflect on with the death of Ernie Accorsi at 84, a longtime league executive whose influence stretched well beyond the front office. Before his work as general manager of the Giants, Colts and Browns made him one of footballs most respected builders, Accorsi had already left his mark in State College as a Penn State player, a connection that gives his passing a more personal weight for the program.
Accorsis football life was defined by the kind of moves that changed franchises, from helping bring Tom Coughlin to New York to helping set up the draft-day path to Eli Manning. The Giants later credited him with helping shape their 2007 Super Bowl run, and his place in multiple halls of fame reflects how widely he was admired across the sport, including by those who knew him long before his NFL fame. [Read more 🡒]
Chase Sowells Path To Penn State Says Plenty About Matt Campbell
Chase Sowells decision to head to Penn State says as much about Matt Campbell as it does about the wide receivers own priorities. According to Sowells father, the receiver passed on bigger money from other schools, including Florida, to play for Campbell, a detail that fits the larger picture around this move. Campbell has long carried a reputation for building real trust with his players, and Penn State looks to be benefiting from that pull.
The Nittany Lions have already seen plenty of Iowa State players follow Campbell to State College, a sign that the coachs influence travels well beyond one roster. For Penn State, that kind of loyalty matters because it can help make a transition feel less like a reset and more like a continuation of something already established. Sowells path adds another layer to that trend, even if the full impact of the move will take time to sort out. [Read more 🡒]