No. 7 Penn State’s Big Ten play kicks off with a road trip to Illinois

No. 7 Penn State hits the road for the first time in 2023 for a noon kickoff at Memorial Stadium against unranked Illinois.

The 27th meeting between the two programs comes as both teams’ first Big Ten matchup of the early season. The Nittany Lions are on the hunt for redemption headed into Saturday’s game after they suffered a 20-18 nine overtime loss to the Illini in Beaver Stadium two years ago.

With a chance to take its revenge and kick off Big Ten play with a win on the road, here’s how Penn State and Illinois look head-to-head.

The Nittany Lions

In the 38-15 win against the Mountaineers, Penn State fans were exposed to the potential of the team’s passing game. Drew Allar and KeAndre Lambert-Smith’s connection on the field led a 332 total yards and three touchdowns air attack on the day.

The Nittany Lions ran away with a 63-7 dominant performance against Delaware after Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen looked unstoppable. Combined with the rest of the running back core and offensive line, Penn State ran for 316 yards and six touchdowns.

In summary, the offense has been nothing short of impressive as the season comes into full swing, but it hasn’t been the most impressive part of Penn State. That title goes to the defensive side of the ball, where the Nittany Lions average 11 points given up per game and 224 yards given up per game.

The run defense has been questioned as it has given up the fourth most rushing yards in the Big Ten. However, as Penn State continues to build on its turnover margin and implement a no-fly zone across the field, the run game can be worked on as the season progresses.

Daequan Hardy, Coziah Izzard and Amin Vanover were also in uniform for the first time in front of the media this season. This could be a sign of their return this weekend to bolster the defense’s deep talent.

The Illini

A new face is in town to lead Illinois, Luke Altmyer. Altmyer takes over as the starting quarterback and has settled right into his place in the offense with the fourth-ranked completion percentage Big Ten.

Not only does Altmyer throw the ball well, but he also presents a threat with his legs. The transfer from Ole Miss leads his team in rushing yards with 139, 72 of which came against Kansas for one of the longest quarterback touchdown runs in program history.

Surrounding Altmyer is his favorite target, Isaiah Williams, who ranks third in receptions and sixth in receiving yards in the Big Ten. Altmyer and Williams have connected on eight first-down receptions and continue to build their connection through every rep.

Even with a dual-threat quarterback with an established connection to one of the conference’s best wide receivers, the Illini sit at 1-1 on the season. Illinois defeated Toledo 30-28 in a second-half comeback that was capped off with a Caleb Griffin 29-yard game-winning field goal.

Headed into Kansas, Illinois found themselves in the same situation after the defense gave up four touchdowns before halftime. The deficit was too much to overcome for the Illini as Kansas’s rushing game had a field day with 284 yards rushing and two touchdowns.

The Matchup

No. 7 Penn State leads the all-time series 20-6 and is 12-2 when ranked within the AP top 25. The Nittany Lions have won six out of the last eight games, with one of the losses occurring the last time that these two teams met.

The Big Ten is known for winning and losing its games in the trenches, where the exact focus will be on this one.

Penn State has given up one sack through the first two games while it has also taken down quarterbacks seven different times. For Illinois, it has been the complete reverse, as its offensive line has given up eight sacks and generated three sacks on defense.

The Nittany Lions have been able to run the ball successfully with that success in the trenches as they lead the Big Ten in rushing yards and touchdowns. Singleton and Allen will face the worst rush defense in the conference, as Illinois has given up 224 yards per game and three total rushing touchdowns.

Illinois’s Orange Out will provide an advantage to the Illini to help cause turmoil on the Nittany Lions sideline and possibly pull off another stunning upset.

Kickoff between Penn State and Illinois is set for noon on Saturday with sunny skies and a high of 78 degrees in Champaign, Illinois.

Micheal Bolger is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email mpb6233@psu.edu.