College Sports

College football preview: Penn State at Northwestern

Posted October 21, 2011 12:00 am

By Mikc McGraw

mmcgraw@dailyherald.com

Penn State (6-1, 3-0) at Northwestern (2-4, 0-3)

When: 6 p.m. Saturday at Ryan Field

TV: BTN

Radio: WIND 560-AM, WNUR 89.3-FM.

Series: Penn State leads 11-3, and won 35-21 last season.

Coaches: Pat Fitzgerald (36-33, sixth year at NU); Joe Paterno (407-136-3, 46th year at Penn State).

Players to watch: Penn State DT Devon Still is second in the Big Ten with 10 tackles for loss. Sophomore RB Silas Redd is fourth in the league in rushing with 100.7 yards per game. ... NU senior WR Jeremy Ebert made a career-high 13 receptions for 107 yards last week at Iowa.

The skinny: Northwestern needs to get its act together soon in order to reach six wins and become bowl eligible. The defense continued to struggle at Iowa last Saturday, giving up 24 points in the fourth quarter of a 41-31 loss. Except for a 27-11 loss to No. 2 Alabama, Penn State hasn’t allowed more than 18 points in a game this season. The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten with 17 forced turnovers.

Fast fact: One more victory would tie Penn State coach Joe Paterno with Grambling’s Eddie Robinson with 408 career wins — second all-time in college football history behind John Gagliardi of Saint John’s (Minn.).

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