Penn State Football: Nittany Lions host Appalachian State to start season
Penn State football begins its 2018 campaign with a home matchup against Appalachian State.
After months of previewing, predicting, discussing, and speculating, it’s finally time for Penn State football to get out on the field. The Nittany Lions kick off their 2018 season with a non-conference matchup on September 1 with Appalachian State.
Fans will flock to Beaver Stadium to watch the No. 10 Nittany Lions begin a season in which there are high expectations. Despite losing some big names on both sides of the ball, Penn State has a lot of talent returning. The Nittany Lions will look to keep rolling after two consecutive 11-win seasons.
Senior quarterback Trace McSorley enters his final season as one of the best returning quarterbacks in the nation. He has also already cemented himself as one of the best quarterbacks in Penn State history.
He’s the leader of a high-powered offense and enters the 2018 season with a streak of 28 games with at least one touchdown pass.
Although McSorley will be missing wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton and tight end Mike Gesicki to throw to, guys like Juwan Johnson, DeAndre Thompkins and redshirt freshmen Mac Hippenhammer and KJ Hamler are ready to step up.
It will be interesting to see in Week 1 if anyone quickly steps up as McSorley’s top target.
The obvious hole on offense will be at running back, due to the departure of Saquon Barkley. Week 1 will represent the first opportunity to see new starter Miles Sanders as the leader of the running game.
Penn State lost a large portion of it’s defense for this season, but just like on offense, there are plenty of talented guys ready to step up. The Week 1 matchup with Appalachian State will mark a good chance for defensive coordinator Brent Pry to see what he has in the defensive cupboard.
Speaking of Appalachian State, the Mountaineers have only been an FBS team since the 2014 season. A member of the Sun Belt Conference, Appalachian State has accrued a respectable record of 37-14 in the schools first four years of play at the Division I level.
When the Mountaineers visit Happy Valley, they will be looking to capture the magic of the 2007 team that pulled off one of the biggest upsets in college football history against No. 5 Michigan.
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Of course, Penn State fans are not interested in being any part of that type of history. Realistically, the Nittany Lions should be able to take care of business against Appalachian State and start the 2018 season off with a win.