Penn State against Kent State: Prediction Roundtable

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STATE COLLEGE, PA – SEPTEMBER 01: Amani Oruwariye #21 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after intercepting a pass in overtime to clinch the win against the Appalachian State Mountaineers on September 1, 2018 at Beaver Stadium in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) /

Corey Hunter, Contributor

Penn State enters the game Saturday riding a wave of demotion after throttling in-State rival Pittsburgh.

The final score made many in and around State College quite happy. What the final score doesn’t show, though, are the deficiencies in some aspects of the Lions’ game. They have yet to put together a full 60 minutes on defense, and their veteran wide receivers have yet to make a significant impact on the game’s outcome.

Both of those factors can change this week as Kent State out of the MAC invades Beaver Stadium.

The Golden Flashes are a middling defense in the MAC, but their offense, especially their rushing attack, has been lights out. The area where Penn State has struggles the most – stopping the run.

While the outcome of the game is probably not in doubt, how the Nittany Lions defend the Kent State rushing attack will be of note.

Kent State features Sean Lewis, the youngest FBS head coach (31), and he has his hands full trying to turn around a squad that has lost at least 8 games the past five consecutive years.

Unfortunately, playing four of your first five games away from home and against the Big Ten’s Illinois and Penn State and the SEC’s Ole Miss, isn’t a great way to break the losing season trend. It won’t be as embarrassing as last Saturday, but for the first time this season, I will take Penn State laying the 35 points.

Penn State – 52
Kent State – 12

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