Penn State Football beats Ball State if this happens, Cardinals do if that does

What it will take for Penn State Football to take care of the Cardinals and Ball State’s biggest key to beating the Nittany Lions in the first home game in Beaver Stadium since 2019.

There is one simple key for both Penn State Football and Ball State to win Saturday’s Nittany Lions home opener, and we will look at those key’s in this week’s “We Win If, They Win If” column.

For more Cardinal matchup coverage, click here for the bold predictions, players that need to step up and reasons for optimism and worry.

Last week, we’re claiming victory on our prognostication.

While Penn State Football did not rush for 120 yards (and weren’t even close), we said Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz couldn’t turn it over.  Oops … Mertz threw two very costly interceptions, and had at least one red zone fumble, and likely was charged with two.

So, for those keeping score at home, VBR, like PSU, is 1-0 on the year.

Here are Penn State Football’s and Ball State’s biggest keys to victory

Ball State wins if: Justin Hall steals the show

Simply, Justin Hall must go off.

Hall’s the active leader in the FBS in receptions, and has almost 3,000 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. And he started this year hot as well, catching eight passes for 137 yards and two touchdowns last week vs Western Illinois.

The Penn State Football secondary obviously won the game last week, and you know they’re excited for this match-up.

For Ball State to win, Justin Hall must find the end zone twice.