Penn State vs. Purdue: 3 Bold Predictions for the Defense

Penn State Football vs Purdue: 3 Bold Predictions for the Defense

STATE COLLEGE, PENNSYLVANIA - SEPTEMBER 11: Penn State Nittany Lions captains Jonathan Sutherland #0, PJ Mustipher #97, Jaquan Brisker #1, and Rasheed Walker #53 take the field alongside a Blue Band twirler before the game against the Ball State Cardinals at Beaver Stadium on September 11, 2021 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

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Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Aidan O’Connell (Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports) /

The Purdue Offense Loves to Air it Out.

Anybody that has seen or heard about Purdue knows one thing, they love to throw the ball. The Boilermakers found success after naming Aidan O’Connell the starting quarterback after three games. O’Connell rewarded the coaching staff by averaging over 370 passing yards a game in nine starts.

As we all know, Penn State lost several players that carried a stingy defense. Penn State lost two players that were key in their pass defense with safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields.

Jaquan Brisker #1 of the Penn State Nittany Lions (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

The first-round draft pick Jaquan Brisker was an eraser in both phases of the defense. Brisker also had a knack for being in the right place at the right time. Tariq Castro-Fields was often left on an island, which led him to be drafted in the sixth round.

Ready for bold prediction number two? Bold prediction number two is….

Aidan O’Connell will throw for over 375 yards.

Why is this a bold prediction? Penn State’s worst game against the pass last year was against Maryland. In that game, Maryland was able to rack up 371 yards through the air. With several new faces and a new scheme, the defense could be apt to give up some yardage.

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