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Penn State Football: causes for concern for the Nittany Lions’ road trip to The Big House

By Nick Kreiser

STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 01: Chop Robinson #44 of the Penn State Nittany Lions stands with teammates after the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium on October 1, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
STATE COLLEGE, PA - OCTOBER 01: Chop Robinson #44 of the Penn State Nittany Lions stands with teammates after the game against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium on October 1, 2022 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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AUBURN, ALABAMA – SEPTEMBER 17: Place kicker Jake Pinegar #92 of the Penn State Nittany Lions kicks a field goal during their game against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 17, 2022 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images)
AUBURN, ALABAMA – SEPTEMBER 17: Place kicker Jake Pinegar #92 of the Penn State Nittany Lions kicks a field goal during their game against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on September 17, 2022 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Chang/Getty Images) /

Cause for concern #3 – the kicking game

Not only has Jake Pinegar struggled this year as Penn State’s placekicker, but Michigan’s placekicker–Jake Moody–is about as good as they come.

Pinegar has made just four out of six field goal attempts this year, and is 20/22 on extra points. One of those extra points was blocked, so that’s not his fault, but it’s still an issue within the kicking game.

Moody, on the other hand, was last year’s Lou Groza Award winner, which is handed out annually to the nation’s best kicker. He was perfect in extra point attempts last year and connected on 92% of his field goals. This year, he is once again perfect in the extra point category, but has regressed as he is 75% on field goals so far this year.

Regardless, he’s still converting at a higher rate than Pinegar is, and in a matchup like this, every point is crucial and one or two missed kicks could be the difference.

Prior to the Auburn game, I wrote that the kicking game was a cause for concern for that matchup, only for Pinegar to impress in that one as he was perfect on the day, including a 48 yarder. Hopefully, he has a similar performance this week and once again proves me wrong.

Must Read. Penn State Football records on the cusp of being broken. light

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