Penn State Football: causes for concern vs the Maryland Terrapins
By Nick Kreiser
Injuries up front
Penn State started backups at three out of five positions along the offensive line at Indiana, but they were still able to take care of business and dominate a far inferior team.
While they’re still an inferior opponent, Maryland is a better team than Indiana and the Nittany Lions are still dealing with injuries up front.
James Franklin officially announced that starting left guard Landon Tengwall is out for the season, and left tackle Olu Fashanu is still questionable. Last week, true freshman Drew Shelton made his first career start at left tackle in place of Fashanu, but that was his third appearance of the season and the staff may look to save his redshirt if possible.
Franklin said they're "hopeful" to have Caedan Wallace back this week which can help with trying to preserve redshirts. Freshman left tackle Drew Shelton has played in three games with one start.
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) November 8, 2022
JB Nelson is repping at LT and LG, Franklin said. "We'll see how that plays out"
JB Nelson performed well at left guard last week, but if he gets the start at tackle, will his performance carry over? Plus, how well will Caedan Wallace play after being sidelined for the past month?
Maryland does not have a great pass rush, but it’s better than Indiana’s. Defensive lineman Greg China-Rose is among the Big Ten’s leaders in sacks this season with four. They’re also a little better against the run than what the Nittany Lions’ patched together offensive line faced last week.
As you all know, games are almost always won and lost in the trenches, so if Penn State struggles up front due to missing multiple starters, it could give Maryland a shot at an upset.