No. 2 Penn State football is coming off a Week 1 blowout against Nevada and is prepared to take on the FIU Panthers at home for the second week in a row. Both teams are coming off wins as FIU (1-0) beat Bathune-Cookman on Friday, Aug. 29. Head coach James Franklin is seeking his second win of the season while Panthers head coach Willie Simmons is hoping to knock off the Nittany Lions (1-0) and secure his first win against an FBS opponent in his first season as head coach.
Line: Penn State -41.5
Money Line: N/A
Over/Under: 53.5
Here are our staff's predictions for how Saturday's Nittany Lions v. Panthers contest plays out:
Josh Yourish
Penn State rolled to a Week 1 win over Nevada with a dominant defensive performance from the first string, but allowed Nevada to score a late touchdown and two-point conversion for a backdoor cover against the spread and to push the game over the total. Now, the Nittany Lions face an even bigger spread in Week 2 against Florida International, and have even less to prove. Penn State will cruise and take the foot off the gas early to let its young players get some run. I’ll be on the underdog this week.
Penn State 49, FIU 9
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Myles Hannak
The Nittany Lions cruised to a week one victory despite not covering the point spread that was set heavily in their favor. Penn State's winning ways will continue in this matchup and it might come closer to hitting its line.
The Panthers made a decisive statement victory before heading into Happy Valley when they defeated Bethune-Cookman 42-9 with a strong team rushing performance. However, the blue and white defense is more than capable of dismantling this threat. On the offensive side of the ball, it will need to establish a more feared ground game itself, with that likely being a point of emphasis for James Franklin after the Nevada game. With the combination of star running backs Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, both who tallied over 1,000 yards last season, Week 1 didn’t see the pair perform at their peak. At eight carries each, Allen gained 43 yards, while Singleton only reached 19 yards. No one on the roster having a rush over 15 yards.
The receiving core for Penn State thrived in Week 1 and is likely to do so again against FIU. The Nittany Lions once again secure a dominant victory.
Penn State 48, FIU 6
Sydney Ciano
Like Nevada, FIU should be no problem for Penn State to handle, especially at Beaver Stadium. Once taking a decent lead, expect backup players and freshmen to see some time on the field so James Franklin can assess live reps and further determine who will be consistent in the rotation later into the season. It'll be smooth sailing for the Nittany Lions after a relatively trouble-free Week 1. The only thing that can make this week even better is holding off any Panther touchdown hopes and a clean ending to the game that doesn't end in Franklin shouting at the refs.
Penn State 49, FIU 10