Challenging trip to SEC country awaits Penn State

In its opener at Purdue, Penn State had to figure out a way to rally after falling behind by three points in the fourth quarter in a hostile road environment. The Nittany Lions did find a way, with super senior quarterback Sean Clifford leading an 8-play, 80-yard touchdown drive in the final minutes. Among the impressed onlookers was Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin.

When Harsin studied the Nittany Lions’ season opener, he saw more on the tape than just a trove of information about schematic tendencies and personnel. He also caught a glimpse of some attributes that are harder to quantify. He saw how the Nittany Lions responded when the momentum shifted, and how their leaders performed when the pressure was amplified. 

Behind Enemy Lines: Auburn in flux ahead of Penn State clash

“They were in a competitive environment,” Harsin said. “That was a big game for Penn State, and a credit to their team, they found a way to win. So, you see that, and I think you get a good idea about their team — how they play, how they fight, all those things.”

It’s a relevant topic this week, because there’s a good chance the Nittany Lions will be called on to do it again. They are set to face the Tigers in the second game of a home-and-home series that began last year with a 28-20 PSU victory at Beaver Stadium. It will be the Lions’ first visit to Jordan-Hare Stadium and their first SEC road trip since falling to Alabama 24-3 in 2010. 

Knowing what kind of environment his team will be entering on Saturday, Penn State coach James Franklin used the week of preparation for the Lions’ home opener against Ohio as an opportunity to also get ready for the Tigers.

“The guys were looking at me like I was crazy, the staff and the players,” Franklin said. “We went all silent count all last week in practice, with the music as loud as possible. Everybody was like, ‘We’re at home this week.’ Well, we were starting our preparation a week ahead without telling anybody that’s what we were doing.”

A close call in Week 2

Auburn has had its own gut check this season. After manhandling Mercer 42-16 in their opener, the Tigers struggled to put away visiting San Jose State last week. The Spartans led 10-7 at halftime, and Auburn seemed to be in trouble when junior quarterback T.J. Finley fumbled the snap on fourth-and-3 near midfield on its first possession of the second half.

But Finley was able to gather in the bouncing ball, and he flipped it to junior running back Tank Bigsby for 11 yards and a first down. 

Bigsby later scored the go-ahead touchdown on a 1-yard run. Auburn never trailed again, though its 24-16 victory wasn’t assured until San Jose State’s onside kick attempt with two minutes to play bounced out of bounds. 

So, while Harsin looks at his upcoming opponent and sees a team that’s already been tested this season, the Nittany Lions are doing likewise. “They’re going to look at our team and really say the same thing,” Harsin said. 

Another similarity: Both Penn State and Auburn boast talented backfields that will be looking to assert themselves on Saturday. Penn State freshman Nick Singleton flashed his breakaway potential last week against Ohio, while third-year sophomore Keyvone Lee scored the winning touchdown against the Boilermakers on a 10-yard pass reception. 

Auburn, meanwhile boasts a powerful runner in Bigsby, who is averaging 6.8 yards per carry and has scored 3 touchdowns through two games, and sophomore Jarquez Hunter, who leads the team with 4 scores already this year. 

Quarterback duo leads Auburn offense

The Tigers are also splitting up the quarterback duties, with Finley and redshirt freshman Robby Ashford both taking snaps now that last year’s starter, Bo Nix, is playing for Oregon. Finley, a transfer from LSU, has completed 64.7 percent of his attempts so far, but he’s thrown 3 interceptions and just 1 touchdown pass through two games.

Ashford is primarily a running threat, ranking second on the team with 129 yards and a gaudy average of 9.9 yards per attempt. 

Neither quarterback posted big numbers against San Jose State, and a Finley interception late in the first quarter gave the Spartans possession at the Auburn 28, setting up a field goal. Still, as Harsin noted, “We were good enough to win.”

“I thought T.J. bounced back from his interception and was able to do some things and really rally up,” Harsin added. “I thought [Ashford] ran the ball well and did some stuff when he needed to, scrambled around and made some plays. He bounced back from a turnover. That’s one thing as a quarterback, you’ve got to have a short-term memory in the games.”

Against Penn State, Harsin will be looking for his team to clean up some of last week’s mistakes. In addition to the turnovers, the Tigers were penalized 9 times for 85 yards in losses. A repeat of that performance could prove costly. “Penn State is really good,” Harsin said. “They play hard. We know they’re going to be well coached. We know they’re going to come in here and be ready to play. And so, it really comes back to us. We’ve got to do those same things.”