Penn State opens as big favorite opposite Northwestern; Lions lead nation in PBUs: Newsstand
Penn State football news, notes, and updates for Sept. 26 include the opening spread for the Lions’ matchup with Northwestern plus an impressive college football stat the program leads in.
It’s time to dive into Monday’s top tweets and headlines about the Nittany Lions and college football.
Penn State tweets of the day
We start with how oddsmakers view the Penn State-Northwestern game. The Lions are a 25.5-point favorite. Though, VegasInsider shows that some sportsbooks are starting to move the number up to 27.5 or even 28. The Lions did not cover a four-touchdown spread last week. But, the Wildcats are 1-3 and have not looked good so far this season.
“Whatever it is, we just gotta do it,” Wildcats quarterback Ryan Hillinski told reporters. “We gotta figure it out. This is not Northwestern football.
“We just gotta come in and have that mindset that we want to get better, that we actually want to turn this ship around. ‘Cause if you don’t, get the eff out. It’s as simple as that. You shouldn’t be here if you don’t want to win.”
In other news, the Penn State secondary has been impressive this season. But, did you know that it has an incredible lead in one particular category?
Per the program’s communications department, the Lions now have 41 pass breakups through four games. The next closest team sits at just 25. And, Penn State only had 41 all of last year.
Finally, for this section, we’ll note that Penn State-Northwestern will air on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. The Lions also moved up in both polls following their 4-0 start. They are No. 11 in the AP top-25 and No. 12 in the Coaches Poll.
Headlines of the day
Is Penn State Rounding Into a Big Ten Contender?: Wogenrich, SI
Penn State’s disjointed offensive performance vs. Central Michigan explained: Film Study: Carr, BWI
The Middle Third Will Once Again Determine Penn State Football’s Fate: Poorman, Statecollege.com
It’s Penn State-Northwestern week: What channel is the game on, and when is kickoff? Early storylines and more: Pickel, BWI
Penn State football played “behind the sticks” against Central Michigan’s Cover 0 defense: Engle, Daily Collegian
How did Penn State’s players perform vs. Central Michigan? PFF Snap Counts & Grades: Snyder, BWI
Undefeated Penn State climbs to 11th in the AP college football top 25: Philadelphia Inquirer
PSU win sets up distinct possibilities: Sunday Notebook: Bauer, BWI
Here are 5 takeaways from Penn State football’s 33-14 victory over Central Michigan: Sauber, CDT
Quote of the day
“I think for us on offense, we have to be able to run and pass effectively. When we get out of whack and do one too much compared to the other, that is where we are not at our best. We have to continue to mix in the run. Our screen game has been effective for us as well as movement in the pockets. We need to continue doing all those things, but it is not specific to one position or one guy, it is all of it.
“We must make sure that we can consistently run the ball against whoever we play, whether it is on the road in the SEC, or whether it is home non-conference. And we have to find a way to consistently be able to run the ball to stay on schedule, be as efficient as we can, and be explosive as an offense.”
–PSU coach James Franklin following the Lions’ win last weekend.
