Game 6 Preview: Penn State @ Purdue

Gametime: 12:00 pm

Records: Penn State: 5-0 (1-0), Illinois: 2-2 (0-0)

Series Record: Penn State leads, 9-3-1

TV: ESPN

Audio: Here

Weather: Sunny, 0% chance of rain, high of 70. Nice.

Last week we broke down Penn State's offensive unit against the Illinois D and vice versa. This week, we think a couple of nice, short bullet points will illustrate some things (if you read the roundtable.... act like you didn't for a minute).

Purdue Stat Rankings:

• 11th in the conference in pass defense (244.8 ypg)
• 11th in the conference in run defense (194.5 ypg)
• 10th in the conference in scoring defense (26.2 ppg)
• 11th in the conference in rushing offense (125.8 ypg)
• 1st in the conference in passing offense (278.2 ypg)
  

Obviously when you play in a conference called "The Big Ten" and you are 11th in a lot of statistical categories, that's not good. And I'm sure of all you know by now that we are first in the conference in scoring offense (yes, it's been mentioned once or twice or 5,000 times in the national media this week). So, without getting too in-depth here, we like our chances on offense.

Of course, as some of you astute readers may have observed, one of those numbers is not like the other. Purdue can light it up through the air, and they have some major weapons in the passing game. A trio of seniors leads the way. Quarterback Curtis Painter can chuck the ball around very nicely, as he has 1,113 yards and 5 touchdowns through the air so far this season. Wide receiver Desmond Tardy and tight end Greg Orton are Painter's favorite targets, as they've combined for 48 receptions and 653 yards.

So obviously, Purdue can air it out. But that's Joe Tiller's system, that's their game, and it has only worked out to the tune of a 2-2 record this season. As you can see, their offense is not balanced well, as they barely have a running game. So the task for the defense is simple: shut down the passing game. The Lions are second in the conference with 15 sacks so far, so if they can continue to get into the backfield and disrupt Painter, the secondary's job will be easier. The defense was not stellar last week, but we think they'll be focused on the pass game this week and they'll get the job done.


Purdue Player To Watch: Wide Receiver Greg Orton
Orton is one of the big targets out wide for Painter. He was the leading receiver returning from last year's squad, and while Tardy has emerged as a legitimate threat, Orton is still a beast at 6'3" and 199. The secondary will have to put a lot of effort in taking him out of the game.

Penn State Player(s) To Watch: Derrick Williams
Hey, we could pick a lot of guys for this. Royster would be a great candidate because of the Purdue run D. But this is completely out of respect for Williams' insane performance last week. He needs to keep it up and be the leader of the offense, especially with Norwood still questionable for the game. Williams can affect the game in so many ways, and he really can change games. We're looking for another big performance from #2.

3 Bold Predictions:

• Royster will have 150 yards on the ground, to go with his 2 TDs
  
• Daryl Clark will pass for 2 touchdowns and rush for another
  
• Joe Tiller will really start looking forward to fishing
  

Other Notes:

• Penn State is 4-2 all time at Ross-Ade Stadium

To sum everything up, we think that Purdue may put up some points, but they will come late in an effort to catch up. The Penn State offense is going to continue to roll, and look for a giant game from Evan Royster and also for Derrick Williams to continue the fireworks from last week. Sorry Purdue fans, looks like the train is about to be derailed.

Uh-oh.

Game Prediction: Penn State 38, Purdue 21