Penn State and Washington battle in Seattle on Saturday for the first time in over a century. At least this time, the Nittany Lions flew to the West Coast. Penn State (4-4, 1-4 Big Ten) takes on the Huskies (5-3, 2-3) in a pivotal West Coast game, with both teams finally out of their rut.
Since the 2024 de facto Big Ten-Pac 12 merger, the Nittany Lions are 1-1 in cross-country road trips, beating USC and losing to UCLA. This will be their farthest trip yet and the first under head coach Matt Campbell.
What will it take to overcome the long travel and time-zone change to add to the win column? Here are three matchups that should decide Saturday’s game, starting with a unit that is Penn State’s crown jewel.
Penn State’s secondary vs. Washington’s receivers
Penn State’s defense ranks third nationally, allowing 141.4 passing yards per game. Washington’s passing offense ranks 21st in the country, throwing for 276.8 yards per game. The Huskies are also one of three Big Ten teams with two receivers (Chris Lawson, Dezmen Roebuck) who have eclipsed 500 receiving yards.
This is a strength-on-strength matchup. What makes it so interesting is Washington’s inability to run the football and the Nittany Lions’ struggle to halt the ground game. The Huskies rank 135th of 138 FBS teams in rushing offense (95 ypg). Intriguing, especially given their quarterback is a dynamic dual-threat.
But it;s also eye-catching because Washington is 23rd nationally in explosive plays (15.18 percent), meaning the passing game substantially inflates that number. So Penn State’s dynamic cornerback duo of Audavion Collins and Daryus Dixson will have their hands full.
The formula seems simple: Stop the Huskies air raid to halt their offense.
Linebacker Tony Rojas vs. quarterback Demond Williams Jr.
Williams isn’t having quite the season on the ground that many expected. He’s averaging just 26 rushing yards per game, but that doesn’t make stopping him any less important. And Penn State has just the guy to do it.
It wouldn’t be shocking to see defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn deploy linebacker Tony Rojas as a quarterback spy for several snaps. Rojas’ speed is the perfect match for Williams’ scrambling ability.
Penn State’s defense has been pierced by dual-threat quarterbacks the past two seasons. Temple’s Jaxon Smolik ran for 71 yards on seven carries. UCLA’s Nico Iamaleava ran 16 times for 128 yards and three touchdowns in last year’s upset. And Iowa’s Mark Gronowski ran for 130 yards and two touchdowns.
In two of those games (UCLA and Iowa), that’s been the difference. While Lynn wasn’t Penn State’s defensive coordinator last year, he clearly understands the importance of keeping Williams in the pocket.
Rojas, who leads Penn State in tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (five), will determine how the Nittany Lions perform defensively against the Huskies.
Running back Cam Wallace vs. Washington’s run defense
Penn State running back Cam Wallace is fresh off the best game of his career, rushing for 135 yards and a touchdown on 22 carries against Purdue. He also helped in the passing game, making three catches. For Penn State’s offense to repeat its 31-point performance against Purdue, he’ll need to find similar success.
The Nittany Lions’ coaching staff has practically been begging a running back to take the reins all season. Wallace has the chance to do that Saturday. Washington’s rushing defense is in the middle of the Big Ten pack, allowing 131.3 ypg to rank 11th in the conference and 54th in the country.
It can be exploited, but it’s also better than Purdue’s. Wallace (5-9, 206 pounds) isn’t the biggest back, but he added some explosiveness Penn State’s offense has yearned for all season against the Boilermakers.
If Wallace can do it again, Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht should have a much easier day. Remember that Becht has committed five turnovers in his last two road games.
The Penn State-Washington game kicks off at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Husky Stadium in Seattle. FS1 will televise.
Sign up to our free Penn State Nittany Lions newsletter, follow us on social media and add Penn State on SI as a Preferred Source on Google.
Add us as a preferred source on Google
