Oct 16, 2001
Just three years ago, Penn State would have been a heavy favorite in a matchup with Northwestern.
In a reversal of fortunes, it is the No. 22 Wildcats who are in the running for a conference title and the Nittany Lions who are still seeking their first win as the Big Ten teams meet Saturday.
While seeking its fifth straight win at Ryan Field, Northwestern (4-1, 2-1) is looking to prevent Penn State coach Joe Paterno from tying Paul "Bear" Bryant for the most coaching victories at the Division I-A level with 323.
Despite the Nittany Lions (0-4, 0-3) being off to the worst start in the school's 115-year history, Wildcats coach Randy Walker refuses to look at this game as an easy matchup.
"They're still Penn State and he's still called Joe Paterno," Walker said. "There's not a person I respect more."
After a brief absence from the AP Top 25, Northwestern returned with Saturday's 23-17 win over Minnesota.
The Wildcats' high-powered, fast-paced offense leads the Big Ten in total offense with 425.4 yards per game and ranks second in scoring with 30.2 points per game.
"I know our opponents do not like that tempo," Walker said of his team's no-huddle approach. "They like that tempo when they're in the huddle. They don't like it when we're standing on the line. It's hard to get ready for that."
Northwestern, 1-5 all-time against Penn State, will try to exploit one of the Big Ten's worst defenses. The Lions rank last in the conference against the run, providing senior running back Damien Anderson a chance to dominate after failing to meet the lofty expectations placed on him entering this season.
Though he is rushing for 108.6 yards per game, he hasn't posed the same threat from the backfield as he did last season when he finished second in the nation with 2,063 yards rushing.
While opponents have been guarding against Anderson with eight-man fronts, quarterback Zak Kustok has taken advantage of the scant secondaries. The senior has completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 1,132 yards and seven touchdowns.
Kustok will work against the conference's second-worst pass defense. The Nittany Lions are allowing 236.5 yards per game through the air.
Penn State isn't much better on offense.
While averaging 229.3 yards in total offense, the Nittany Lions are averaging just 40.8 yards rushing and 7.8 points per game.
"I think we have to figure out a way to make some plays," Paterno said. "We can't change the cast of characters. What we have to do is try to figure out a way to make some things happen or get them some more confidence in themselves."