| 2014 Northwestern Football -- Game Four |
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| Northwestern (1-2, 0-0 Big Ten) at Penn State (4-0, 1-0 Big Ten) |
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| Date | Saturday, Sept. 27 | 11 a.m. CT |
| Location | Beaver Stadium (106,572) | University Park, Pa. |
| TV: | Big Ten Network | BTN2Go |
| Gametracker | NUsports.com |
| Radio | WGN720 & 87.7 FM The Game | WNUR Online |
| Game Notes | Northwestern  | Penn State
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| Social Media | @NU_SportsLIVE  | @NUFBFamily | Facebook  |
| Buy 2014 Season Tickets |
888-GO-PURPLE | Online Ticket Office |
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern looks to begin the Big Ten season on a winning note while knocking the Penn State Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0) from their standing as one of 25 remaining unbeaten FBS programs when the 'Cats visit Beaver Stadium Saturday (11 a.m. CT, BTN).
The game will be carried live to a national audience on the Big Ten Network, and fans can also choose to watch the game online or on their mobile devices via BTN2Go. On the radio, the game can be found on WGN720 or 87.7 FM The Game in Chicago or TheGameChicago.com, with the veteran tandem of Dave Eanet and Ted Albrecht calling the action from Beaver Stadium.
This season marks the first time the Wildcats opened a year with three straight home games since 2007, when NU's initial road test was played on Sept. 22 at Ohio State. This Saturday's trip to Happy Valley stands as the deepest into the month of September that Northwestern has gone before its first road game since the 1986 season, when NU also played its first road game on Sept. 27.
College Football Coaches Support Coach to Cure MD
On Saturday, the Northwestern and Penn State coaching staffs will be wearing Coach to Cure MD patches this week to raise awareness and funding for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy research. More than 110 FBS schools will be wearing a Coach to Cure MD patch in this the seventh year of the annual initiative. Fans are encouraged to donate online at www.CoachtoCureMD.org or donate $5 by texting CURE to 90999.
Northwestern Game Notes
Pat Fitzgerald has yet to defeat Penn State in his head coaching career (0-5) but is 1-0 in head-to-head matchups with first-year PSU head coach James Franklin. The Wildcats topped Franklin's Vanderbilt Commodores, 23-13 in September, 2012, at Ryan Field. Northwestern is seeking its first victory in the series with PSU since a 14-7 win in Happy Valley on Nov. 6, 2004.
Odenigbo Enters Big Ten Record Books
Sophomore defensive end Ifeadi Odenigbo proved to be too much for Western Illinois to handle in pass protection last weekend, allowing Odenigbo to tie a Big Ten Conference record with three forced fumbles in a single game. Before Saturday, the feat had been achieved only three times in league history (listed below) and was accomplished just once in FBS action for the duration of the 2013 season (Buffalo's Khalil Mack vs. Miami (Ohio), Nov. 13, 2013).
Three Forced Fumbles in One Game -- Big Ten Conference History
Ifeadi Odenigbo, NU, vs. Western Illinois (Sept. 20, 2014)
Bob Sanders, IOWA, vs. Minnesota (Nov. 15, 2003)
Antoine Winfield, OSU, at Pittsburgh (Sept. 23, 1995)
Jerry Hartman, MICH, vs. Indiana (Oct. 21, 1967)
In addition to his trio of forced fumbles, Odenigbo finished the game with 2.0 sacks, one fumble recovery and three tackles. Remarkably, exactly half of Odenigbo's career tackles (7.5 of 15.0) have resulted in a sack of the opposing quarterback.
Gradone Garners Big Ten Specialist of the Week Honors
Junior punter Chris Gradone played a key role in helping Northwestern win the field position battle against Western Illinois last week and was rewarded with Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors as a result. Gradone planted six of his seven punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line -- doubling his previous single-game high of three kicks inside the 20 -- and averaged a career-best 44.1 yards per punt on the day. Over the last two games, Gradone has averaged 43.0 yards on his 15 punts.
Northwestern's special teams defense has come up big in recent weeks, recording three blocked kicks over the last two games. Against Western Illinois, NU redshirt freshman Keith Watkins II came up with the Wildcats' first blocked punt in nearly two years (vs. Iowa, Oct. 27, 2012) before Max Chapman knocked down a WIU field goal attempt just before halftime. In week 2 vs. Northern Illinois, it was Nick VanHoose who batted down an extra point try. Northwestern is one of six teams in the country to have blocked at least three kicks so far in 2014.
The absence of C.J. Robbins against Western Illinois resulted in the versatile Lowry earning a starting nod at D-tackle. Junior Max Chapman replaced Lowry and made the most of his first career start at D-end, registering 2.0 tackles for loss. Also in Robbins' stead, senior Chance Carter saw an increased role and recorded a career high six tackles. For the season, Northwestern is limiting opposing runners to 3.1 yards per rush, good for sixth among Big Ten teams.
After strong performances throughout training camp, true freshman tailbacks Justin Jackson and Solomon Vault earned significant carries beginning in week one and shined in their increased roles last week vs. Western Illinois. The tandem accounted for all three Northwestern touchdowns in the 24-7 victory, with Vault scoring on runs of 1 and 11 yards and Jackson finding the end zone with a dynamic 21-yard dash in the third quarter. For the season, the two are averaging a combined 4.53 yards per attempt on the ground.
Penn State Notes
After beginning the year by edging Central Florida (26-24) at Croke Park in Dublin, Ireland, Penn State has returned to the States and secured wins over Akron, Big Ten-newcomer Rutgers (13-10) and winless Massachusetts. The Nittany Lions are positioned as the second team outside both the AP and USA Today college football rankings, receiving 81 and 67 votes in the two polls, respectively.
Penn State's outstanding start to the season on the defensive side of the ball begins with PSU's ability to stop the run. The Lions lead the nation in rushing defense at 49.5 yards per game and limited their most recent opponent, UMass, to just three rushing yards on Saturday. In addition to leading the nation in rushing defense, the Nittany Lions rank sixth in scoring defense (11.0 ppg) and 10th in total defense (270.8 ypg). In the past 12 quarters of football, Penn State has allowed just two offensive touchdowns. Collectively, the Nittany Lions have yielded 12.38 rushing yards per quarter during the 2014 season.
Sophomore quarterback Christian Hackenberg is eighth in the nation in passing yards (1,261) and 13th in the nation in passing yards per game (315.3 ypg), best in the Big Ten in both categories. WR DaeSean Hamilton is 14th nationally (second in the Big Ten) in receiving yards with 402. He ranks 13th in the nation and first in the Big Ten with 7.5 receptions per game.
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