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ESPN’s FPI predicts outcome of Penn State-Maryland game
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The Nittany Lions are sliding. After a 5-0 start and a climb up the polls to No. 4 in the country, Penn State has dropped 3 in a row.
The first came in a 23-20 loss to then-No. 3 Iowa on the road, during which Penn State lost starting quarterback Sean Clifford. A bye week afforded Clifford time to get back on the field for Penn State’s next game, a home clash with Illinois, but things didn’t click and the Nittany Lions dropped that one in a 9-overtime slugfest, 20-18. Last week, the No. 5 Ohio State Buckeyes beat Penn State 33-24.
This week, according to ESPN’s FPI, offers coach James Franklin and his squad an opportunity to get back on the right side of things. Facing a Terrapins squad that just snapped its own three-game losing streak last week with a 38-35 win over Indiana, Penn State is given a 79.6% chance of coming out with a win when it battles Maryland.
To do so, the Nittany Lions will have to wrangle in Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa, who rediscovered some of his early-season explosiveness against the sputtering Hoosiers. Tagovailoa threw for 419 yards and 2 scores in the win. The big thing was that he was clean in doing so. No interceptions, a 65% completion rate, and only 2 sacks served to highlight his big day.
On the season, Penn State has struggled to consistently put pressure on opposing quarterbacks. With 15 sacks in 8 games, the Nittany Lions rank 82nd nationally. That secondary will need help as it comes off a rough showing against Ohio State’s CJ Stroud. Stroud threw for 305 yards and a score last weekend.
The two will play in College Park with kickoff set for 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1. Both teams sit at 5-3 overall on the year and 2-3 in conference play.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.