Penn State Nittany Lions Saved by David Joyner

Special Teams

Punter Alex Butterworth is a big loss for the Nittany Lions after he nailed 17 of his 51 punts inside the 20 and had 27 fair caught, but Chris Gulla and Daniel Pasquariello might have stronger legs. Whomever wins the job should be fine, they’ll just have to work on matching Butterworth’s accuracy and consistency.

September 22, 2012; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions kicker Sam Ficken (97) kicks a field goal in the second half and is congratulated by teammate guard Eric Shrive (75) against the Temple Owls at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Temple 24-13. Mandatory Credit: Rob Christy-USA TODAY Sports

Senior kicker Sam Ficken, meanwhile, is an incredible kicker who is back after nailing a 54-yarder last year, going 15 of 23 overall on field goals, and going 5 of 9 on field goals 40 yards and beyond. But he was inconsistent with 4 missed field goals under 40 yards and a missed extra points. One of those misses cost the Nittany Lions the an overtime game to Nebraska last year, so his clutch gene also has to be questioned. If Ficken can develop more mental toughness, he might be the best kicker in the conference. If not, well, his skill set is useless without him able to be a game-changer. Continue to Next Slide for Final Analysis and Prediction