Saturday Blitz
Fansided

Penn State vs Akron: Preview, predictions, live stream and more

By Connor Muldowney

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Trace McSorley #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks on against the USC Trojans during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Quarterback Trace McSorley #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions looks on against the USC Trojans during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Saturday’s Penn State vs Akron game will be a nice early test for the Nittany Lions. Here’s everything you need to know.

After making an incredible run to the Big Ten title game last year, Penn State opens the 2017 season Saturday in Happy Valley. The Nittany Lions open as overwhelming favorites against MAC foe Akron. Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley are poised to lead this team to the College Football Playoff this season.

However, they will have to get through a gauntlet in an ever-improving Big Ten. The East division, in particular, has grown increasingly tough. Although Akron isn’t at the caliber of conference teams they’ll play this season, they will still be a nice warm-up opponent.

Akron, on the other hand, went just 5-7 a season ago after a decent 5-3 start to the campaign. The Zips missed out on a bowl game and it could have had something to do with the fact Thomas Woodson, the team’s starting quarterback, missed five games with an injury. He will have a talented running back in Warren Ball behind him this season to take some pressure off.

Will the Zips give Penn State all it can handle on Saturday?

Here’s how to watch Saturday’s Penn State vs Akron game online:

Date: Saturday, Sept. 2
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: University Park, Penn.
Venue: Beaver Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to victory

Penn State had one of the best offenses in the Big Ten in the second half of the 2016 season. That will need to show up early and often on Saturday in order to take care of business against the Zips. The only real key in this one will for McSorley and Barkley to exploit the Zips’ horrendous defense. This one shouldn’t be all that close, so no real secret here.

Honestly, for Akron to have a chance in this one, the Zips are going to either need to find a way to slow down Barkley, which might not even stop the offense, or win the turnover battle. Not just win the turnover battle by one, but convincingly. The Nittany Lions have a solid offense and it’s going to take some luck to beat this team.

Next: College Football: Top 50 breakout candidates for 2017

Prediction

This one isn’t going to be all that close, and the Nittany Lion offense is going to be to thank for that. The Zips’ defense ranked 114th in the country last season and that’s music to McSorley’s and Barkley’s ears. Akron just doesn’t have the firepower to keep up with Penn State and it will show early on as the Nittany Lions head into the halftime locker room with a 27-3 lead.

Final Score: Akron 13, Penn State 48

Home/Penn State Nittany Lions