San Diego State football: 3 bold predictions for Northern Illinois game
By Zach Bigalke
3. Rashaad Penny will be held under 125 rushing yards
After taking over the starting role in the San Diego State backfield for the graduated Donnel Pumphrey, Rashaad Penny has lit up one defense after another. His lowest single-game output still netted 128 yards and three touchdowns on the ground in last week’s close call against Air Force.
He will find it tough to even reach that mark against Northern Illinois. The Huskies are giving up fewer than 100 yards per game on the ground to their opponents, and could make life difficult for Penny once again.
Look for Northern Illinois to consistently get into the backfield, as their defense averages 8.7 tackles for loss per game. San Diego State’s offensive line will have trouble containing Sutton Smith, Jawuan Johnson, and the rest of the NIU front seven. Penny will get a surprise as he is repeatedly met before the line of scrimmage by at least one Huskies tackler.
NIU won’t be able to stop Penny all game long, and he will still finish in triple digits running the ball. But for the first time this season, he will fail to top the 125-yard rushing mark in the stats sheet on a tough night at home.