Penn State Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Northwestern
1. Saquon Barkley runs wild against Northwestern’s run defense
Saquon Barkley is a beast.
Whether it be as a rusher, a receiver, a kick returner or even as a wildcat quarterback, Barkley has proven time and time again that anytime he touches the ball he’s a threat to score a touchdown.
In Week 6, he’ll be facing off against one of the worst defenses in the Big Ten.
Currently ranked the No. 72 defense in the nation, Northwestern hasn’t found much success defending against either the run or the pass, and has given up a combined 101 points over its first four games of the season, which should be music to Barkley’s ears.
Over the first five games of the season, Barkley has scored eight touchdowns, four on the ground, two as a receiver, one as a kick returner and one as a quarterback, which just so happens to be the exact same number that Northwestern has surrendered so far this season.
Penn State’s offense, on the other hand, has recorded 24 offensive touchdowns in 2017, tied for the fifth-most in the nation, and the second-most in the Big Ten.
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And unlike many teams with a star player, they like to spread the ball around.
Penn State currently has 11 different players who have scored a touchdown this season, an incredibly impressive feat, and one that has allowed the team to field a varied attack that isn’t reliant on one specific player.
Even in games where Barkley was held to less than 100 yards rushing, the team hasn’t missed a step, with him often picking up the slack as a receiver out of the backfield.
Barkley currently leads the Nittany Lions in rushing yards (574), receiving yards (386) and in total yards (1,218), and could continue this trend with a big game in Evanston.
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Regardless of how Northwestern attempts to top stop Penn State’s 39th-ranked offense, whether it be eight men stacked in the box, or eight men dropped into coverage, expect Barkley to take what Northwestern gives him, and deliver another Heisman-caliber performance.