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Penn State Football: Preview, prediction, live stream vs. Rutgers in Week 11

By Connor Muldowney

EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 04: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions leaves the field after a 27-24 loss to the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on November 4, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - NOVEMBER 04: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions leaves the field after a 27-24 loss to the Michigan State Spartans at Spartan Stadium on November 4, 2017 in East Lansing, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Penn State football will host Rutgers in a Week 11 game that doesn’t mean much in terms of postseason play, but the Nittany Lions need a win.

Coming off a tough loss at Michigan State which was fresh off a heartbreaking defeat at Ohio State, Penn State is looking to gain some momentum. Getting set back two games in the conference title race is definitely rough, especially since the Nittany Lions were trying to defend their title from last year.

Luckily for James Franklin and Co., the Nittany Lions host perennial bottom-dweller Rutgers. Saquon Barkley has a chance to run wild and keep his Heisman hopes alive. On the year, he has 864 yards and nine touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per touch. He will look to break the 1,000-yard mark for the third straight season. Trace McSorley has also had a great year, passing for 2,452 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Rutgers, on the other hand, is 4-5 on the season and 3-3 in conference play. The Scarlet Knights are fresh off a win over Maryland and are looking to carry that over into a Penn State upset. It won’t be easy with that lackluster offense, though.

The Scarlet Knights have shuffled through a couple of quarterbacks and Giovanni Rescigno is now leading the way. Gus Edwards has been one of the main bright spots on offense, though, rushing for 630 yards and six touchdowns, coming off his first 100-yard performance of the year.

Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Penn State vs. Rutgers game:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 11
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
Location: University Park, Penn.
Venue: Beaver Stadium
TV: Big Ten Network
Live Stream: BTN2Go

Keys to Victory

Penn State needs to feed Barkley. Far too often, the star running back doesn’t get the carries he deserves and James Franklin might realize that now. Against Rutgers’ mediocre defense, Barkley needs to get at least 20 carries and he will still get his targets in the pass game. Rutgers shouldn’t pose much of a threat to the Nittany Lions, but to avoid an upset, feeding Barkley early and often will be the top priority.

As for Rutgers, protecting Giovanni Rescigno in the pocket will be important. Penn State is going to bring a ton of pressure against the Scarlet Knights’ line and they must be ready for it. Rescigno hasn’t been all that effective this season, but he surely will be less effective under intense pressure. Keep him upright and give him some time to throw.

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Prediction

Sorry, Rutgers, this one isn’t going to be all that close. The Scarlet Knights just don’t have the firepower to keep up with Penn State. They have showed little life against Ohio State and Michigan this season and this defeat will be equally as ugly as the other two. Trace McSorley will pass for 300 yards again and Saquon Barkley will total nearly 200 yards of offense. All-in-all, this one will be over by halftime.

Final Score: Rutgers 7, Penn State 45

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