Penn State Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Idaho in Week 1

Penn State football kicks off its 2019 season at home against the Idaho Vandals on Saturday. It’s time to get bold ahead of the first game.

There have been high expectations put onto Penn State this season, so this Week 1 matchup against the Idaho Vandals should be a decent tuneup for the Nittany Lions.

While Paul Petrino’s record as the head coach for Idaho is quite underwhelming (23-48 in six seasons), he brings a team that has a very solid, and experienced offense.

It’s time to get bold.

3. Sean Clifford impresses in first career start

Penn State is going to throw the ball early and often against Idaho. Sean Clifford needs to get off to a strong start to gain some momentum heading into his first Big Ten season as the starting quarterback for Penn State.

Idaho’s defense is poor to say the least. Last season, Idaho gave up an average of 37.5 points per game against FCS competition. That ranked them 109th in the FCS. Adding insult to injury, Idaho will be without one of their best defensive players, Christian Ellis, because of a one-game suspension due to an off the field incident.

Idaho is bringing on 10 defensive transfers this season, however. Three of those guys are coming from FBS programs, including two from Boise State.

I believe Clifford will throw the ball about 30 times against Idaho, tearing up the weak Vandals secondary. He will throw for 278 yards and four touchdowns.

2. Justin Shorter has big debut

Justin Shorter will be one of the most important impact freshmen Penn State has had in some time. He’s a five-star wide receiver who has huge play potential and he was the top recruit in the state of New Jersey.

It’s crucial for Penn State that Shorter comes into Happy Valley and has a strong impact immediately, because the receiving corps is relatively thin with depth. KJ Hamler, now a sophomore, will be leading the way for this group, but it’s crucial Shorter steps up and helps Clifford get his feet under him in his first year as starter.

Shorter will grab six receptions for 97 yards and two touchdowns.

1. Micah Parsons dominates

Micah Parsons is returning for his sophomore season and leading the Penn State defense. Last season, Parsons led the team with 83 tackles. He also became the first true freshman linebacker to start a game for Penn State since Cam Brown in 2016.

Parsons is looking to have a big sophomore season, and I believe he’ll come out with a bang. Idaho has a decent running game, but Parsons will dominate the line of scrimmage

Micah Parsons will finish with eight tackles, 1.5 TFL, and 0.5 sacks.

Prediction: Penn State will cruise to an easy season opening victory vs. Idaho. Clifford will dominate offensively, while Parsons dominates defensively. Penn State will win 52-6.