Penn State vs Auburn, Sept. 17, 2022
What does Penn State have for an encore after a big win over Auburn? The Lions are hefty favorites in their bid to resume the dominance that showed up against both Auburn and Ohio, as they welcome Central Michigan to Beaver Stadium for a noon kick. Penn State has been installed as a 26-point favorite to handle the Chippewas and improve to 4-0 to start the 2022 season.
In all likelihood, the outcome on Saturday won’t be in doubt for long, though Central Michigan is no pushover. With that in mind, the focus could shift early to getting young players time, furthering other goals, and putting together a sharp, well-executed game plan.
Here’s a look at key stats for Penn State-Central Michigan and predictions for the game from PennLive staff and guests.
2022 record: 3-0 (1-0 Big Ten)
2021 record: 7-6 (4-5 Big Ten)
Last time out: W, 41-12 at Auburn
Total offense rank: No. 26 (485.0 ypg)
Passing: Sean Clifford 53-83, 673 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Nick Singleton 30 rush, 334 yards, 4 TD
Receiving: Brenton Strange 9 rec., 169 yards, 1 TD
Interceptions: Ji’Ayir Brown and Zakee Wheatley, 1
Last time out: W, 41-0 vs. Bucknell
Total offense rank: No. 33 (476.3 ypg)
Passing: Daniel Richardson 73-127, 889 yards, 7 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Lew Nichols III 71 rush, 258 yards, 5 TD
Receiving: Jalen McGaughy 11 rec., 200 yards, 2 TD
TFLs: Thomas Incoom and Michael Heldman, 4.5
Interceptions: Caleb Spann and Trey Jones, 1
PennLive Penn State reporter Bob Flounders works during Big Ten Football Media Days held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, In. on July 22, 2021. Joe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.comJoe Hermitt | jhermitt@pennlive.com
As the month of September draws to a close for Penn State’s football program, the heavy lifting is over regarding the Nittany Lions’ non-conference schedule.
PSU’s 41-12 throttling of Auburn last Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium was the Lions’ second impressive road performance in 2022. That victory and the season-opening win at Purdue look good on the Lions’ resume.
James Franklin’s squad still must deal with an October that includes matchups with Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State, but a PSU victory over Central Michigan on Saturday at Beaver Stadium would cap a September to remember.
And it is hard to imagine any other result.
PLAYERS ON THE SPOT: Penn State middle linebackers Tyler Elsdon and Kobe King. The Chippewas are going to need a huge game from feature back Lew Nicholls III, a 222-pounder who ran for 1,848 yards a year ago. He’s off to a slow start this season and the Lions’ front seven must limit Nicholls’ production.
DON’T BE SURPRISED IF ... PSU wideout KeAndre Lambert-Smith finds the end zone at least once. He is a big-play threat who hasn’t scored since Week 1. But … that was a nice throw to Sean Clifford last week, right?
THE PICK: It’s difficult to imagine the Chippewas’ defense holding the Lions to 40 points or less. PENN STATE 52, CENTRAL MICHIGAN 10.
One of those sleepy noon September starts that normally might be a hammock game you’d keep an eye on. Central Michigan is a well-coached MAC team led by a big-name former SEC coach in Jim McElwain and a seasoned staff. The Chippewas lost most of their defense from a 9-4 team that beat Washington State in the Sun Bowl. But OC Paul Petrino still can deploy an experienced and talented offense. They will not be intimidated or easily demoralized, witness a 58–44 loss at Oklahoma State in which they kept battling from a 51-15 deficit early in the 3Q. Still, considering how many talented young Nittany Lions are battling for playing time, I don’t expect a lull in energy from PSU. Expect a blinking scoreboard.
PLAYERS ON THE SPOT: CMU’s young defensive back seven has been exposed, not just @Oklahoma State but in a 38-24 home loss to South Alabama in which the Jaguars racked up 502 net yards and 30 first downs. This is a track meet they cannot win
DON’T BE SURPRISED IF … Central Michigan’s offense looks better than Auburn’s — maybe a lot better. Miami-bred quarterback Daniel Richardson would be playing in the SEC or ACC if he wasn’t 5-9. He’s a pocket QB who keeps his poise, makes quick reads and throws darts. And diligent soph RB Lew Nichols could easily be at a bigger school next year. He runs southbound, has a little burst and can truck lighter defenders at 220 pounds.
THE PICK: I haven’t even seen the O/U number and I love the over. No matter the score in-game, James Franklin will get all his teenage newcomers a ton of run and that should keep everyone bouncy.Penn State 59, Central Michigan 24.
Last week, expectations were changed for this Penn State season. The Nittany Lions’ thorough demolition of Auburn on national television put a lot of people on notice about James Franklin’s 2022 team. What was an unranked squad in the preseason now sits 14th in the Associated Press top 25 poll after three weeks. And the path to a place in the top 10 — maybe even the top five or six — before the bye week is attainable.
But before Penn State’s Big Ten home opener against Northwestern, before its subsequent off week and before that momentous Oct. 15 trip to Michigan, the Nittany Lions have to take care of business against Central Michigan.
PLAYERS ON THE SPOT: Penn State’s front-four. Central Michigan allowed 13 tackles for loss in its Week One loss to Oklahoma State. Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac and Dani Dennis-Sutton could have a field day.
DON’T SURPRISED IF ... Parker Washington, Mitchell Tinsley and KeAndre Lambert-Smith all find the end zone. Washington has yet to score a touchdown this season, and none of Penn State’s three top receivers had more than four catches at Auburn. Central Michigan’s pass defense should provide plenty of chances for Washington, Tinsley and Lambert-Smith to show off their ability after the catch.
THE PICK: Riding high off the Auburn win, the worry is Penn State could come out flat for this noon kickoff against an inferior opponent. But I don’t think that happens. A week after being more of a game manager, expect Sean Clifford to air it out early and often. Then, the running game closes it out in convincing fashion. Penn State 45, Central Michigan 17
Penn State returns home after their impressive blowout win over Auburn. The road victory was the best overall performance by a PSU team since 2017, with the Lions clicking on all cylinders. Manny Diaz’s defense was dominant, confusing the Tigers’ quarterbacks all day and stuffing the run. Speaking of the run, PSU exploded for 245 yards against that vaunted SEC defense.
PLAYERS ON THE SPOT: Keep the ground game churning, run the ball, keep Sean Clifford clean and move on to Northwestern.
DON’T BE SURPRISED IF … Central Michigan plays hard throughout and keeps it close for a while. The Chippewas are not a bad team, holding their own against Oklahoma State a few weeks back.
THE PICK: Penn State 48 Central Michigan 17
Penn State will be tasked with putting one foot in front of the other and taking care of business against a heavy underdog in Central Michigan. The Lions have stumbled or fallen out of rhythm in this situation in recent seasons, but three games into 2022, this Penn State outfit does look different. The Chippewas present another good opportunity to maintain focus and slam the door early on another W.
PLAYERS ON THE SPOT: Penn State’s secondary needs to have another lockdown day against an offense that poses a threat on the ground and through the air. This burden also falls to the pass rush and coordinator Manny Diaz to continue their terrorization of quarterbacks with a pressure campaign against Daniel Richardson.
DON’T BE SURPRISED IF … Big plays happen through Sean Clifford and the passing game. Oklahoma State’s Spencer Sanders averaged nearly 10 yards per attempt in Central Michigan’s season opener, which factors into the Chippewas’ No. 124 pass defense. Chunk plays could happen early and often in a game that could prove to be Parker Washington’s breakthrough performance of 2022.
THE PICK: Penn State starts fast and pushes back against Central Michigan’s threat in the passing game to win thoroughly. Penn State 49, Central Michigan 17.
Central Michigan faces the tall task of traveling to Happy Valley to battle the Nittany Lions on their home turf. At 1-2, the Chippewas will be looking to finish out their non-conference schedule strong. If they can put some of their inconsistencies on the offensive side of the ball behind, perhaps they can stay in the game through the first half. However, Penn State is fresh off a commanding win over Auburn and an 8-spot surge to No. 14 in the most recent AP Poll. If CMU wants to keep pace, it will have to look sharp in all facets of the game.
PLAYER(S) ON THE SPOT: Sophomore cornerback Donte Kent is expected to return to the lineup after missing last week due to wisdom teeth removal. Kent, a member of the Football Writers Association of America’s Freshman All-America team, is a big-time competitor who is just as effective in run defense as he is in pass coverage. Saturday will also mark the first game he will start opposite of his brother Ronald, who is expected to make his second start at corner.
DON’T BE SURPRISED IF … Jim McElwain wastes no time trying to push the ball down the field. The offensive line has been up and down, but CMU has really only been able to run the ball effectively in one game - in its win over Bucknell last week. If the threat of a productive rushing attack is absent for the Chippewas, look for McElwain to take shots early.
THE PICK: As it has in each of its first three games, CMU’s offense may start off flat. If this is the case, the Chippewas will stand little chance. We’ve already seen CMU match up against an opponent ranked in the top 15 in Week 1 against Oklahoma State, and Penn State’s offense is arguably more explosive than the Cowboys’ (which managed to score a staggering 58 points on CMU’s defense). Penn State 48, Central Michigan 20.
Ryan Colores covers Central Michigan football for Central Michigan Life, the university’s student newspaper. Check out his work at CM-Life.com and follow his coverage on Twitter (@RyanColores).
Sean Chase, The Mad Michigander
After a subpar 1-2 start to the 2022 season, Central Michigan heads into Happy Valley as massive underdogs, a position the Chippewas are familiar with. In the season opener, they entered the contest as 22.5-point dogs to Oklahoma State. When it was all said and done, CMU covered the spread, made the Cowboys sweat and seemed to be off to a great start. However, the Chippewas have struggled to get going before the second half. With Penn State favored by 26.5 points, another slow start could be costly.
PLAYER(S) ON THE SPOT: After a dominant bounce-back performance against Bucknell, stopping Lew Nichols will continue to be a priority for teams, and Penn State is no different. Assuming defensive coordinator Manny Diaz plans to load the box from the start, sophomore quarterback Daniel Richardson will have to lead the charge for CMU. After displaying elite accuracy against Oklahoma State, he has struggled to replicate that success. But when bright lights come on, Richardson tends to turn it on.
DON’T BE SURPRISED IF … The Chippewas start faster than they have in previous games. Although they won against Bucknell, head coach Jim McElwain and company are dead-set on getting CMU’s high-powered offense going immediately. If that happens, this could be anyone’s game entering the fourth quarter.
THE PICK: Penn State will pull ahead early, but the Chippewa defense will come to play. While it will likely be a 17-point game at halftime, CMU will come to life behind Richardson. He rallies the troops and they put up a fight down the stretch, but Penn State’s talent will be too much to overcome in the end. Penn State 42, CMU 35.
Sean Chase covers Central Michigan athletics for The Mad Michigander. Check out his work here and follow his coverage on Twitter (@_SeanChase).
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