For Penn State vs Purdue, the 2022 college football season won’t have a soft opening. In a matchup of two teams coming off dissimilar seasons in 2021. The two Big Ten programs will open the season Thursday night in a league match.
One of the Big Ten’s pleasant shocks was Purdue. The Boilermakers improved to 9-4 last season and went 6-3 in the Big Ten. It ended in a tie with Minnesota and Wisconsin for second in the Big Ten West after going 6-12 throughout the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
Following a 4-5 showing in 2020, Penn State did not fare as well, finishing 7-6 (and only 4-5 in conference play), with four losses to teams who were ranked and an unexpected loss to Illinois after nine overtimes. It was sufficient to make it to a bowl game. But in State College, Pennsylvania, making the postseason is never the main objective. Not for a team that went 11-2 in 2019 and won the Big Ten East.
The two teams will play football one other for the first time since Penn State defeated Purdue 35-7 in Beaver Stadium in 2019 on Thursday night. With victories in 15 of the 19 encounters, Penn State has dominated the series.
Need to know: Penn State vs. Purdue
Despite having several players to replace, Purdue still has Aidan O’Connell. Receiver David Bell (93 receptions, 1,286 yards, and six touchdowns in 2021) and defensive end George Karlaftis contributed to Purdue’s victory (41 tackles, 11.5 TFL, five sacks, three fumbles forced). While neither will be simple to replace. The Boilermakers can take some comfort in the fact that Aidan O’Connell is returning because both will play their football on Sundays this season. O’Connell fought for the starting QB position at the start of 2021, but once he secured it, he wouldn’t let go. O’Connell had 3,708 throwing yards and 28 touchdowns at the end of the regular season. He will be the undisputed starter in 2022, and some believe that he may be the league’s second-best quarterback after Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud.
Sean Clifford’s consistency as offensive coordinator: That may not seem significant, but it is. Ryan Hilinski of Northwestern, for instance, was underrated last weekend despite being in the same predicament as Clifford in 2022. In order to help the Wildcats defeat Nebraska, Hilinski passed for 314 yards. For the first time in his college career, Clifford is familiar with his playbook and play-caller. Which is crucial for a quarterback. That, along with his knowledge, might result in his most productive season at Penn State.
Keep an eye on Nick Singleton, a freshman at Penn State: The rookie may give Clifford and the Penn State offense just as much of a boost as anyone else. Since the days of Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders. Penn State has had trouble running the ball successfully, and Singleton is their most gifted running back since Barkley. Although he is not Barkley and won’t make an immediate difference, he does provide Penn State’s offense the game-changing skill it has been lacking at running back. He’s a player to watch on Thursday night and throughout the entire season.
How to watch live streaming of Penn State vs. Purdue football
Time: 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 1.
Location: West Lafayette, Indiana’s Ross-Ade Stadium
Fox; fuboTV for live streaming (Try for free)
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