Coming off 26-24 win over UCF in the program’s first international contest, Penn State will have their home opener against Akron on Saturday. Penn State is 3-0 against Akron in the program’s history, with all the games taking place at Beaver Stadium.
Sophomore QB Christian Hackenberg is coming off a record-setting game in Ireland with 454 passing yards, and redshirt freshman receiver DaeSean Hamilton set his own freshman records for catches and yards in a game - he had 11 total catches for 165 yards on the day. Akron QB Kyle Pohl was dominant in his season opener going 22 for 35 for 304 yards and four touchdowns in Akron’s 41-0 win over Howard.
Snapshot:
Penn State – home: 1-0
Akron – away: 1-0
Last Game:
Penn State won the last contest between the two in 31-7 back in 2009.
Key Stat:
Penn State has beaten Akron by a combined 126 points in the three previous meetings between the two schools.
Penn State Outlook:
This will be James Franklin’s first regular-season game at Beaver Stadium, which will no doubt lead to some additional excitement for the game. Penn State also has a lot of momentum thanks to the performances of the Hackenberg, Hamilton, and kicker Sam Ficken.
Akron Outlook:
The Zips had their highest win total since 2008 last year, going 5-7. LB Jatavis Brown was a first-team all MAC selection, and is primed to have a breakout year this season.
What They’re Saying:
Hackenberg’s nice opener (Big Ten Network)
Lewis ready to take over (Penn Live)
Akron playing through tragedy (USA Today)
Prediction:
Penn State is more talented on both ends of the field than Akron. The Nittany Lions are still riding the momentum from their win in Ireland, and the energy of Beaver Stadium during the home opener should help the Nittany Lions take this game easily.
Score:
Penn State 42
Akron 10
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