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3 Biggest X-Factors For Penn State to Take Down Washington
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- 3 Biggest X-Factors For Penn State to Take Down Washington
(Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images)
The Penn State Nittany Lions were able to pick up their first Big Ten win of the season last week, taking down the Purdue Boilermakers.
Penn State will be heading out on the road to face off against the Washington Huskies this week. The Nittany Lions will be coming into this game with a record of 4-4 on the season, while Washington is 5-3.
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This Nittany Lions team has a lot of talent, but they have gotten in their own way at times this season. So, this week against Washington will be another chance for head coach Matt Campbell to right the ship for this program.
Here are three of the biggest X-Factors for the Nittany Lions to grab the win on the road this week:
1. Rocco Becht Limits Turnovers
After throwing an interception in a few straight games, quarterback Rocco Becht avoided the turnover last week. While the game wasn't the best for Becht, he is easily the key to this Penn State offense each week.
When he plays well, the team typically has a good chance to get the win, and this will need to be the case again this week. Becht has been inconsistent for the Nittany Lions this season, but this team will need a big game from him against Washington to win.
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2. Can the Running Game Thrive Again?
Penn State broke out for 269 yards on the ground last week against Purdue, giving the team a major boost on offense. If the rushing attack is able to get going like this again this week, it could help the Nittany Lions get the upset win over the Huskies.
Running back Cam Wallace had 135 yards and one touchdown a week ago, with Carson Hansen putting up 96 yards and a score himself. This duo worked well a week ago, and Penn State may try to lean on the run again in this game.
3. Demond Williams Jr. Playing?
It remains to be seen if Washington star quarterback Demond Williams Jr. will be playing in this game after he suffered an injury a few weeks ago. Williams was listed as questionable last week leading into the team's game, but the program elected to not have him play.
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But it seems like Williams could be making his return in the game against Penn State, which could spell some trouble for the Nittany Lions. Williams can be a highly impactful dual-threat in any game, putting a lot of pressure on this Penn State team if he does end up playing.
