Washington Huskies’ week 11 opponent grinds out 14-point win vs. Illinois
By Ethan Lee
It’ll be more than a few weeks before the Washington Huskies take the trip all the way to Happy Valley to face the Penn State Nittany Lions, but right now it looks like that game could be a low-scoring, physically-tough test for Jedd Fisch’s Huskies.
As the Washington Huskies continue on in their first season in the Big Ten, they’ve already faced a couple teams that have a tough brand of football. But James Franklin’s Penn State Nittany Lions might be the most talented team that fits within that sort of identity that is on the 2024 Washington Husky football schedule.
This past weekend, the Nittany Lions managed to grind out a 14-point win against the Illinois Fighting Illini. Penn State’s offense struggled to get going against the Illinois defense as Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar only threw for 135 yards and didn’t have a single touchdown pass all while completing 15 of his 21 pass attempts.
Penn State’s inability to really get much going through the air certainly looks like a possible vulnerability for the Huskies (and other teams) to try to exploit this season.
Washington Huskies’ week 11 foe, the Penn State Nittany Lions, rely on rushing attack to take care of Illinois in week 5
But that all depends on if defenses are able to actually contend with Penn State’s rushing attack. On the ground, the Nittany Lions gained 239 rushing yards against a pretty robust Illinois defense. Kaytron Allen ran for 102 yards and scored a touchdown on 18 carries (5.7 yards per carry). He was complimented by Nicholas Singleton, who ran for 94 yards and a touchdown of his own on 16 carries (5.9 yards per carry).
On the defensive side of things, Penn State limited what Illinois could accomplish. Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer has quietly been one of the most efficient quarterbacks in the country this season, but Penn State held him to just 185 passing yards on 16 of 25 attempts. He did throw a touchdown, but also tossed a pick as well.
For the Huskies, this sort of matchup doesn’t seem to bode well right now. The Nittany Lions are an imperfect team in that they have vulnerabilities, but they also seem to have a strong identity and are willing to just grind out wins with their running backs and their defense.
That could be a problem for Washington, especially in a game that is late in the season. UW’s defense is solid and the Huskies have a powerful rushing attack of their own, but beating Penn State at its own game in its home stadium will be a big ask.
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