Penn State heads to Auburn this week to take on the Tigers. Last year, the Nittany Lions came away with a win at home with a final score of 28-20.

Can they do it again on Saturday? It’s possible, but Auburn should be able to walk away with this one.

Here are the top five reasons why Auburn will beat Penn State on Saturday.

1 Auburn Run Game

Sep 18, 2021; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Auburn Tigers running back Tank Bigsby (4) runs the ball towards the end zone as Penn State Nittany Lions (12) is unable to make a tackle during the third quarter at Beaver Stadium. Penn State defeated Auburn 28-20. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s get this one out of the way first. Auburn has relied heavily on the run game over the past two seasons. It definitely makes sense too. Tank Bigsby ran for 102 yards and two touchdowns last year against the Nittany Lions. Penn State’s run defense can be inconsistent at times. Against Purdue, they did a nice job, giving up just 61 yards to the Boilermakers. However, there were times in the second half of that game where they started to let that success of stopping the run slip away from them. This season, it’s not just Bigsby.

Penn State also has Jarquez Hunter to watch out for. Through their first two games of the season, Hunter has four touchdowns recorded. Sure, the Tigers played weaker competition with Mercer and San Jose State. But his consistency is there. Auburn relies heavily on the run game and we will likely see that again because of their recent success against the Nittany Lions run defense.

2 Sean Clifford's Decision Making

Sep 10, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Sean Clifford (14) warms up prior to the game against the Ohio Bobcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

We’ve highlighted many aspects to Sean Clifford’s game, but we are going to be a bit more specific this time. Clifford gets a ton of credit for Penn State’s win over Auburn last year at home. Why? Yes, he is the focal point of the offense that helped them move the ball efficiently down the field. But, his decision-making is what really stood out in that game. Clifford is a productive quarterback when me makes the right decisions.

However, we have already started to see some inconsistencies with his decision-making. Clifford turned it around towards the end against Purdue and helped the Nittany Lions pull off a 35-31 on the road against the Boilermakers. But, he also threw a pick-six in the fourth quarter that gave Purdue a three-point lead. Sure, Penn State won the game. But Clifford still needs to fix his decision-making, and Auburn’s defense has the talent to take advantage of those inconsistencies.

3 Penn State Run Game

Sep 10, 2022; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions running back Nicholas Singleton (10) runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown during the first quarter against the Ohio Bobcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew OHaren-USA TODAY Sports

I know what you’re thinking. Singleton just had himself a game against Ohio, rushing for 179 yards and two touchdowns on 10 carries. But, let’s backtrack to Penn State’s first week against Purdue. Penn State couldn’t get the ball moving. They finished with a total of 32 carries for 98 yards from five different Nittany Lions. Last year, former Nittany Lion – now LSU Tiger – had a touchdown for Penn State, but also had just 45 total yards on 19 carries. Auburn’s defensive line didn’t really lose any key players from their front five.

So, the Nittany Lions run game will have to go through them again. This will be another test for Penn State’s talented freshman running back Nick Singleton going up against his second Power Five school. The inconsistency in Penn State’s run game is an area that Auburn’s run defense should be able to take advantage of.

4 Penn State Offensive Line

Penn State offensive linemen Mike Miranda, left, and Juice Scruggs complain about the Iowa Hawkeyes fan noise after committing a false start penalty in the fourth quarter against Iowa at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa, on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021. Syndication: HawkCentral

Sean Clifford threw a lot of quick passes in last year’s matchup. Meaning, you didn’t see too much of the deep ball from him. Penn State’s offensive line has a lot to prove this season after being a big part of the team’s struggles in 2021. As mentioned above, Auburn has plenty of returning defensive players, specifically on their defensive line. Penn State lost Rasheed Walker on their offensive line, but they still have plenty of returning players, headlined by Juice Scruggs. Clifford was sacked a career-high 29 times last season. Seven of those sacks came against Michigan.

Penn State’s offensive line has plenty to prove this season, and Auburn’s run defense is coming off an impressive 2021 season and so far, they are playing right where they left off from last year.

5 Auburn Pass Rush

Akron Zips running back Jonzell Norrils (6) is tacked by Auburn Tigers defensive lineman T.D. Moultry (99) and Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Derick Hall (29) at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Sept. 4, 2021. Syndication: The Montgomery Advertiser

As mentioned, Auburn didn’t really lose any key players on their defense. They have plenty of experience, especially with their players getting to the quarterback. Auburn currently has a top ten rushing defense in the country. Despite playing lower-level competition the first two weeks of the season, Auburn’s pass defense is still in the elite category. Their defense is headlined by Derick Hall, who is coming off a career year with the Tigers in 2021, finishing with 33 solo tackles and nine sacks. Through the first two games, Hall currently has seven solo tackles and a sack. Not only does Auburn have defensive players that can get successfully and consistently get to the quarterback — but Clifford and Penn State’s offensive line will also have a tough time moving the ball efficiently down the field on Saturday’s game.

This should be another exciting game like last year’s matchup at Beaver Stadium, where the Nittany Lions sent Auburn home with a 28-20 loss.

However, with these five aspects, Auburn should be able to send the Nittany Lions home with a loss this time instead of losing for two straight seasons.

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