Here’s what to watch for when No. 8 Penn State hosts Bowling Green on Saturday

To go off last week’s commanding win in the season opener against West Virginia, it would appear that No. 8 Penn State is already firing on all cylinders.

Week No. 2 finds the Nittany Lions opening up Beaver Stadium to the masses for the first time this season, against Bowling Green on Saturday (noon, Big Ten Network).

This test against the Falcons offers Penn State coach James Franklin and Co. another chance to fine-tune with just one more nonconference game (Kent State, Sept. 21) before opening Big Ten play at home against Illinois on Sept. 28.

With the season-opening win against the Mountaineers still fresh in our minds, here are a few key things we will be keeping a sharp eye on against Bowling Green.

It’s clear new Nittany Lions offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has big plans for the redshirt sophomore quarterback, even though Drew Allar is Penn State’s clear QB1. In the 34-12 win over West Virginia, Pribula was stacked either under center or just outside, providing a run-pass option with Allar that accounted for a 19-yard touchdown pass to Tyler Warren.

Pribula has also proved himself as a weapon — beyond that lone TD pass, he also ran for 25 yards on three carries. Against Bowling Green at home, it’ll be interesting to see if Franklin, Kotelnicki, and Co. give more of the reins to Pribula against an opponent that, on paper, offers a reprieve from the intensity of power conference competition and gives the crowd at Beaver Stadium a good look at the future quarterback.

» READ MORE: No. 8 Penn State is looking solid heading into a Saturday showdown with Bowling Green

This game is ripe for a pass rusher like Abdul Carter to continue to cement himself as a preeminent player in not just the Big Ten but in all of college football. Carter landed on multiple award watch lists and is a preseason All-American selection. Last week, the kudos went to cornerback Kevin Winston Jr., who led Penn State with 12 tackles (seven solo) en route to being defensive player of the week in the Big Ten.

Carter could have some fun getting after a quarterback like Bowling Green’s Connor Bazelak, who stood in the pocket for a 168-yard passing day in the Falcons’ season opener against Fordham last week. Bazelak likes to occasionally get out, too — witness his 8-yard touchdown run last week. If Carter and Penn State’s defensive set can break down BG’s front line, the Glenside native could finish with much more than the lone tackle he had against the Mountaineers.

Nick Singleton was the highlight in the backfield against West Virginia, rushing for a game-high 114 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries. But junior running back Kaytron Allen was the definitive two in the one-two punch — at least from a carries perspective. Allen had 10 carries against the Mountaineers but gained only 20 yards.

Expect him to get much different looks from Bowling Green. The Falcons were soft on the run against Fordham, allowing 212 yards from four Rams rushers. If Allen gets the same number of looks, expect to see him take off and offer yards and points as a better complement to Singleton.

Sure, it was against an FCS opponent in Fordham, but BG dropped 41 points against the Rams to pick up a win in its season opener. Bowling Green likes to utilize the run, scoring all five of its TDs on the ground.

Is an upset expected? No. Not against a No. 8-ranked team that looks poised to make its first-ever college football playoff. But if the Falcons bring what they brought against Fordham into Beaver Stadium, it’ll at least force Penn State to stay on its toes. After all, it’s not as if a nationally ranked Big Ten opponent hasn’t shockingly fallen victim to an FCS foe before.

BG played then-No. 2 Michigan last year. The result? The Wolverines won, 31-6. But BG also played a very good Georgia Tech team last year, too, and won, 38-27.