No. 3 Penn State readies for a Saturday showdown against run-heavy Wisconsin

After a week away from the action, the next stop for Penn State is a date in Madison, Wis., to take on the Badgers on Saturday (7:30 p.m., NBC10). Playing in Camp Randall Stadium is typically challenging, but the No. 3 Nittany Lions (6-0, 3-0 Big Ten) say they’re ready.

“We’re expecting a hell of an environment,” coach James Franklin said.

Wisconsin (5-2, 3-1) has had its share of ups and downs, but it’s been on a roll recently, blowing out Northwestern, Rutgers, and Purdue in consecutive weeks. The Badgers’ surge helped land the game on national television in prime time.

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One of Wisconsin’s all-time attendance highs came in its 2021 season opener against Penn State, registering 76,832 spectators. In preparing for the Badgers and their traditional “Jump Around” period, Penn State pumped crowd noise and the House of Pain rap classic into its Wednesday practice.

It’s a practice method the Nittany Lions have done for years in preparation for the Badgers. Senior defensive tackle Coziah Izzard, who was on the team for the 2021 contest, joked about its advantages.

“Just having that crowd noise in the background really helps us focus on what the linebacker has to say,” Izzard said.

Penn State’s defensive line will need to have it together come Saturday, as Badgers running back Tawee Walker is up to nine touchdowns — eight in the last four games. Walker’s trajectory was sudden but lines up with the rich history of Wisconsin running backs. His numbers are impressive, but junior defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton’s approach remains uniform.

“It’s a regular team,” Dennis-Sutton said. “They have a good running back, good quarterback, good [offensive] line, but we’re not going to make it anything bigger than what it is.”

Part of Walker’s surge is because he had to step up. Starting quarterback Tyler Van Dyke’s season ended after he suffered a torn ACL against Alabama. Backup Braedyn Locke took over and his play has improved along with the team’s. He has passed for 1,064 yards and seven touchdowns but has thrown an interception in each game this season.

Locke’s not running an air raid offense like the Nittany Lions saw against USC a few weeks earlier, but this game offers a chance for Penn State defensive backs to step up. The unit came down with a pick against the Trojans, and cornerback Jalen Kimber expects more opportunities Saturday.

“They’ve been taking a lot of downfield shots,” said Kimber, a redshirt senior. “We will be ready for it.”

The Badgers’ shots typically come out of max protection and play-action. The style of play is due to Van Dyke’s injury and forces the defense to be honest. Teams play the run first before shifting to pass defense. Izzard said the Nittany Lions have to get off of blocks early.

Penn State’s competition has ramped up. Saturday’s game is the precursor before Penn State’s showdown against No. 4 Ohio State on Nov. 2 (noon, Fox29).

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