Oct. 27—Adisa Isaac has been a part of some great wins and some gut-wrenching defeats during his time at Penn State.
Minutes after the Nittany Lions’ 20-12 loss at Ohio State last week, he vowed they would soon take out their frustrations on somebody.
“It’s just an added chip on our shoulders,” Isaac said. “Our next opponent is definitely going to be in for a good one.”
That would be Indiana (0-4 Big Ten, 2-5), which faces 10th-ranked Penn State (3-1, 6-1) Saturday at noon (TV-CBS) at Beaver Stadium.
The Hoosiers are 31.5-point underdogs and have lost three straight. They rank 100th or worse nationally in every major offensive category and 106th in rushing defense.
They’re primed to cure what ails the angry Lions.
“The best way to move on is to focus on the next opponent,” Penn State coach James Franklin said, “and pour all of our energy into beating Indiana.”
Most of the frustrations are on offense, particularly the passing game. Drew Allar completed just 18-of-42 attempts for 191 yards and one touchdown at Ohio State. He’s thrown for 1,445 yards and 13 scores without an interception, but he’s completed only three passes of more than 30 yards to wide receivers.
Penn State hasn’t been able to find a third option at receiver behind KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Trey Wallace. Transfers Dante Cephas (Kent State) and Malik McClain (Florida State) haven’t stepped up.
“Some guys who have come in have transitioned a little bit slower than we had hoped,” Franklin said. “This is an opportunity to take a step forward this week and build confidence moving forward.
“There are guys in that room who have the ability to do the job and do the job at a high level. It’s about consistency physically and also consistency mentally.”
Because the Lions have struggled to create explosive pass plays, defenses have crowded the line of scrimmage to stop…
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