ALTOONA, Pa. -- When Penn State and Nebraska meet Saturday afternoon, the programs will have combined for 1,500 all-time victories, with the Nebraska holding a 902-898 edge.
Neither team has added to its total in 2020.
It's a rare matchup of programs that have squared off just 17 times, with Nebraska holding a 9-8 edge. Saturday is the first time the Nittany Lions have traveled to Lincoln since 2012 and the first the two teams have played since 2017, when Penn State won, 56-44.
Both teams enter the game desperate for a victory, for different reasons. The Huskers are looking to cool off the seat of head coach Scott Frost, who is just 9-17 in his three years at the helm. The Nittany Lions, on the other hand, are trying to prove they can be competitive again after being embarrassed by Maryland last weekend.
One of these teams will win, and that's about the only guarantee possible for this game; as with so many things in 2020, anything and everything is possible. For Penn State to win, it must start up front.
The run-pass-option offense is lethal when operating effectively, with each aspect -- from running the football to passing it off the read -- working in unison. The Nittany Lions have yet to put it all together at any point this season, relying on quarterback Sean Clifford to shoulder the load in both the running and passing games.
While Clifford has done well at times, completing 64.6 percent of his passes for 519 combined yards against ranked opponents in Indiana and Ohio State, he's turned the ball over often, throwing five interceptions. He also has been sacked 13 times.
It's not all on Clifford, though, as the running game has been almost nonexistent, with the loss of Journey Brown followed by Noah Cain suffering a season-ending injury on the first drive against Indiana. Those who protect Clifford and block for Devyn Ford have struggled mightily throughout the season, resulting in Clifford looking skittish and gun-shy at times in the pocket.
While that aspect of the offense has been far from ideal, Clifford has amassed 859 yards through the air, often finding receivers Jahan Dotson and Parker Washington, both of whom have had breakout years. Dotson has accumulated 361 receiving yards and five touchdowns, with back-to-back 100 plus yard games against the Buckeyes and Terrapins. Washington has three touchdowns as a true freshman.
It will also be imperative for Clifford and the offense to get tight end Pat Freiermuth involved -- and involved often -- as Nebraska has been prone to allowing big games from tight ends during Frost's tenure.
For Penn State to take down Nebraska, it's going to be up to the offensive line; if it can set the tone early and spring the run game, whether it is with Ford or Clifford, it should bode well for the Nittany Lions. A productive run game should open up the passing game and the Huskers have shown a vulnerability there, giving up 276 yards and two touchdowns to Ohio State in Week 1.
Defensively, the Nittany Lions will have to stop a two-quarterback offense, with Adrian Martinez and Luke McCaffrey. Both are threats to run and have done well when tucking the ball away, averaging 158 yards per game between them. Martinez, a junior, is the older of the two and was one of only six players who entered the season with over 4,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards.
Over the first two games, Martinez has generated a large chunk of the offense, despite alternating with McCaffrey. How Frost deploys his quarterbacks will dictate how well the Huskers will do; should the Nittany Lions be able to stop or neutralize the duo, it could bode well for Penn State's chances of getting its first win of the season.
All signs point to Martinez and McCaffrey having their way with the Nittany Lions early, before Penn State slows them in the second half, much as it did with Taulia Tagovailoa and Justin Fields in recent weeks.
Neither team has been impressive this year. Penn State has been undisciplined and Nebraska has turned the ball over consistently, although the Nittany Lions have been even worse in that regard, with a minus-5 turnover ratio. It's not like the Penn State-Nebraska games of old, but there will be two desperate teams looking for their first win of the season, and that should provide for some quality football.