No. 12 Penn State (9-2, 6-2 Big Ten, CFP No. 10) at Maryland (4-7, 2-6), Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET (Big Ten Network).
Line: Penn State by 21.
Series record: Penn State leads 37-2-1.
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Penn State no longer has a chance to play for the Big Ten championship, so the focus is finishing the regular season 10-2 and playing in a New Year’s bowl game. Maryland has no shot at bowl eligibility and is seeking merely to pull off a huge upset, get its third win in this lopsided series and put a positive finish on a disappointing season.
KEY MATCHUP
Penn State’s prolific offense against Maryland’s ineffective defense. Equally efficient on the ground and through the air, the Nittany Lions own the second-ranked offense in the Big Ten (445.9 yards per game) and rank 11th in the country in points per game at 39.4. That bodes poorly for the Terrapins, who are yielding 409 yards per game (12th in the Big Ten) and giving up an average of 34.5 points (108th nationally and 13th in the conference).
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Penn State: RB Saquon Barkley. A threat to score every time he touches the ball, Barkley has a school-record 39 touchdowns over his career, including eight on receptions, and has run back two kickoffs for TDs this season. The junior stands 303 yards short of matching the school mark for career yards rushing (3,932).
Maryland: WR DJ Moore. This could be Moore’s final college game, even though he’s a junior. Moore leads the Big Ten in receptions (72), touchdown catches (8) and yards receiving (933). He has caught passes from four different quarterbacks and has at least one reception in 32 straight games, the longest current streak in the conference.
FACTS & FIGURES
Penn State’s first trip to College Park since 1993. The teams played in Baltimore in 2015. … Nittany Lions coach James Franklin was Maryland’s offensive coordinator from 2008-10. … Maryland honors 19 players on Senior Day, including LB Jermaine Carter Jr., who has led the team in tackles for three straight years. … Penn State QB Trace McSorley has a TD pass in 26 straight games. … Maryland has held three straight opponents under 10 completions (Rutgers, Michigan, Michigan State).
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