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Penn State-Rutgers: What you need to know

Penn State at Rutgers Saturday, 8 p.m., at High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, N.J. TV: Big Ten Network. Radio: WNTP-AM (990), WNPV-AM (1440).

Penn State at Rutgers

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Saturday, 8 p.m., at High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, N.J.

TV: Big Ten Network. Radio: WNTP-AM (990), WNPV-AM (1440).

Records: Penn State 8-2, 6-1 Big Ten, ranked No. 8 in the College Football Playoff poll; Rutgers 2-8, 0-7.

History: Penn State has won nine straight games in the series and holds a 24-2 lead. Rutgers' last win, 21-16, came in 1988 when the Nittany Lions were ranked 15th.

About Penn State: Thanks to Iowa's upset of Michigan last weekend, the Nittany Lions can clinch a berth in the Dec. 3 Big Ten championship game with wins over Rutgers and Michigan State and a loss by the Wolverines in one of their last two games. . . . The Lions struggled last week at Indiana before scoring 31 points in the final 16-plus minutes of the game for a 45-31 victory. . . . Saquon Barkley had one of his least productive games of the season, gaining 58 yards in a career-high 33 rushes, but he scored two touchdowns. . . . Quarterback Trace McSorley leads the nation in yards per completion at 15.93. . . . The Lions' offensive line is banged up and will start its fourth different combination, with left guard Ryan Bates (Archbishop Wood) moving to left tackle. . . . The Penn State secondary must bounce back from allowing a season-high 344 passing yards against the Hoosiers.

About Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights have struggled all season under first-year head coach Chris Ash. . . . Their 49-0 loss to Michigan State last week marked the fourth time they have allowed 48 or more points. . . . They have struggled big-time on offense all season, scoring just 17 touchdowns (six rush, 11 pass) to go with two TDs each on defense and on special teams. . . . They are next-to-last in the Football Bowl Subdivision in points scored (17.5) and total offense (296.1 yards). . . . Sophomore Giovanni Rescigno, who went just 6 of 16 for 40 yards last week, will make his fourth start at quarterback. . . . Junior Robert Martin is the team's top rusher with 547 yards and Jawuan Harris has caught 32 passes for 400 yards and two touchdowns. . . . The Rutgers defense allows 38 points and 444.5 yards per game. . . . Linebacker Trevor Morris, a sophomore from Malvern Prep, leads the team with 84 tackles.

- Joe Juliano
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