Penn State Vs. UCLA: Keys to the Game

Penn State and UCLA will meet for the first time since 1968. The Nittany Lions are huge favorites in the new Big Ten matchup.

Penn State quarterback Drew Allar signals during the fourth quarter against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Beaver Stadium. / Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

For the first time since 1968, Penn State is set to face UCLA — but now as Big Ten opponents. As the Bruins make the cross-country trip to Beaver Stadium for Saturday’s game, Penn State enters the matchup with a 4-0 record for the fourth consecutive season, the only FBS team to achieve that feat. 

Though UCLA (1-3) is undergoing a rebuild, the team will offer Penn State different looks on both sides of the ball. Here’s a look at the key factors for the Nittany Lions in their clash against the Bruins.

RELATED: Penn State vs. UCLA preview, predictions

Maintain offensive production balance

Through four games, Penn State offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki has leaned heavily on the run, nearly doubling the amount of rushing attempts (173) over passing (90). With Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen — now the second set of teammates in program history to surpass 2,000 career yards each — playing well, Penn State has built a run-heavy team. Yet the total offensive production in 2024 is nearly split. 

The Nittany Lions average 251 rushing yards and 245.8 passing yards per game, which has resulted in an offense that’s proven it can beat opponents in the air or on the ground if necessary. A key cog in that balance has been the team’s outstanding average of 15.4 yards per completion, a product of quarterback Drew Allar and his wide receivers that has allowed Penn State to own the ground game while remaining explosive.

“Right now, we're doing a really good job of just being super balanced,“ Allar said this week. “We want to keep building on that.”

Under Kotelnicki, Penn State’s offense hasn’t shown many weaknesses, and Singleton said that “everybody’s mood’s been really different” compared to last year. Saturday presents another opportunity to maintain that run-pass production balance. 

Under first-year head coach DeShaun Foster, UCLA’s defense has allowed 107.2 rushing yards and 291 passing yards per game. There's no reason for Penn State to stray from its run-first strategy, but Allar’s arm should remain a key weapon in its offensive approach. 

RELATED: Running back Kaytron Allen continues kicking down doors

Take advantage of a struggling Bruins offensive line

Penn State already boasts one of the most talented defensive fronts in the Big Ten, a group that’s improving with each week. Defensive end Abdul Carter, who Penn State coach James Franklin said is getting “more on his plate” as he becomes increasingly more versatile, is a significant reason for that growth. He’s fresh off of a two-sack performance against Illinois. 

The Bruins’ offensive line, which has allowed nine sacks in its last two games, could be severely overmatched against defensive coordinator Tom Allen’s front seven. UCLA has struggled in the trenches offensively, resulting in an inefficient run game (2.5 yards per carry) and limited time for starting quarterback Ethan Garbers to throw. 

Garbers has also been beaten up because of those blocking struggles. He sustained an injury against Oregon that puts his status against the Nittany Lions in question, meaning backup Justyn Martin could potentially start at quarterback on Saturday.  Bruins center Josh Carlin recently acknowledged the team’s difficulties in protecting Garbers.

“We need to figure this out. We need to keep him up. We failed at that miserably,” Carlin told reporters in Los Angeles this week, according to UCLA on SI. “We got to start taking pride and not let him get hurt and not let him get touched so he can operate this offense.”

Penn State, primarily a run-stopping defense, shouldn’t face much of a challenge in that area against the Bruins. After a slow start in converting pressure into sacks earlier in the season, this matchup against a struggling UCLA offensive line presents another chance for the Nittany Lions’ defensive line to shine on the stat sheet.

Play disciplined football

Overall, Penn State has been dominant so far. Its offense has been explosive and efficient under Kotelnicki, and while its defense has had lapses, it has stepped up when it matters most, as seen in a ranked matchup against Illinois where the Illini scored only on their opening drive. 

However, one area that could come back to hurt Penn State is penalties. The team has racked up 28 flags in four games, an issue that Franklin repeatedly has said needs to be corrected through players remaining disciplined.

While many top teams have averaged around seven penalties per game before, Penn State should aim to play its cleanest contest of the season against UCLA. The last thing Franklin wants is easily preventable mistakes — like the frequent defensive offsides calls — to impact the outcome of a game.

“One of the things I talked to the team about is the importance of us taking a significant step this week and not having to be one of those teams you see all over the country that have to have a setback first before they [have] a wake-up call,” Franklin said. “We need to do that this week.”

Penn State will be looking to play cleaner football in its fifth game of the season when it faces UCLA in Beaver Stadium on Saturday. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. ET on FOX.

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Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_    or Instagram @dmadersports.