When you take a look at the matchups in this game between the Tigers and Nittany Lions, Memphis matches up well at the skill positions as they would against almost anyone in the country.

There is speed, athleticism and versatility abound when it comes to the weapons that QB Brady White has at its disposal. You have the lightning & thunder duo of Kenneth Gainwell & Patrick Taylor Jr. at RB as well as Damonte Coxie and Antonio Gibson at the wideout position just to name a few.

Penn St. is young but extremely talented on the offensive side of the football hence their #10 ranking in the CFP. At wideout they are led by sophomore KJ Hamler. He’s not a big guy at 5’9” 176 but what he lacks in size, he makes up for in speed. On the season he has 54 receptions for 858yds and 8 TDs. He also does damage on special teams with 615yds on kickoff and punt returns combined this season. He’ll definitely be a focal point for DC Kevin Clune and this Tiger defense.

At RB they are led by RS-Jr. Journey Brown who can be a bowling ball at 5’11” 206. He had 113 carries for 688yds and 10 TDs on the season. I’ll talk more in depth about the matchups in an upcoming article but at the skill positions Memphis matches up comparable at worst.

This game will be won in the trenches. One of the major differences you’ll see in a P5 vs. G5 matchup is the talent along the OL & DL. The biggest questions for Memphis are can they keep Brady White upright & allow him to utilize the tremendous talent he has and can the Tiger defense get consistent pressure on QB Sean Clifford to make him uncomfortable in the pocket.

Penn St. ranks 24th in overall defense and 10th in team sacks as Memphis ranks 48th & 44th in the same categories. The Nittany Lion OL is mammoth as their starting unit averages out at 6’4.5” and 316lbs but Memphis isn’t too far behind at an average of 6’5” 300lbs.

All in all I think this is a pretty even matchup despite the parameter of P5 vs. G5. Another thing that comes into play in these type of matchups that I’ll discuss in a coming article is who wants it more. Will Penn St. be as motivated as the Tigers? We’ve seen in the past where the P5 team doesn’t have quite the same level of motivation going into these games. In the end as the title of the article states, this game will be decided in the trenches..