Scarlet Knights looking to make a state-ment against Nittany Lions

STATE COLLEGE - You don't need a cartographer to confirm the obvious: Penn State is a school in Pennsylvania.

However, Rutgers head coach Kyle Flood is driving home the point by not referring to Penn State as, well, Penn State.

Rather, the third-year head coach uses terms like "the team from Pennsylvania" or "the neighbor to the west."

Penn State coach James Franklin took the high road Tuesday, saying he is "good about" Flood's comments. He also said he has a lot of respect for the coach.

But Franklin, who has focused on dominating Pennsylvania from a recruiting perspective, has also - purposefully or not - added his share to the perceived beef.

"We are going to dominate the region," the first-year coach said at his introductory news conference.

That region, of course, includes Rutgers.

There has been quite a bit of back-and-forth between Penn State and Rutgers - both 2-0 - the last few months, and the buzz surrounding tomorrow's 8 p.m. sellout between the two sides in Piscataway, N.J., is easily understood.

The schools are about 3 1/2 hours apart. The two programs fight for New Jersey's best high school prospects (Penn State has 15 players from the state on its roster). Rutgers, is making its Big Ten Conference debut.

And of course, Penn State can now compete for a Big Ten championship and bowl game after the NCAA lifted the program's bowl ban on Monday.

The road to Indianapolis for both teams starts in New Jersey.

But a stable of story lines makes it easy to shield what is, at its roots, a game. That's how Franklin is trying to present it to his players.

Franklin said he and his team don't believe tomorow is any bigger than last week's game against Akron or the opener against Central Florida - not because it's the conference opener or the bowl ban has been lifted.

"We approach every single game one game at a time, and that's the most important game on our schedule because it's the only game on our schedule," Franklin said. "And that's how we approach it."

Flood, on the contrary, encourages his players to be amped for tomorrow, so long as it doesn't affect their normal preparations.

"I want them to be excited about this game," Flood said. "They should be excited about this game."

In fact, Flood said he expects the atmosphere to compare to a game against visiting Louisville in 2006, when the Scarlet Knights shocked the No. 3-ranked Cardinals.

Ray Rice scored two touchdowns for Rutgers in that game; a lot of time has passed since fans stormed the field on that November evening.

Rutgers has been waiting for a game of this magnitude. Penn State players from New Jersey have been hearing it for a while.

Though he chose Penn State, sophomore linebacker Brandon Bell, a native of Mays Landing, N.J., said he knows a few players on Rutgers who have been trash-talking on Twitter since the spring.

Things like, "You better be ready for Week 3" and, "We're coming for you guys."

Bell said he's heard it all, but, like Flood's usage of "the team from Pennsylvania," he pays it no mind.

"They're obviously looking for anything to fuel it more, as they've been hyping the game up," Bell said. "Pretty much, we're just looking at it as another game this week."

Penn State center Angelo Mangiro hails from Roxbury High School in Succasunna, N.J., a mere 45-minute drive to Rutgers' campus.

Even though a lot of people from his area go to Rutgers, Mangiro said he and his friends always watched the marquee games of the week.

"Penn State always seemed like one of those games that we watched," Mangiro said.

From the way it's shaping up, everyone in the tri-state region will be keeping an eye on the game.

Franklin said the matchup is good for both schools, states and the Big Ten conference in general.

The only negative?

"I've got a bunch of ticket requests, which I really don't want to be dealing with," Franklin said. "It also makes me aware we have to do a good job with our players because I don't want them dealing with ticket requests."

Bell said, thankfully, his parents are handling all family traveling to High Point Solutions Stadium.

A packed house shouldn't come as a surprise.

From Penn State's perspective, the drive from State College is the shortest drive for a road game the Lions will have all season - much shorter than the 3,000-mile trek to Dublin.

For Rutgers, it's the program's first chance to make a positive first impression in the Big Ten.

Of course, Penn State is familiar with Rutgers, as the Lions hold a 22-2 record over the Scarlet Knights. Penn State was triumphant the last time the two faced off, 59-24, in 1995.

While history doesn't show it, the familiarity between rosters and fans causes college football's "R-word" to surface.

"It adds to the opportunity to ultimately create a rivalry," Flood said. "Now, you have to have great football games also."

The possibility to become rivals is there. It's just not a definite. At least not yet.

However, one thing will be solidified after tomorrow: Penn State will be known by Flood and Rutgers fans as either "the team from Pennsylvania" that lost or won.

Penn State (2-0) at Rutgers (2-0)

What: Big Ten opener

When: Tomorrow, 8 p.m.

Where: High Point Solutions Stadium, Piscataway, N.J.

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: ESPN (93.7 FM), WNTP (990 AM)

Three things to watch:

1. Believe it or not, Penn State is better in night games away from Beaver Stadium. While holding a 9-9 record in night games at home, the Lions are 19-10 away from the world's fourth largest stadium by capacity. We'll see how Penn State handles a night game at Rutgers' High Point Solutions Stadium, which seats 52,454.

2. Penn State will look to get its rushing game on track against a defense that's been up-and-down against the run. In its season opener, Rutgers gave up 532 passing yards, but only six rushing yards against Washington State — a team coached by Mike Leach, who loves to throw the ball. The following week, the Scarlet Knights surrendered 259 rushing yards to FCS foe Howard. What defense will show up for Rutgers?

3. With a struggling running game, the burden to carry an offense has weighed on Christian Hackenberg, throwing 83 times and four interceptions through two games. Of course, he's also thrown for 773 yards and four touchdowns. Hackenberg is, and seemingly always will be, the X-factor for the Lions. But, in a road night game, can Penn State's play-callers avoid putting the sophomore in unfavorable situations?