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Northwestern prepares for return to Penn State

Pat Fitzgerald last led his Northwestern football team into Beaver Stadium in 2012, only a few months after the NCAA slapped Penn State with harsh sanctions that could have left the players and coaches in disarray.

Penn State fans. (Joe Hermitt/PennLive.com/AP)
Penn State fans. (Joe Hermitt/PennLive.com/AP)Read more

Pat Fitzgerald last led his Northwestern football team into Beaver Stadium in 2012, only a few months after the NCAA slapped Penn State with harsh sanctions that could have left the players and coaches in disarray.

But Fitzgerald saw the focus of the team firsthand, led by the Nittany Lions' strong senior class and coach Bill O'Brien. The Lions rallied from 11 down with a 22-point fourth quarter and defeated the Wildcats, 39-28, for their fourth straight win after an 0-2 start. Penn State finished the season 8-4.

The Wildcats return Saturday to State College to meet an undefeated and happier Penn State team that now can play in the postseason and will get all of its scholarships back next year. But Fitzgerald remembers the 2012 team and how it overcame adversity.

"I think I was pretty outspoken on the job that O'B did," he said Monday at his weekly news conference in Evanston, Ill. "I thought he did a terrific job from the minute that he got there, he and his staff.

"What jumped out to me was the way their seniors stayed. I think they made a pretty bold statement about what it means to be a Penn State Nittany Lion. That type of legacy, that type of pride, what it means to be a part of that program is something that's pretty inspiring. That's what I saw from a distance."

Northwestern, which did not play Penn State last year, enters its Big Ten opener at 1-2. The Wildcats picked up their first victory, 24-7, over FCS member Western Illinois on Saturday with the help of four takeaways.

Much of Fitzgerald's attention for Saturday is centered on the Nittany Lions' rushing attack. Penn State ran for a season-high 228 yards and scored five touchdowns - two each by Bill Belton and Zach Zwinak - in a 48-7 win over Massachusetts.

"There were big holes there for them, and they did a great job executing," he said. "It's kind of like thunder and lightning. Belton's got great quicks and great change of direction and great top-end speed. And Zach's got really good change of direction, but he's just physical."

The Wildcats have had trouble moving the football. They rank 103d in FBS in total offense, and Fitzgerald noted that their passing game can't seem to create any continuity because of injuries to their skill players.

They will face a team that ranks No. 1 in the nation in rushing defense, allowing just 49.5 yards a game.

"We've just got to stick to fundamentals," offensive tackle Paul Jorgensen said. "Obviously, they're a great team stopping the run, but you can't change what you're doing. You've got to stay with what you're doing and keep pounding it and getting better."