3 Biggest X-Factors For Penn State to Take Down Purdue

The Penn State Nittany Lions will be entering into their matchup this weekend, looking to break a four-game losing streak.

After what looked like a promising start to the new season for this program, the Nittany Lions have come back down to earth. Under new head coach Matt Campbell, Penn State has looked disjointed at times over the last few weeks, leading to the losses.

The Nittany Lions come in with a record of 3-4 on the season, going 0-4 in Big Ten play so far. Penn State is coming off a much-needed bye week, however, giving themselves some extra rest for the upcoming game.

This week, the team will be hosting the Purdue Boilermakers, with the program trying to bounce back. Purdue will enter the game with a record of 3-4 on the year, going 2-2 in Big Ten games so far.

Here are three of the biggest X-Factors for the Nittany Lions to stop the losing streak this week against Purdue:

1. Rocco Becht Gets Back on Track

Through the first few weeks of the season, Becht was playing like a top-tier quarterback in college football. But during the team's losing streak, the transfer from Iowa State has struggled, limiting what this team can do overall.

For the year, Becht has thrown for 1,664 yards with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. But over the last four games, the veteran quarterback has only thrown for over 250 yards once, with him also throwing five interceptions.

2. Score TDs in Red Zone

Heading into the game, Purdue has struggled heavily with its defense in the red zone, and this is an area that Penn State can take advantage of. Purdue has allowed opponents to score on 92.9 percent of red zone trips this season, ranking 120th in the country.

If the Nittany Lions can get touchdowns and not field goals in the red zone, it could be a long day for Purdue. This goes back to Becht playing stronger in this game, executing the game plan on offense.

3. Continue Getting Stops on Third Down

One area that has helped the Nittany Lions over the course of the year has been the ability to get stops on third down. Penn State ranks fifth overall in college football in defensive third-down percentage, only allowing opposing teams to convert on 28.1 percent of chances this season.

The Nittany Lions defense has found a way to slow drives down, giving the team at least a chance to win the game. Against Purdue, Penn State will need to continue doing this, limiting what the Boilermakers can do on the offensive side of the ball.