Penn State's Nick Bowers knows the danger Michigan State matchup presents

As a fifth-year senior, a relative graybeard in the Penn State locker room at age 23, Kittanning native Nick Bowers knows the recent history of the rivalry between his team and Michigan State.

They’re the opponent that gets its hands on a Nittany Lions team ranked in the top 10 in the country and sends it skittering back down to the bottom of the AP top 25.

Last year, Penn State was ranked eighth in the country when the Spartans came to town. A Felton Davis 25-yard touchdown catch with 19 seconds left handed them a 21-17 loss.

The year before, the Nittany Lions pulled into East Lansing ranked seventh in the country. A 34-yard Matt Coghlin field goal as time expired sent them home 27-24 losers.

This time, when Penn State visits Michigan State for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday, the stakes are even higher. Not only is Penn State ranked sixth in the country, it’s also undefeated at 7-0.

A battle of unbeatens with No. 3 Ohio State on Nov. 23 in Columbus would be a dream matchup, but three significant roadblocks stand in the way. There’s a trip to No. 17 Minnesota and a home game with Indiana, but the first hurdle is Michigan State.

“I definitely remember the last two games (against Michigan State),” Bowers said. “We know it’s an important game because it’s the next game, but we know that they’re a good team. They beat us the last two times. I think we’re going to do a good job this week preparing.”

The Nittany Lions are loaded with big-play ability on offense, and in each of the last two weeks, they’ve jumped out to a lead on a ranked opponent.

Last week, they held a 21-0 edge on Michigan before finding a way to hang on for a 28-21 victory. Two weeks ago, they led Iowa throughout the game, including a 17-6 advantage in the fourth quarter, but escaped Iowa City with a 17-12 win.

If there’s one thing Penn State could stand to sharpen up in practice this week above any other, it’s honing a killer instinct to put opponents away when the opportunity presents itself.

That means using the team’s four-man tailback rotation to run the ball effectively, even when faced with an eight-man defensive front.

Bowers called it winning the game “on our terms.”

“You know there’s going to be a lot of people up in the box,” he said. “It’s about physicality and mindset, knowing you have to go down there and do your best because you’re trying to end the game.”

It’s funny that Bowers is the Penn State tight end perhaps best qualified to talk about imposing a physical running game on opponents given where he came from. In high school, he was a wide receiver and all-around playmaker. Now, he’s a solid 6-foot-4, 260-pound tight end who knows the importance of the battle in the trenches.

“In high school, I definitely didn’t do any of that,” Bowers said. “I got here and pretty much the first thing you learn was blocking. You kind of just learn from the older guys the mindset you have to have. … You look forward to going out there and being physical.”

That said, the thought of being involved in the downfield passing game still very much intrigues Bowers. He had a pair of solid back-to-back games at the start of the Big Ten season, catching five balls for 136 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown, in consecutive victories over Maryland and Purdue.

“It’s important to me, just from my past, to be able to go out there and help in any way I can,” Bowers said. “I think it’s important for me to prepare like I’m the starter and whenever my name’s called, I try to go out there and do the best I can.”