Penn State's key stats during its 5-0 start

Penn State’s bye week is over. James Franklin’s 5-0 Nittany Lions produced a pair of impressive victories in September, winning at Purdue (35-31) and Auburn (41-12).

But there is still plenty of work left. Remember: Penn State started 5-0 last season then lost six of its final eight.

Will 2022 end differently?

No. 10 Penn State has produced some interesting numbers. But the Big Ten schedule will not be kind to Franklin’s squad during the next few weeks.

The Lions visit Michigan on Saturday then host Minnesota and Ohio State.

Some Penn State stats to know:

51: Total number of pass breakups for the defense. New coordinator Manny Diaz’s unit is an aggressive bunch. The Lions’ 2021 defense was credited with 48 pass breakups. Standout corner Joey Porter Jr. leads the team with 10 pass breakups, and second-year corner Kalen King has nine.

95: The offense’s conversion percentage in the red zone. The Lions have scored on 19 of 20 possessions, 16 of them resulting in touchdowns.

44.74 and 42.61: Barney Amor’s finest work. Jordan Stout’s replacement is averaging 44.47 yards per punt, and his net punting average of 42.61 ranks No. 14 nationally in FBS. Amor also has placed 14 of his 23 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.

4.9 and 12: How about that running game? The additions of freshmen Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen have been huge. The Lions are averaging 4.9 yards per attempt, and they have rushed for 12 touchdowns. A year ago, Penn State averaged 3.2 yards per attempt and scored 11 touchdowns.

15.4 and 4: Welcome to tight end Brenton Strange’s breakout season. He has been an effective blocker in the run game and is averaging 15.4 yards per catch with a team-high four touchdowns. Strange is third on the team in catches (15) and second in receiving yards (231).

43: Total points allowed by the defense during the last four games: Ohio (10), Auburn (12), Central Michigan (14) and Northwestern (7).

5.8: Kaytron Allen’s yards per carry during the last three games. Allen carried 43 times for 249 yards and three scores during the stretch. And to think that Allen, who is averaging 5.3 yards per attempt this season, didn’t play in the first half against Northwestern for an undisclosed reason.

79.6: The opposition’s rushing average per game, the fifth-lowest number in FBS. Auburn backs Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter combined for just 55 yards on 14 carries against the Lions.

33.8: The offense’s third-down conversion percentage. So not all of these numbers are positive. Coordinator Mike Yurcich’s unit has converted 22 of 65 chances. The Lions are ranked 105th in FBS in this category. This number likely won’t cut it against the likes of Michigan, Minnesota and Ohio State.