SEARCHING FOR TWO STRAIGHT

The many keys to a Penn State victory over Wisconsin have been evaluated and listed ad nauseum during the last week, but here are a few things to watch for tonight that may have been overlooked.

• Much has been made of Penn State's troubles on the road in the Big Ten conference, but look at the Lions' record when playing back-to-back road games, as it will against Purdue and Wisconsin, and the outlook is even worse. Since 1998, Penn State is just 2-10 in the second of two straight road games and hasn't won since a 63-10 thumping at Illinois in 2005. That victory came on the heels of a heart-breaking, last-second loss to Michigan in the Big House. The last time Penn State won two straight road games? 1999, when the Lions beat Purdue and Illinois in back-to-back weeks in October.
• Tonight's 8:00 p.m. kickoff is the first road night game for Penn State since 2005 when it played at Illinois. It's the first time the Lions will play a ranked team on the road at night since 2003, when they were dominated by Nebraska 16-10. Overall, Penn State is 33-20 in night games, 15-7 on the road.
  
• Many Penn State fans would be quick to tell you how they feel that the Nittany Lions have been on the "outside" of the Big Ten since the football team joined the conference in 1993. This weekend the team will travel 613 miles from State College to Madison to take on the Badgers, but that's not even the longest road trip of the season for Penn State. That distinction belongs to the over 700-mile trek to Iowa City on November 8. For the season, the Lions will rack up 2,076 miles during its four conference road game, by far the most of any Big Ten team.
• Senior kicker Kevin Kelly is currently tied for fifth place all-time in Big Ten history with former Wisconsin kicker Todd Gregoire with 65 made field goals in his career. If he can split the uprights today, he'll be just one kick behind Nate Kaeding for fourth place and six away from the all-time record of 72.
• Senior wideout Jordan Norwood, who has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, likely will move into ninth place in Penn State's career receiving yards list on his first reception tonight. Norwood is currently in eighth place, just six yards behind Tony Johnson.