'Fast and Aggressive' Penn State Readies for Ohio State
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Penn State hosts Ohio State on Saturday, marking the end of its three-game October grind against three physical defenses. The Lions are 1-1 in the stretch with a pair of blowouts: a 24-point loss to Michigan and a 28-point win over Minnesota.
What track are the Lions following into their meeting with the No. 2 Buckeyes? Coach James Franklin offered a glimpse Tuesday.
'Fast and Aggressive'
This was a theme Franklin wanted to hit during his weekly press conference. The Lions demonstrated neither trait consistently in a 41-17 loss to Michigan. Franklin thought the team acquitted itself much better in a 45-17 win over Minnesota and expects that to carry into Saturday's game against Ohio State.
"I thought we played fast and aggressive," Franklin said. "You watched on tape, we were back to playing fast and aggressive. ... We did some really good things to build on last week that we should have confidence from and momentum from and we need to build on it. We need to get better today in practice.
"We need to get better all week in terms of our preparation and how we practice and how we coach and same thing with the game on Saturday. We are going to have to play better this Saturday than we did this past week."
Spotlighting the Pass Rush
Penn State played without defensive end Chop Robinson last week, and his return will be vital vs. the Buckeyes. Franklin did not update Robinson's status but discussed the pass rush in general and how effective it has been despite the numbers.
Penn State is tied for 77th nationally in sacks (two per game) and has 14 on the season. But Franklin praised the defense's ability to affect quarterbacks despite the lack of sacks.
"Overall, I think our ability to affect the quarterback, whether it's through sacks, pressures or tight coverage, has been good," I think if you look at our completion percentage against our defense [50.7 percent, third nationally], that is not just because of our defensive backs. That's also because of pressure and making the quarterback uncomfortable in the pocket.
"So would we like more flat-out sacks? Yes. Would we like more tackles for a loss? Yes. But overall, I think when you evaluate the whole picture, it's pretty good."
Penn State's Adisa Isaac (20) and Zane Durant rush Minnesota quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis during their game at Beaver Stadium.
Dan Rainville/USA Today Sports
Playing With Tempo
Penn State's offense scored touchdowns on six of eight possessions against Minnesota after a shaky start that included two three-and-outs and an interception. The key element was getting into a tempo rhythm that it was able to maintain.
After the game, receiver Parker Washington called tempo one of Penn State's secret weapons. Franklin concurred.
"I thought one of the things that we did best on Saturday was just mixing," Franklin said. "Mixing tempo, mixing cadence, mixing scheme, whether it's move the pocket, whether it's run, whether it's play-action pass, whether it's misdirection, or whether it's trick plays. I thought we had a really good mix of keeping them kind of off balance and uncomfortable."
What to Expect on the Offensive Line
Penn State played without starting guard Landon Tengwall and lost right tackle Caedan Wallace for a time. The Lions also were without injured reserve lineman Nick Dawkins.
As a result, Bryce Effner played tackle and guard, while freshman Vega Ioane saw action in his second game. Franklin praised both for their versatility, but the Lions need to get healthier up front quickly.
Last Word
Franklin wanted fans to know that quarterback Sean Clifford was named the Big Ten offensive player of the week.
No. 13 Penn State hosts No. 2 Ohio State at noon Saturday at Beaver Stadium. FOX will televise.
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