Will the Lions' Offense Be Ready for Wisconsin?
Penn State begins the 2021 football season with perhaps its most intriguing opener under head coach James Franklin — at least the most unique since Franklin took his first Penn State team to Ireland in 2014.
The Lions visit No. 12 Wisconsin on Sept. 4, marking the first time Franklin has met a ranked team to start a season. Penn State has not opened a season (outside of the 2020 Big Ten-only schedule) on the road in the Big Ten since 1994. That many Lions will make their true road-game debuts at Camp Randall Stadium is a powerful motivator.
Franklin said that the team's Wisconsin offseason countdown clock "really raised the standard" during workouts and training camp, which certainly sounds promising. Still, Penn State brings one central question to this game: Will its new, Mike Yurcich offense be ready for the game and the atmosphere?
No. 19 Penn State vs. No. 12 Wisconsin
When: Noon EST Sept. 4
Where: Camp Randall Stadium, Madison, Wis.
TV: Fox and the Fox Sports App
Betting line: Wisconsin is a 5.5-point favorite
Series history: Penn State leads 10-9
Last meeting: Penn State 22-10 in 2018
Streaks: Penn State has won four straight in the series (2012-18).
Road record: Penn State is 4-6 in Madison
About the Lions: Franklin, himself a former offensive coordinator, will introduce his fifth different coordinator at Penn State and fourth in five years. Franklin has made clear his affection for Mike Yurcich, who has worked at Oklahoma State, Ohio State and most recently Texas. Franklin tried to hire Yurcich in 2020, learned he was unavailable and turned to Kirk Ciarrocca instead. After the wayward 2020 season, and a coaching change at Texas, Franklin got his coordinator.
Yurcich, who certainly arrived at Penn State under better circumstances, has plenty to correct. Penn State quarterbacks ranked eighth in the Big Ten in completion percentage (60.3) last season and were part of 15 of the team's 17 turnovers. Yurcich faced a race against time. "How can I get through to [quarterback Sean Clifford] faster to where we're making zero mistakes and he's on point?" That's the key. Clifford said that Yurcich has helped nurture a "fresh start" for the offense, one that will materialize in what Franklin has called a quicker-paced version of the 2016 offense.
But the Lions don't get much of a break-in period to start 2021. Wisconsin's defense last year was top-10 nationally in points allowed (17.4) and top-20 in yards per point (17.4).
Asked when the offense will be ready, Franklin said, "It had better be early, right?"
"We try to run a program where our players have a sense of urgency, and it's not really dependent on the opponent," Franklin said. "It's about our process. But we need to be shooting on all cylinders come Week 1. That's, How quickly can we learn? How quickly can we gain confidence? How quickly can we execute in all three phases?"
About the Badgers: Like Clifford, Wisconsin quarterback Graham Mertz had an uneven 2020 season. Mertz's TD/INT numbers were 7/0 through the first two games and 2/5 thereafter. As one of Wisconsin's highest-rated recruits, according to 247Sports, Mertz remains a work-in-progress, no doubt frustrating to Wisconsin fans longing for Russell Wilson instead of Jim Sorgi.
Mertz's inconsistency was just an aspect of the 2020 Wisconsin offense, which ranked eighth in the Big Ten in rushing and 12th in total offense. Certainly, COVID-19 caused issues for the offense, which allowed opposing defenses to make the Badgers even more one-dimensional. So Wisconsin will build its fresh start around eight returning offensive starters, including what Franklin would call a long offensive line: three starters are 6-5 or taller. But this show will belong to Mertz and running back Chez Mellusi, the Clemson transfer who was listed atop Wiconsin's pregame depth chart.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin will benefit from a veteran defense, led by linebackers Jack Sanborn and Leo Chenal, playing at home. The Badgers should feel pretty comfortable if they can keep Penn State in the 20-point range.
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