Film Study: Penn State football suffers complete system failure vs. Illini

[Ryan Snyder/BWI Staff]

This week's film study is free for all to read

Film Study: Penn State football suffers complete system failure vs. Illini

T-Frank breaks down Penn State's comprehensive defeat at the hands of Illinois Saturday afternoon at Beaver Stadium.

bwi.rivals.com

 

[royboy]

Very good piece.

This fact is disturbing:
Penn State has faced 27 QB sneaks over the last three seasons and they’ve stopped four of them.

Yikes.

 

[rudedude]

Mustipher out hurts a lot and Brandon Smith is not getting it done. Out of position too many times and this has become a habit.

 

[searay26]

No one placed over the center.

 

[Big 0]

Excellent article on both the offensive and defensive woes. And I was surprised they brought up the fact of the refusal by the B10 refs to call holding on numerous occasions on the Illinois offensive linemen. There was a lot of grabbing around the waist from behind of PSU DL by the Illinois OL. This did have an effect on the game. Penn State had 2 weeks to get innovative in changing their run game tactics but did not. Franklin mentioned that it was difficult to try to install a primarily run game attack from a primarily pass game attack in ONE week, when supposedly he had TWO weeks to prepare. This is coaching malpractice and the article pretty much stated so.

 

[ram2020]

Mustipher out hurts a lot and Brandon Smith is not getting it done. Out of position too many times and this has become a habit.

Brandon Smith also looks like he is playing to not get hurt. He knows he will be a combine freak....he is very soft running through his gaps, even if it is the wrong one, he doesnt go through his gap aggressively.

 

[bcspsu]

Excellent article on both the offensive and defensive woes. And I was surprised they brought up the fact of the refusal by the B10 refs to call holding on numerous occasions on the Illinois offensive linemen. There was a lot of grabbing around the waist from behind of PSU DL by the Illinois OL. This did have an effect on the game. Penn State had 2 weeks to get innovative in changing their run game tactics but did not. Franklin mentioned that it was difficult to try to install a primarily run game attack from a primarily pass game attack in ONE week, when supposedly he had TWO weeks to prepare. This is coaching malpractice and the article pretty much stated so.

Franklin said in his halftime radio interview that Illinois' heavy formation surprised PSU and they needed to make adjustments. Why did it take until halftime for him and his staff to consider making adjustments? That's coaching malfeasance to me.

 

[royboy]

Excellent article on both the offensive and defensive woes. And I was surprised they brought up the fact of the refusal by the B10 refs to call holding on numerous occasions on the Illinois offensive linemen. There was a lot of grabbing around the waist from behind of PSU DL by the Illinois OL. This did have an effect on the game. Penn State had 2 weeks to get innovative in changing their run game tactics but did not. Franklin mentioned that it was difficult to try to install a primarily run game attack from a primarily pass game attack in ONE week, when supposedly he had TWO weeks to prepare. This is coaching malpractice and the article pretty much stated so.

I don't at all support calls here for Franklin's firing.

But no question PSU was out-coached by Bret Bielema and company on Saturday.

 

[cvilleelkscoach]

Brandon Smith also looks like he is playing to not get hurt. He knows he will be a combine freak....he is very soft running through his gaps, even if it is the wrong one, he doesnt go through his gap aggressively.

I don't usually call out individual players, not my style. But I will say that Brandon Smith looked like he was playing at half speed. Don't know if he is banged up or what. But he took plays off, didn't hustle and looked like he wanted to be somewhere else. From my seat in WF, he didn't look engaged.

Having been a coach for many years, I got use to watching my team from the moment they were dressed for a game until kickoff to determine in my head if we were ready to play. I do the same when I get to my seat in the stadium. I said to my wife while we were watching warmups, this team looks flat. Little energy, no bounce. I didn't see guys into the music. They were just flat. Unfortunately, my assessment was right, they played flat. No energy, little hustle, maybe a lack of focus. Was this team looking ahead, who knows.

 

[Obliviax]

I don't usually call out individual players, not my style. But I will say that Brandon Smith looked like he was playing at half speed. Don't know if he is banged up or what. But he took plays off, didn't hustle and looked like he wanted to be somewhere else. From my seat in WF, he didn't look engaged.

Having been a coach for many years, I got use to watching my team from the moment they were dressed for a game until kickoff to determine in my head if we were ready to play. I do the same when I get to my seat in the stadium. I said to my wife while we were watching warmups, this team looks flat. Little energy, no bounce. I didn't see guys into the music. They were just flat. Unfortunately, my assessment was right, they played flat. No energy, little hustle, maybe a lack of focus. Was this team looking ahead, who knows.

my take exactly watching warm ups. My brother was on the field for Varsity S game and he said that they were laughing and dancing to some very "iffy" music. I kind of wrote it off to being generational. But the team clearly phoned it in.

 

[Obliviax]

There is a video going around of CJF hiding in the tunnel after the post game interview on the field. Apparently, there were some fans there and no security to make a hole for him. So the video shows him standing behind a post, peaking around it several times, to see if the fans are gone. I kinda get it, but it is really bad optics.

FYI

 

[BobPSU92]

There is a video going around of CJF hiding in the tunnel after the post game interview on the field. Apparently, there were some fans there and no security to make a hole for him. So the video shows him standing behind a post, peaking around it several times, to see if the fans are gone. I kinda get it, but it is really bad optics.

FYI

Why did Franklin do the post-game PRESSER. on the field? He is usually in a press room.

 

[MacNit07]

Very good piece.

This fact is disturbing:
Penn State has faced 27 QB sneaks over the last three seasons and they’ve stopped four of them.

Yikes.

Not tough to figure it out…Franklin’s PSU is soft.

 

[Omar81]

I don't usually call out individual players, not my style. But I will say that Brandon Smith looked like he was playing at half speed. Don't know if he is banged up or what. But he took plays off, didn't hustle and looked like he wanted to be somewhere else. From my seat in WF, he didn't look engaged.

Having been a coach for many years, I got use to watching my team from the moment they were dressed for a game until kickoff to determine in my head if we were ready to play. I do the same when I get to my seat in the stadium. I said to my wife while we were watching warmups, this team looks flat. Little energy, no bounce. I didn't see guys into the music. They were just flat. Unfortunately, my assessment was right, they played flat. No energy, little hustle, maybe a lack of focus. Was this team looking ahead, who knows.

How in the hell does the coaching staff let the team come out flat when it lost its last game and is playing with a crippled QB (meaning everyone else has to step up)? Especially with a history of following a loss with a loss?

 

[cvilleelkscoach]

How in the hell does the coaching staff let the team come out flat when it lost its last game and is playing with a crippled QB (meaning everyone else has to step up)? Especially with a history of following a loss with a loss?

As a coach I say coaches don’t control it. You’d like to but you don’t.

 

[84Lion]

I "liked" this (great analysis) but it's sickening to revisit. A lost opportunity in so many ways.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

Not tough to figure it out…Franklin’s PSU is soft.

Amazing we’ve stopped 4!

 

[NittPicker]

Why did Franklin do the post-game PRESSER. on the field? He is usually in a press room.

I'm fairly certain he's done all the post game pressers on the field, at least after home games. I chalked it up to the requirement for masks in all indoor areas. Having the presser on the field allows him to answer without masking up.

 

[LongJakk]

I watched a few of the qb sneaks. 1 tech lined up in C-G gap. 3 tech in G-T gap. On snap the 1 tech drove into the G and the 3 tech hit the tackle. That left the C and a G with just LBs to block and easily push forward for 2+ yards.

 

[PSUSignore]

I don't at all support calls here for Franklin's firing.

But no question PSU was out-coached by Bret Bielema and company on Saturday.

It's not the first time he's done it. Remember the intentional offsides on kickoffs many years ago to bleed out the clock in a close game?

 

[BBrown]

Mustipher out hurts a lot and Brandon Smith is not getting it done. Out of position too many times and this has become a habit.

Agree Mustipher was a big loss but even before that both Wiscy and Auburn ran pretty will until they reached the RZ.
Smith has been avg. at best and not at all living up to his pre-season hype but then he's been better than the OL, RB's and TE's. So there is that. 🤦‍♂️

 

[PSUSignore]

Very good piece.

This fact is disturbing:
Penn State has faced 27 QB sneaks over the last three seasons and they’ve stopped four of them.

Yikes.

I'd be curious what these stats look like for other teams. A very short yardage QB sneak in general seems to have a pretty high success rate, but I've never seen the numbers.

 

[BBrown]

I'd be curious what these stats look like for other teams. A very short yardage QB sneak in general seems to have a pretty high success rate, but I've never seen the numbers.

And the really scary part is some of those from IU and Illinois were 2+ yards.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

And the really scary part is some of those from IU and Illinois were 2+ yards.

And they were often gaining 4-5+ yards!

 

[Grass]

Man was that a depressing read. Makes you wonder what the staff did for two weeks.

 

[ram2020]

Man was that a depressing read. Makes you wonder what the staff did for two weeks.

They were out recruiting and taking in High school football games in their helicopter. Same as they do every bye week on repeat year in and year out. I get the need for recruiting and visibility, but the "1-0" mantra must fall a little flat to the players when their coach gets on the private jet during the bye week every year. Before I get attacked, I am sure every big time coach does this during their bye week, but since Franklin's record post lost or post bye week is abhorrent, maybe for one year he simply switches it up?

 

[HazletonLion]

The team was given several consecutive days off , the nasty days of PSU players are gone. Several contributing factors to this, some player think an impressive combine will help them out like Parsons and Oweh, if so they are living in a fantasy world.

Big 10 officiating took some of the aggressiveness with the targeting calls in the Wisconsin game, they had to back off that, became soft. Played straight up against Auburn, and way too soft against Nova, probably thought Illinois would be similar. Even the media following us had little respect for the Illini.

In between was Iowa whose intention was to physically hammer PSU at all costs, 5 players leaving the game, are you kidding me, Joe's players would have blown up that punters leg or knocked their QB in a fog like they did to Jeff Smoker. Basically saying you wanna play rough, ok let's go. OSU will put players in a hospital on Saturday, if we don't toughen up.

Big officiating stated their message with the goal line fumble, again like the broken cable incident against OSU, no overlord review. Illinois got away with holding all day, not whining , but works both ways. OSU right now is a shoe in for the playoffs and they will get there, even with the help of questionable calls.

 

[PSUriseANDfire]

Illinois could averaged more yards per sneak than our season ypc. The allignment was fd from go and for some reason it never changed.

 

[ILLINOISLION]

I suspect a team could come out and drive down for a TD using only QB sneaks & runningback pushes.

 

[manilion]

James Franklin is garbage. Teams have figured him out. Time to lower expectations to 6-7 wins based on talent allow. Under Frankin PennState has beaten on team ranked higher then them. ONE. Thats on team with more talent than them. However they have lost many games against inferior talent. Unacceptable for a coach that gets pad what Frankin does. Just pathetic overall performance over the years.

 

[rudedude]

Rewatching the OT this AM, Illinois had a back in motion on the jet sweep points and it wasn’t called. Very obvious.

 

[ram2020]

Rewatching the OT this AM, Illinois had a back in motion on the jet sweep points and it wasn’t called. Very obvious.

I noticed that live.

 

[canuckhal]

Man was that a depressing read. Makes you wonder what the staff did for two weeks.

Recruiting.

 

[Psugo823]

Not tough to figure it out…Franklin’s PSU is soft.

And has been l. All 8 years.

 

[LaJollaLion]

Rewatching the OT this AM, Illinois had a back in motion on the jet sweep points and it wasn’t called. Very obvious.

God bless you for even bothering.....I don't have the stomach. That is one game I'll never watch again in my lifetime.

 

[PSUcup1]

Rewatching the OT this AM, Illinois had a back in motion on the jet sweep points and it wasn’t called. Very obvious.

Yep. I posted that in the game thread. Clear as day.

 

[cvilleelkscoach]

I'm fairly certain he's done all the post game pressers on the field, at least after home games. I chalked it up to the requirement for masks in all indoor areas. Having the presser on the field allows him to answer without masking up.

Correct. All the post games, home and away, have been done outside to avoid Covid protocols inside.

 

[Psugo823]

Not tough to figure it out…Franklin’s PSU is soft.

And has been for 8 years

 

[RickinDayton]

Man was that a depressing read. Makes you wonder what the staff did for two weeks.

Well, for several days during week 1 they were on the road watching recruits instead of staying in State College and preparing the team. I wonder if there is a limitation on practice time during bye weeks? Anyone know?