Before I get into those individual performances on offense, defense and special teams that impressed me during last night's impressive win [28-3] over Rutgers, there are two very important points I want to make about James Franklin and his coaching staff.
1] As you all know this past Tuesday I wrote a very critical "Phil Grosz's Inside Look at Penn State Football" detailing why Penn State's offensive strategy was one of the main reasons why I believed Penn State lost its opening game to Temple at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia back on Saturday, Sept. 5. I believed that offensive game-plan and how it was run didn't fit and take advantage of the offensive underclassmen talent that exists on this Penn State team. Some of the best underclassmen talent in the Big Ten and a quarterback in Christian Hackenberg that is a pure NFL-style pro-style QB.
A "read option" style of running game with slow developing plays just wasn't destined to work and be effective, especially with an offensive line that lacked confidence and really had not established an identity during the 15 games Franklin has been Penn State's head football coach going into last night's game against the Scarlet Knights. It was Rutgers last September that identified Penn State's # 1 weakness on offense and exposed it to the rest of the Big Ten and college football. Put eight people in the box, blitz against both the run and the pass and watch Penn State's offense dissolve because it's totally one-dimensional being unable to run the football.
Well, as Saquan Barkley and Akeel Lynch proved last night maybe that was the case with Penn State's offense last year, but things certainly have changed three games into the 2015 season. Barkley and Lynch combined to rush for 315 yards on 31 carries averaging 10.16 yards per carry [YPC] with three rushing TDs against the Scarlet Knights. The great story-line here is that all the success Penn State had running the ball came because they attacked Rutgers' 8-man front on defense in the box out of a pro-style of attack with Hackenberg under center and out of the shot gun formation. There were no slow developing running plays. The plan was to use the entire field with the running game from sideline to sideline and attack Rutgers' 8-man front on defense with a fast-striking downhill running game. Penn State just kept attacking, attacking, attacking downhill all game with its running attack.
After Penn State took a 7-0 lead at the 12:10 mark of the first quarter on a 12-play 80-yard drive that concluded with 2-yard TD run on a "fly" sweep by DeAndre Thompkins, Rutgers' 8-men in-the-box strategy was no more because Penn State had already surpassed it's rushing total of 64 yards on 33 carries it totaled last September against the Scarlet Knights. The Nittany Lions had already rushed for 65 yards with Barkley and Lynch and this time Hackenberg didn't have to run for his life 12 times for 18 yards like he did avoiding Rutgers' blitzes last September.
It was the perfect offensive game-plan that took total advantage of Barkley's and Lynch's talents. Took pressure of Hackenberg to be the savior of Penn State's anemic and struggling offense and allowed the offensive line to gain some confidence and prove to itself that under the right circumstances and with the correct offensive game-plan it was not totally devoid of talent.
Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to diminish the impact Barkley had on on Penn State's offense against the Scarlet Knights. There is no question Barkley was the the fuse that set off the explosion last night with Penn State's offense. After watching last night's game, just like everyone else I believe Barkley has the potential to become Penn State's next great running back. But it is way to early to start comparing him to former Penn State All-American running backs like Larry Johnson, Ki-Jana Carter and yes, Matt Millen, Curt Warner.
Personally, somewhere down the line that might all come into play, but for now let's just watch Barkley's talent develop and conjure up in our minds the problems he is going to create for the rest of Penn State's 2015 opponent's defensive coordinators with what he can do with the Nittany Lions' running game. He is already Penn State's biggest running back at 5-11, 222 and he makes everyone around him better on offense, especially the offensive line and even Hackenberg. He has power, explosive cutting ability, patience, quickness, vision and best of all he's decisive once the opening at the point of attack reveals itself. Barley is one special talent.
2] I love the way Franklin and his staff is building a complete football team. One that is full of talent on offense, defense and special teams. This isn't the beginnings of a team that wants to have its winning edge based solely on offense, defense or special teams. I can't ever remember in the 36 years I've been covering the Penn State football team, except for possibly the national championship team in 1982 and Penn State's 12-0 team in 1994, where there was such an array of young underclassman talent leading up to the 1982 and 1994 seasons on offense, defense and special teams.
There still is a long way to go before that time arrives, but it is quite obvious to me Franklin doesn't subscribe to the notion that you win league championships solely on offense, defense or special teams. Each entity has an equal footing in a team's level of success. He wants to be 3-deep at every position in each area and have competition at each position on a daily basis. That takes time.
So, Penn State fans need to keep there expectations realistic and show some patience. Not expecting a run at the Big Ten East Division title this season, but I sure do think this emerging Penn State team with 55 players on its football scholarship roster with sophomore and freshman eligibility can make some real noise in the Big Ten East this year.
This part lasted longer than I expected, so part 2 later today will detail those individuals on offense, defense and special teams that played exceptionally well against Rutgers last evening.
1] As you all know this past Tuesday I wrote a very critical "Phil Grosz's Inside Look at Penn State Football" detailing why Penn State's offensive strategy was one of the main reasons why I believed Penn State lost its opening game to Temple at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia back on Saturday, Sept. 5. I believed that offensive game-plan and how it was run didn't fit and take advantage of the offensive underclassmen talent that exists on this Penn State team. Some of the best underclassmen talent in the Big Ten and a quarterback in Christian Hackenberg that is a pure NFL-style pro-style QB.
A "read option" style of running game with slow developing plays just wasn't destined to work and be effective, especially with an offensive line that lacked confidence and really had not established an identity during the 15 games Franklin has been Penn State's head football coach going into last night's game against the Scarlet Knights. It was Rutgers last September that identified Penn State's # 1 weakness on offense and exposed it to the rest of the Big Ten and college football. Put eight people in the box, blitz against both the run and the pass and watch Penn State's offense dissolve because it's totally one-dimensional being unable to run the football.
Well, as Saquan Barkley and Akeel Lynch proved last night maybe that was the case with Penn State's offense last year, but things certainly have changed three games into the 2015 season. Barkley and Lynch combined to rush for 315 yards on 31 carries averaging 10.16 yards per carry [YPC] with three rushing TDs against the Scarlet Knights. The great story-line here is that all the success Penn State had running the ball came because they attacked Rutgers' 8-man front on defense in the box out of a pro-style of attack with Hackenberg under center and out of the shot gun formation. There were no slow developing running plays. The plan was to use the entire field with the running game from sideline to sideline and attack Rutgers' 8-man front on defense with a fast-striking downhill running game. Penn State just kept attacking, attacking, attacking downhill all game with its running attack.
After Penn State took a 7-0 lead at the 12:10 mark of the first quarter on a 12-play 80-yard drive that concluded with 2-yard TD run on a "fly" sweep by DeAndre Thompkins, Rutgers' 8-men in-the-box strategy was no more because Penn State had already surpassed it's rushing total of 64 yards on 33 carries it totaled last September against the Scarlet Knights. The Nittany Lions had already rushed for 65 yards with Barkley and Lynch and this time Hackenberg didn't have to run for his life 12 times for 18 yards like he did avoiding Rutgers' blitzes last September.
It was the perfect offensive game-plan that took total advantage of Barkley's and Lynch's talents. Took pressure of Hackenberg to be the savior of Penn State's anemic and struggling offense and allowed the offensive line to gain some confidence and prove to itself that under the right circumstances and with the correct offensive game-plan it was not totally devoid of talent.
Don't get me wrong I'm not trying to diminish the impact Barkley had on on Penn State's offense against the Scarlet Knights. There is no question Barkley was the the fuse that set off the explosion last night with Penn State's offense. After watching last night's game, just like everyone else I believe Barkley has the potential to become Penn State's next great running back. But it is way to early to start comparing him to former Penn State All-American running backs like Larry Johnson, Ki-Jana Carter and yes, Matt Millen, Curt Warner.
Personally, somewhere down the line that might all come into play, but for now let's just watch Barkley's talent develop and conjure up in our minds the problems he is going to create for the rest of Penn State's 2015 opponent's defensive coordinators with what he can do with the Nittany Lions' running game. He is already Penn State's biggest running back at 5-11, 222 and he makes everyone around him better on offense, especially the offensive line and even Hackenberg. He has power, explosive cutting ability, patience, quickness, vision and best of all he's decisive once the opening at the point of attack reveals itself. Barley is one special talent.
2] I love the way Franklin and his staff is building a complete football team. One that is full of talent on offense, defense and special teams. This isn't the beginnings of a team that wants to have its winning edge based solely on offense, defense or special teams. I can't ever remember in the 36 years I've been covering the Penn State football team, except for possibly the national championship team in 1982 and Penn State's 12-0 team in 1994, where there was such an array of young underclassman talent leading up to the 1982 and 1994 seasons on offense, defense and special teams.
There still is a long way to go before that time arrives, but it is quite obvious to me Franklin doesn't subscribe to the notion that you win league championships solely on offense, defense or special teams. Each entity has an equal footing in a team's level of success. He wants to be 3-deep at every position in each area and have competition at each position on a daily basis. That takes time.
So, Penn State fans need to keep there expectations realistic and show some patience. Not expecting a run at the Big Ten East Division title this season, but I sure do think this emerging Penn State team with 55 players on its football scholarship roster with sophomore and freshman eligibility can make some real noise in the Big Ten East this year.
This part lasted longer than I expected, so part 2 later today will detail those individuals on offense, defense and special teams that played exceptionally well against Rutgers last evening.
