PSU leans on seniors in successful run

STATE COLLEGE » James Franklin has been asked a lot this week about his first senior class, which helped Penn State win 17 of its last 20 games.

The No. 13 Nittany Lions will celebrate the seniors at home on Saturday against Nebraska. Coach Franklin reminds people he didn’t singlehandedly assemble this group. It includes the program’s alltime leading receiver and tight end, two hard-hitting defenders and a former walkon-turned-starter destined for medical school.

“There’s still a combination of guys that were committed when I got the job,” Franklin said. “And guys that were redshirt guys that had been here a year before I got here. I think that’s one of the things that we were able to do in the last two years is build that relationship and rapport with those guys.”

It’s translated into another shot at a New Year’s Six bowl game if Penn State (8-2, 5-2, No. 10 CFP) can take care of the struggling Cornhuskers (4-6, 3-4).

Nebraska has lost four of its last five as its defense has allowed 412 yards and 32 points per game. Although the Cornhuskers could be without starting quarterback Tanner Lee, Penn State has had its own problems in a 1-2 stretch.

The Nittany Lions haven’t been able to get Heisman Trophy candidate Saquon Barkley going on the ground. Barkley hasn’t surpassed 63 yards in any of the last three games.

Meanwhile, quarterback Trace McSorley is rewriting the team record books.

He’s thrown a touchdown pass in 25 straight games and has gotten help from wideout DaeSean Hamilton and tight end Mike Gesicki. They can both add to their record catch numbers on Saturday.