Lions still looking for a running game
Eight games into a football season that looked very promising four weeks ago, Penn State stands at a crossroads.
The 22nd-ranked Nittany Lions (2-3 Big Ten, 5-3) will carry a three-game losing streak to Maryland (2-3, 5-3) for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff Saturday (TV-FS1). They must win out if they hope to post a 10-win season, including a bowl game.
“Obviously it’s been kind of a roller coaster in some ways, right?” Penn State coach James Franklin said Tuesday. “We’ve got to find a way to win some of these tough games, and that’s through preparation, development, scheme and recruiting from a depth perspective.
“I think there were enough things last week in that game (a 33-24 loss at then-No. 5 Ohio State) to build on, but we’ve got to find a way to get a win this week. That’s all that matters.”
Penn State opened 5-0 and moved up to No. 4 in the Associated Press Top 25 before losses to then-No. 3 Iowa (23-20), Illinois (20-18) and Ohio State.
Quarterback Sean Clifford left the game against the Hawkeyes with an injury and the Lions leading 17-3. He lacked mobility and never scrambled against the Illini.
Clifford looked much healthier against the Buckeyes and completed a record-tying 35-of52 passes for 361 yards and one touchdown. Penn State was within 27-24 until Ohio State kicked two field goals in the final seven minutes.
Franklin was asked after the loss at Ohio Stadium why the Lions played so much better against the Buckeyes than they did against Illinois, an 18½-pount underdog. He responded by saying he would get into it Tuesday and he did.
“The biggest thing is your starting quarterback being healthy,” he said. “That also goes into the other things I’ve mentioned, such as development and scheme and recruiting and playing to your personnel’s strengths.
“We battled. We made plays in that game. Those didn’t happen the week before. Our guys handled adversity and rose to the occasion against a really good opponent.”
Penn State, though, continued to struggle running the ball. After showing a few positive signs in the first quarter, the Lions ran 20 times for only 14 yards in the final three quarters at Ohio State.
In the last three games, Penn State running backs have had only three rushes of 10 yards or more: John Lovett for 18 yards and Keyvone Lee for 13 against Illinois, and Noah Cain for 11 against the Buckeyes.
“That has obviously been an issue that we’ve had this year,” Franklin said. “It starts with getting push, creating some holes and running with a mentality and pad level and being more efficient.
“The next step is being able to make some of those guys miss, break some tackles in the hole and then be able to accelerate and take it the distance. We haven’t had that.”
Conversely, Penn State’s defense has been strong throughout the season. The Lions have limited opponents to 17.0 points per game (eighth nationally) and rank sixth in pass defense efficiency.
They held Ohio State, the highest-scoring team in the country, to two touchdowns on offense and to a season-low 466 total yards.
“I’ve seen some really good things from our defense,” Franklin said.
Penn State has been fairly consistent on special teams, especially with kickoffs and punts. The Lions haven’t been productive in the return game, and Jordan Stout has missed two of his last five field goal tries, including a 49-yarder that would have kept them alive at Ohio State.
“Overall, I think we’ve done a really good job of controlling field position,” Franklin said. “I wish we would have made a few more field goals.”