Return of Wallace eyed as big boost
Penn State football coach James Franklin expects the timing between quarterback Drew Allar and the wide receivers to improve when Harrison Wallace III returns, which could be as soon as this weekend.
Franklin implied that Wallace, who has missed most of the last four games with an undisclosed injury, will play when the sixthranked Nittany Lions (5-0) play Massachusetts (1-6) Saturday at 3:30 (TV-BTN) at Beaver Stadium.
“I think getting Trey [Wallace] back is a huge piece of the puzzle,” Franklin said Tuesday during his weekly press conference. “I think it helps KeAndre [LambertSmith]. I think it helps Drew. I think it helps our team. I think it helps our offense. I think it helps Coach [Mike] Yurcich in calling the game.”
Wallace caught seven passes for 72 yards in the season-opening win over West Virginia. He had three receptions for 26 yards against Delaware before he left the game with an injury.
He and Lambert-Smith, who leads Penn State with 25 catches for 372 yards and three touchdowns, are the only wide receivers with at least 10 receptions.
The Lions have only 12 plays of at least 20 yards, including 10 receptions, which ranks among the nation’s fewest.
“I think it will be helpful,” Franklin said, “being able to have Trey back with KeAndre on the field while those other guys are developing those roles, those opportunities and that confidence.”
Nourzad anchors line:
Penn State senior Hunter Nourzad has made a seamless transition from guard to center this season.
Nourzad, who transferred from Cornell before last season, started his final 20 games for the Big Red at right tackle. The Lions moved him to guard, where he was a reserve for five games before taking over for the injured Landon Tengwall for the final eight games a year ago.
“He’s done a really good job,” Franklin said. “He’s been a great culture fit for us. He’s really well-respected in the locker room from the players and the staff. I think him coming back this year was important for him and us.
“The way he’s playing right now and his ability to play center and guard are extremely valuable.”
Nourzad received All-Big Ten honorable mention last year and is a candidate for higher honors this season. He earned an engineering degree from Cornell and is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration.
“When he’s not in class, he’s in the weight room, stretching, working on his mobility,” Franklin said. “He does a great job with his nutrition and hydration. He’s a really good example of the importance of maturity on your football team. He’s done a phenomenal job.”
Productive bye week:
Franklin summarized the bye week as productive on and off the field.
The Lions offensive coaches evaluated the defense, and the defensive coaches evaluated the offense. All coaches evaluated the special teams.
Penn State practiced Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday before a jog-through on Thursday. Players had off Friday and Saturday.
“We wanted to practice enough that we can stay sharp,” he said, “and get enough full-speed, goodon-good periods, which are really valuable.”
Franklin also traveled extensively Thursday through Saturday, recruiting in Connecticut, North Carolina, Florida, New Jersey and Massachusetts.
The status of Penn State guard JB Nelson, who left the Northwestern game with an undisclosed injury and was not seen at practice last Wednesday, remains uncertain.
Franklin said last week that Nelson is not out for the season.
“Nothing has changed from an injury standpoint to address with you guys,” he said, “but I think we’re in a pretty good place. The reality is we need to be in a good place going into this game and we need to be in a good place coming out of this game as well.”