Rest break ends, PSU goes to work
Harsh reality is road test Saturday at Minnesota in battle of unbeatens
On Sept. 14, Penn State beat Pitt, 17-10, then took its first off week of the season with everything still to prove and its hardest games ahead of it.
After that, the Nittany Lions went on an expectation-changing run, blowing out Maryland and Purdue, edging Iowa and Michigan then winning comfortably against Michigan State.
There were emotional, tough wins. Even against the Spartans, the score was never all that close, but the style of play was physically grueling.
Now, fifth-ranked Penn State (8-0) comes off its second open week. There is still a lot to prove, and the toughest games are still ahead, but the break gave the Nittany Lions a chance to take a deep breath and reset before shifting its focus to the stretch run.
“I think the first thing is rest and recovery,” coach James Franklin said Tuesday. “I think the older I’ve gotten, I’ve gotten a little bit better at that. My answer for everything is more, and that’s not always the right answer.
“So during the bye week, the rest and recovery was as important as everything. Our normal Monday off, our normal Sunday practice before that, and then Tuesday and Wednesday, we were able to get some good-ongood work and then really spent some time on individual, because sometimes as the season goes on, you have to cut the individual work back to make sure you get all the game plan-specific reps done to get your guys prepared for what they are going to see.”
Perhaps more than anything, the off week came at a good time because Penn State suffered some injuries against Michigan State.
Nittany Lions cornerback John Reid went down at one point and didn’t return to the game. Running back Noah Cain also picked up some bumps and bruises.
It’s unclear if the two would have been able to play last Saturday had Penn State been in action, but with the week off, Franklin said he expects both to be available Saturday afternoon against 13th-ranked Minnesota (8-0).
And even for those who weren’t truly injured, the week off provides an opportunity to rest before the rest of the season.
“The bye week helps reset a lot of things,” quarterback Sean Clifford said. “Obviously, it helps everybody get their bodies back. Playing such a tough schedule that we do, the bangs and bruises are gonna come, so for me, next to film study, that’s No. 1.”
Added running back Journey Brown: “I did a lot of like [regeneration] and got in the tubs and got massages and stuff, took care of my body. Got in the sauna and sweated a little bit. I did a lot of preparing my body. Then I went home, saw my mom, my little sister and a lot of my friends and stuff. It was good. Got re-booted physically and mentally.”
As for the coaches, Franklin asks them to come into the facility later than usual, allowing them to take their kids to school.
For many of them, though, the off week sees them all over the country recruiting. Franklin himself said that last Thursday he began in University Park, flew to Philadelphia in the morning, then ended up in Jacksonville, Fla., by day’s end.
So, for some, the off week is only a limited reprieve. For all the Nittany Lions, though, the key is to not let the relaxation linger.
There’s so much to prove yet, and that starts with the road game Saturday.
“I thought we had a really good bye week,” Franklin said. “Got a lot done. Got a lot done here in Happy Valley. Got a lot done all over the country from one coast to the other, and then we’re able to get back here this week.
“Thought we had a really good bye week, but obviously we’ve got to have a great week of preparation this week so we can go play well Saturday.”