Franklin bullish on his offense
Badgers a challenge for PSU in opener
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — James Franklin’s Penn State football team is ramping up for its season opener on the road against Wisconsin Sept. 4 at Camp Randall Stadium. The eighth-year head coach told reporters the team would scrimmage at 11 a.m. Saturday to prepare the Nittany Lions for the rigors of an early kickoff with hostile fans.
“It’s important that our guys understand how different it’ll be for their body clocks,” Franklin told reporters on Wednesday after practice. “It’ll be a valuable experience for us. We’ll replicate the team meal. It’ll be a good opportunity for us to have a rehearsal before a challenging game.”
Franklin was joined by tight end coach Ty Howle, tight end Brenton Strange and safety Jaquan Brisker after practice at Beaver Stadium. Each man offered measured insight into how the Nittany Lions are feeling heading into an opener against a ranked opponent.
“We’re more focused because we know Wisconsin is a great team,” Brisker saide. “When you’re going into a game with a team that has so many talented players, you know you [have] to be ready.”
As it goes, the Nittany Lions won’t have much room for error with one of the most demanding schedules in college football.
A win against the Badgers could jump-start the squad toward a run for a playoff spot. A loss could be damaging with games against Iowa and Ohio State looming. Following are three observations from Wednesday’s practice that could determine how the Nittany Lions fare this season.
Backup, please
Franklin knew questions about the backup quarterback battle between Ta’Quan Roberson and freshman Christian Veilleux were coming. It’s pretty much guaranteed that Sean Clifford will be the starter. However, Penn State’s offense under new offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich requires the quarterback to move the pocket with his feet. Clifford is capable, but when the quarterback has to run, there can be injuries. If there is an ailment or Clifford reverts to the turnovers from last season, the Nittany Lions will need to look at Roberson or Veilleux.
Franklin wouldn’t name the backup when asked. There’s no advantage for him to do so publicly. He did say the team will know who it is when the season gets rolling.
Let’s cut through the suspense: It will be Roberson. Franklin won’t say it, but according to people around the program, Roberson has gotten most of the reps with the second team and some with the starters. Roberson doesn’t have much playing experience, but he’s been in the program longer than Veilleux. It makes sense that Roberson would be better prepared to play.
First-year students up
There likely will not be a lot of playing time for a freshman quarterback. But some freshmen likely will get some playing time in Madison. Kalen King has continued to impress at cornerback. The Detroit native won’t push Joey Porter Jr. and Tariq Castro-Fields out of their starting spots quite yet. However, King will get chances to shine.
“It’s been great to see Kalen evolving,” Franklin said. “He’s learning so quickly, and he’s physically impressive.”
Wideouts Liam Clifford and Harrison Wallace and safety Jaylen Reed also were praised by Franklin.
Tighten up
Replacing an All-American tight end like Pat Freiermuth isn’t easy. The Nittany Lions did get some early experience last season, since Freiermuth suffered some injuries. Strange and Theo Johnson will be the main options, and Franklin wasn’t shy about how he views them.
“We have the best group of tight ends I’ve seen in my years of coaching,” Franklin said, “They’re one of the best groups in the nation.”
Franklin overall seemed optimistic about his offense.
“It’s hard for me not to compare everything to last year just because that’s the most recent thing we’ve gone through. Compared to last year, it’s not even close,” Franklin said. “Having spring ball and having all the summer walkthroughs, I think we’re in a good place, and there are some things that we do that I think are challenging.”