By Quintus McDonald
Last week’s report card on the Nittany Lions’ game versus the Akron Zips was consistency. This week it became evident early in the first quarter that Rutgers University was determined to make a statement to not only Penn State, but to the Big Ten Conference and college football as a whole. But PSU made a statement themselves when they beat the Scarlet Knights 13-10 and that is that they are resilient.
Both teams were very well prepared. Going into the game, it was obvious that the difference maker could easily be the athletic defensive front of Rutgers versus Penn State’s exposed and anemic offensive line.
Offensive Line: C+
This unit of physically over-matched young men showed nothing less than grit, determination and pure resilience all night. Players were beaten repeatedly; down after down and not once did they let their heads hang down. It was always, “On to the next play!”
Having a short memory and being determined to do better on the next play is a direct result of the head coach’s approach to the game. This mentality is not something that can be put on with your jersey at game time. It has been drilled into these young men and it paid tremendous dividends on Saturday night. The sheer confidence to call a running play after driving down the field through the air was brilliant and resulted in “Check Mate” for a match that, quite frankly, Rutgers had been winning for 44 minutes.
The Penn State O-line has got to find a way to, at least, establish the line of scrimmage. To date, the opposing defenses have established that it is one-to-two yards into the PSU backfield. I look forward to marked improvement this week.
Receivers: C+
The receivers showed some inconsistency on Saturday. Several poorly run routes coupled with key dropped balls that could have easily netted first-down yardage makes for a poor grade. The “+” is because they woke up and came together for the final drive. PSU’s three receptions at the end of the game changed the complexion of the contest and showed the unit’s resilience, but the grade is consistent with the unit’s overall performance.
QUARTERBACK: B
Christian Hackenberg continues to impress me and is henceforth dubbed “ICEBERG HACK.”
Iceberg Hack’s low sense of urgency sometimes makes one wonder if he even realizes that there are 300-lb. linemen and blitzing assassins out there with their sites set on him. As much as a fan may want him to “pick it up” during the game, there must be a sense of peace if he has the ball in has hands with time left on the clock and the team is within a score to tie or take the lead. This young man has ice water in his veins and he thrives when his back is up against the wall. Coach Franklin has inherited a special player who has Heisman Trophy potential. I look forward to watching “Iceberg Hack” mature into the quarterback with a sense of urgency on every drive.
There were multiple times that Hackenberg would stare down receivers and decide where he was throwing prior to the snap. But the C grade that he was headed for was changed with the game on the line. It takes a special player to do what he has shown a propensity for doing.
SPECIAL TEAMS: C-
The reason this grade was not a D is because Lions’ place kicker, Sam Ficken, has become very consistent and reliable and the punt cover team was able to down two punts: one inside the 15 yard-line and the other inside the 10. But the unit was also exposed by the best kick blocking team in the nation when Rutgers blocked a field goal attempt (“They are who you thought they were!”). The unit needs to learn that they can’t afford to drive the ball… the kick has to get height quickly. There was a blocked punt and terrible execution. Both units showed resilience by correcting what had gone wrong and didn’t allow the big play to happen again.
DEFENSE: A
This young defensive unit is impressive in its determination and resilience. They actually tackled very poorly as a team versus the run. There were leverage mistakes and arm tackle attempts that would make a fan cringe. This squad gave up a 14-play, 93-yard drive that would demoralize an average unit. Not these Nittany Lions. They were unwavering and quick-to-recover, coming up with five interceptions. Of course, only one defender caught each interception, but the up-front pressure can not be discounted, nor can the fact that these players were in position as the defense was drawn up. In the heat of the battle, these young men didn’t get rattled. They played fundamentally sound football, getting into their passing lanes and they began to tackle better as the game drew near the end. The resilience to let a previously less-than-stellar play not reek havoc in their head and prepare for the coming down was impressive.
COACHING: B
There has to be a scheme or design put together to help the offensive line become more productive in their run blocking. Fans of a good running game would want to see some quick hitting dives and quick trap plays contingent on defensive sets. The coaching implementing something that would offer these guys an opportunity to say ‘our backs got 100 yards today’ would be a major confidence booster.
The RESILIENCE shown by this ball club is a direct reflection of their dynamic young coach. James Franklin is a special one and Penn State has done themselves a big favor by hiring him.
We Are.