Blue White Illustrated

S E P T E M B E R   1 9 ,   2 0 1 8 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 16 Barrett's pre-snap routine in a noisy Beaver Stadium environment. "I think it was the clap cadence that got us for a little bit," Brown said. "We weren't really prepared. We wanted to get off the ball fast because we knew they were going to go hurry-up. I think guys were just getting a little antsy, that's all." Said Miller, "No excuse for that. We should be disciplined and key the ball and not jump offside. Whether it's a clap or whatever, we just have to key the ball." While the defensive line got things worked out in short order, the offense's problems persisted throughout the game. Penn State was hit with nine accepted flags, surrendering 109 total yards. It had only been penalized six times for 55 yards in the two previous games, so it's not as though this has been a trend. But the tim- ing of the flags that really got Franklin heated. Not only did the early offside penalties lead to the Golden Flashes' first and only touchdown, but the Lions' penalties on offense wiped out three scores of their own. In addition to Hamler's reception, two other TDs were called back. Juwan Johnson's 24-yard touchdown re- ception in the second quarter came back due to a pass interference pick play called on freshman tight end Pat Freiermuth. Then Cam Sullivan-Brown's 66-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter was negated by a holding call on guard C.J. Thorpe. Additionally, two penalties were called in the fourth quarter with the back- ups in. While the penalty problems weren't as acute in the team's two previous games, other big plays have been called back. Against Pitt, for instance, running back Miles Sanders had a TD run and catch both negated by penalties, so he under- stands the disappointment of seeing points come off the board. "Obviously it's frustrating, but we just have to come back and focus on that and be a way more mature football team," Sanders said. In another miscue on Saturday, Sanders let a pass from McSorley slip through his hands in the second quarter, resulting in an interception. On the play before that, McSorley fumbled when he was sacked, and Penn State was lucky to recover the ball. And there were more dropped passes in that game, the continuation of a trend that began in the opener. So in spite of winning by 53 points Sat- urday, Franklin wasn't entirely satisfied with the entire body of work. Neither were his players, and rightfully so. "There is tremendous growth that needs to happen from this game, and we shouldn't have to go through a situation where we have a setback or suffer a loss, because the reality is the mistakes are there whether you win or lose," Franklin said. "What's going to allow you to keep winning is getting those things cor- rected." So they go back to work this week with Big Ten play on the horizon and with it a new set of challenges. It's a short week this week, too. Penn State players nor- mally take Monday off, but they used it for practice this week with a Friday night showdown looming against Illinois. They'll strive to correct any issues that might have surfaced the past few weeks, because as Sanders pointed out in his postgame interview, "It's a long season." "We've got a lot of games leB, man," he said. "We start Big Ten competition this week, so we just have to be way more locked in." The Penn State White Out contest between Penn State and Ohio State will be featured as the "Saturday Night Football" game on ABC at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 29. The Nittany Lions and Buckeyes will meet in prime time for the fourth time in five years. The teams have met every year since Penn State began Big Ten com- petition in 1993. The past two contests have been decided by a total of four points. The last time the teams met at Penn State in 2016, the Nittany Lions claimed a thrilling 24-21 victory over the sec- ond-ranked Buckeyes, as Marcus Allen blocked a field goal attempt and Grant Haley scooped it up and re- turned it 60 yards for the winning touchdown. Penn State has played at least one regular-season night game for 19 consecutive seasons. Every Penn State football game has been tele- vised the past 14 seasons, and 296 of the last 298 contests overall have been on TV. White Out game to air in prime time Curtis Chan

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