Blue White Illustrated

111 E. Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S 111 E. Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S to reverse their declines on offense and special teams. Penn State was fielding the nation's No. 1 scoring offense through the first four games of the 2018 season, racking up 55 points per game. But by the end of the year, it had fallen to 32nd at 33.8 ppg, and even those numbers didn't entirely re- flect just how much difficulty Penn State encountered on offense. Following a 63- point outburst at Illinois to open the Big Ten season, the Nittany Lions produced just 24.1 points per game against their final nine opponents, a performance low-lighted by their seven points at Michigan. They did not reach 40 points in any of those nine games, and in only three of them did they score 30 or more. Following a 2017 campaign in which the Lions averaged 41.1 points per game, and a 2016 Big Ten championship season in which they averaged 37.6, the drop- off was stark. Much of that decline was due to the team's struggles in the passing game. "We rushed for more yards this year after losing Saquon Barkley. We rushed for more yards per carry," Franklin said. "We led the Big Ten in passing the last two years and we weren't able to consis- tently throw the ball this year. We had too many drops. … To me, that's the biggest issue with our offense this year." The Nittany Lions were also inconsis- tent on special teams, and the final numbers reflect those ups and downs. Penn State finished 94th in the Foot- ball Bowl Subdivision in punt returns (6.47 yards per attempt) and 87th in kickoff returns (19.69 yards per at- tempt). Junior punter Blake Gillikin av- eraged 43.95 yards per attempt and had a long kick of 74 yards, but he also pro- duced fewer fair catches (16 to 13) and had fewer punts downed inside the 20- yard line (26 to 20) than he did as a sophomore, despite totaling 12 more at- tempts than in 2017. "It's inconsistency," Franklin said fol- lowing the Citrus Bowl. "That happened throughout the year. It's our execution. It's the responsibility for us as coaches to make sure they're confident and un- derstand what their responsibilities are, but we haven't done it. We haven't done it consistently all year long, so it's a con- cern coming into the season. "We'll do what we've got to do to get better, but it was not up to our standards today. Wasn't up to our standards all year long." As the Nittany Lions enter the off- season, beginning with winter work- outs, followed by spring practice, summer workouts and preseason camp in late July, the needs are clearly de- fined. Gone are quarterback Trace Mc- Sorley and 11 other scholarship seniors, plus five early entrants to the NFL, a group that includes offensive linemen Ryan Bates and Connor McGovern, de- fensive linemen Shareef Miller and Kevin Givens, and running back Miles Sanders. Returning are 12 starters from the Citrus Bowl on offense and defense, including K.J. Hamler, Jahan Dotson, Michal Menet, Steven Gonzalez, Will Fries, Pat Freiermuth, John Reid, Gar- rett Taylor, Cam Brown, Jan Johnson, Yetur Gross-Matos and Antonio Shel- ton. In addition, 11 members of Penn State's Class of 2019 are already on campus and are gearing up for their first college season. Surveying the landscape he was leav- ing behind, senior safety Nick Scott of- fered a vision of what could be in store for the Nittany Lions in the years to come. Could, of course, is the operative word, requiring an as-yet-undefined level of commitment and dedication. "I think these guys have a tremendous amount of potential," Scott said. "We have so much talent on this team. A lot of young talent on this team and some older guys who will be staying behind. "If they do everything right and every- body is bought into the same message, I think that playoffs and national champi- onships are something that's really real- istic for this team. But what it's going to take is everybody being bought into what we want to do. If we have any doubters or naysayers or people going off-course, you're not going to be able to be success- ful no matter how talented you are." Will they get there? The answer to that question is still a year away, but the process required to reach their goals be- gins right now. ■

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