Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1138762
2 0 1 9 S E A S O N P R E V I E W other part that goes with it. You don't just get to call plays and also have no criticism. That's not how this works. So we're all keenly aware of what comes with it. BWI Last year at this time, you wanted first- and second-down efficiency to be better after having a great third-down rate in 2017. How did you feel like that went this past year? RAHNE Pretty well. We didn't throw the ball at the efficient clip that I wish we would have. But obviously we were able to run the ball much more effi- ciently. So I would say that was some- thing that we did fairly well. BWI Third downs may have taken a step back, though. What was your as- sessment of that? RAHNE Yep. It went back. We didn't convert some opportunities that we had. I need to make sure that I continue to get guys and put them in a good spot in order for them to be able to convert. We've got to be better on third down. That's some- thing that we have to have. I'm really ex- cited with what Coach [Gerad] Parker is teaching our wide receivers, and it's bled over into our tight ends about winning their individual one-on-one matchups. And this spring, I really felt like we got better at that and I'm really excited about what that means for us in the future, es- pecially on third down. BWI How did Trace's injury impact the approach that the staff took with the of- fense coming down the homestretch? RAHNE Obviously, we're trying to win games and that's the key. I look back at the Wisconsin game, and were there times in that game when we could have maybe been more aggressive? Yeah, but the way for us to win the game was to do what we were doing. And I think that's the key. His injury didn't really affect us. Ob- viously, there were parts even in that game where we had to move some people around at times, just because you never knew how much he could run and do some things like that. But I also know that he is the toughest kid that I've had the honor of coaching, so I knew that he was going to do what he had to do to help us win. Is it a thought in your head? At times. Maybe more in game planning than in anything else, but once you're going through the game, you know what you have to get done and you go from there. BWI The numbers are so stark between the first four games and the rest of the season. Did you feel as though you had flipped a switch in what you were trying to do as an offense? RAHNE I don't know if it was a con- scious decision so much as just the flow of the games and what we were trying to do. Obviously, you want to try to get into a rhythm as much as possible. The one thing about the Big Ten, it's a very good defensive league. If you look at who is ranked really high on defense, there are a lot of Big Ten teams, teams like Michigan and Michigan State, and Wisconsin in the past. Obviously, Ohio State has been very good. But then even teams like In- diana do some really good things on de- fense, and obviously the defense we go against in practice every day is pretty special. So it's a great defensive league and, to me, it's more about producing explosive plays and doing some of those things that we did very well in those first four games that we didn't necessarily do in the last eight. BWI What was your assessment of the receivers last season? RAHNE There was a lot of pressure put on those guys, and there were times when that pressure probably got to them. I've been really pleased with what we did this spring, what we're doing this summer. And what I've been most pleased about is Coach Parker giving those guys tools in order to allow them to be successful. Talking in the affirma- tive, getting your hands home, and doing those sorts of things in order to give them buzzwords that create positive memories. When we play with confi- dence and those guys in particular play with confidence, they're one of the best groups in the country. I think they can be, and I'm pretty excited with what they're going to be this year. BWI Did you see signs that their confi- dence had returned? RAHNE Yeah, I felt like this spring we were a more confident group, especially compared to maybe the end of last sea- son. I felt like we were a much more con- fident group in that room especially, which is good. That's when those guys are going to play the best. So I was ex- cited with some things that we were able to do this spring in terms of getting the ball down the field, track the ball, go make plays on the thing. Then also, wanting man-to-man coverage and at- tacking it and beating it and having a plan to do so. BWI Justin Shorter is a guy who doesn't seem to lack confidence. What's the scouting report on him after his first year in the program? RAHNE He's obviously a big, physical guy who also has great speed and good foot quickness, especially for his size. Those things are going to lead to a lot of confidence. He's still a little bit young and raw in terms of some things, and then other things he's very far ahead. So it's about closing the gap on those things and allowing his natural ability to take over, because he's one of the more natu- rally gifted players in our league. So we want to be able to make sure to get him out there in positions to succeed, and I think Coach Parker has done a really good job with that. The things he teaches, they fit Justin's style very well. BWI How does Tommy Stevens' de- parture affect your approach to the of- fense for this coming season? RAHNE I've been happy with the way the other quarterbacks have responded, the way the other quarterbacks have led this summer, have led at the end of spring. And I think that's the key. It's about working hard, and through that hard work, developing confidence and then having that confidence transcend to the other players. I think that's the key. The more confident they get, the more confident the other players will be in them, not only on offense but also on defense. And I think the other guys on this team see how hard those guys work, how much extra effort they put in. As I've walked around, I've seen a team that is rallying behind those guys. BWI What does Sean Clifford do best? RAHNE I think his best attribute is