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 P enn State got off to a hot start in Ricky Rahne's first full season as offensive coordinator. Posting 45, 51, 63 and 63 points in their first four games, respectively, the Nittany Lions fielded the nation's No. 1-ranked scor- ing offense heading into a Sept. 29 date with Ohio State. They were lead- ing the Buckeyes 13-0 with another red zone opportunity at hand, but a Miles Sanders fumble ultimately up- ended their offensive mo- mentum. Penn State finished on the losing end of a 27-26 decision that night, and the team averaged only 24 points per game the rest of the season. After thrashing Illinois, 63-24, in their Big Ten opener, the Lions didn't eclipse 40 points again all year. But a new season brings new hopes and expectations, and Rahne is looking forward to the challenge of replacing players such as Sanders, Trace McSor- ley, Connor McGovern and Ryan Bates, among others. Blue White Illustrated's Nate Bauer caught up with him in June to learn more about his first season at the helm and what he foresees for his group as it looks ahead to the 2019 cam- paign. BWI What was your per- sonal highlight from the 2018 season? RAHNE People have asked me that before. I don't know if I necessarily had one. That's not to say that there HOPE AND CHANGE T H E O F F E N S E Several key playmakers have departed, but Ricky Rahne is optimistic about the Lions' potential this season NEW SEASON Rahne must re- place quarter- back Trace McSorley and running back Miles Sanders, among others, as he preps for his second sea- son as the Lions' offensive coordinator. Photo by Steve Manuel of the spring, though, the challenge isn't a one-sided affair. For as much praise as Gross-Matos and Oweh have received from coaches and teammates, Walker himself has similarly earned the respect and praise of his defensive teammates. "People don't talk about Rasheed's ath- leticism, but Rasheed is as athletic as anything, probably as much as me and Micah [Parsons]," Oweh said. "He's big, he can move, and if you think that you can beat him in a rush, no. He's going to be right there. He's really physical. … He finishes his job. And he's really smart and he knows the playbook as well. So I look to him to have a really crazy year." Walker's star has been rising since his arrival at Penn State last summer. He began the 2018 season behind Ryan Bates and Des Holmes on the Nittany Lions' depth chart and was on the field for seven snaps in the victory against Kent State in week three. In November, he saw brief action against Rutgers and Maryland to close out the regular season. Looking back, Walker said that as the Lions entered the second half of their sea- son, he began to feel good about his tran- sition to college football. "From week six on, I would have been really comfortable playing," he said. "I just still had a lot of stuff to learn, techniquewise. In high school, I was obviously the biggest guy on the field, [but] I feel like college football is more of a technical game than a physical game. So I just feel like I needed to get my technique a little bit better for me to actu- ally say I was ready to play in the Big Ten." He didn't get a lot of playing time last year, as Bates finished the season with the second-most offensive reps of anyone on the Nittany Lions' roster. But now that the three-year starter is off to the NFL, Walker is set to take over the position and will need to be ready for what comes next. The good news for Penn State is that he is very confident that he's prepared to take the next step in his career. "I feel like I'm much smarter in the passing game. My football IQ has gotten a lot better. I'm physically stronger and just a lot smarter," Walker said. "I feel like I'm a better football player than when I first got here." ■