Blue White Illustrated

LAST WORD N A T E B A U E R | N B A U E R @ B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M enn State fans left Beaver Stadium feeling disgruntled after watching their Nittany Lions barely hold off Pitt, 17-10, in a defensive struggle. So much for James Franklin's mantra about appreciating and enjoying each win. The complaints leveled against the Nittany Lions were numerous, some specific to the game against the Pan- thers, others pertaining to the entire nonconference season, which produced three victories. The offensive line has proven to be an easy target, as it has been overwhelmed at times by defenses consistently stack- ing the box. Penn State's receivers are again dropping passes, some easier than others, but many of which have ap- peared to be catchable. Converting on only 23.3 percent of their third downs, the Lions were ranked 125th in the Foot- ball Bowl Subdivision both in that cate- gory and also in time of possession. Even the Nittany Lion defense, antici- pated to be one of college football's best, finished the nonconference portion of the schedule allowing a robust 323.3 yards per game. Against the Panthers, suspect quarterback Kenny Pickett com- pleted 35 of 51 passes for 372 yards. Maybe more troubling to some fans, Penn State's vaunted defensive line struggled to make Pickett uncomfortable in the pocket, sacking him just three times in a game loaded with opportunities. Franklin, no doubt sensing the con- sternation that was brewing, used his news conference after the Pitt game to list the improvements necessary for the Lions as the Big Ten season commences. "The early story of the game was [that] they were able to pressure and get to our quarterback, maybe not sacks, but they were able to hit him and get pressure on him," Franklin said. "We weren't able to get pressure on their quarterback. I thought that was the early story of the game. "We've got to get to the quarterback more consistently. We came into the season really feeling like that was going to be a strength of ours, and it hasn't necessarily shown up that way." Starting quarterback Sean Clifford, meanwhile, spent much of his time in the media room lamenting his own mis- takes and listing the improvements he would like to make. "I think that third down is one," Clif- ford said. "I think that explosive plays down the field – obviously today I should have played better in that regard. I think that I missed some deep balls that I usually hit and I know I can hit. So those two are definitely big. And I think just in the run game a little bit, maybe making a couple more plays. I think I can do that, too." Lost in the public penance, however, was an underlying sense of enthusiasm among the Nittany Lions that ran counter to the prevailing feeling of dread at Beaver Stadium that day. This is a young team with new players at critical positions, including quarter- back, running back, receiver, defensive tackle, linebacker and safety, and yet the Lions were able to win a rivalry game in which their opponent played well and they, bluntly, did not. An offense that had been ranked sec- ond in the FBS in scoring with a 62- point average through two games simply couldn't click against the Pan- thers. The Lions attempted seven deep shots down the field, following through on a hallmark of their offensive philoso- phy, but all seven failed. Saddled with abysmal starting field position through- out the game, they still produced touchdown drives of 98 and 88 yards. Meanwhile, a defense that allowed 396 yards on the day still clamped down when it counted most. Allowing just one touchdown drive to a Panthers of- fense that made clutch plays all after- noon, the Nittany Lions' defense largely kept its opponent out of the end zone and, in many ways, picked its own struggling offense up. And, largely overlooked, Penn State's special teams, a problem spot through- out the 2018 season, played an integral role in the win. With Jordan Stout set- ting a school record with a 57-yard field goal to end the first half and Blake Gillikin pinning the Panthers inside their 20-yard line on six of his seven punts, the Nittany Lion kicking special- ists were nothing short of tremendous. "It was a gritty win in all three phases – special teams, offense and defense," tight end Pat Freiermuth said. "When the offense isn't going at the pace it wants to go, I think we know the defense has our backs, and when the defense needs some points, I think we're capa- ble of putting up points. I think it was just a gritty win in all three phases." In the end, the Pitt game may have been a learning experience that will be more beneficial to the team's future successes than a dominating perform- ance would have been. Whatever the case, the Nittany Lions are moving into the Big Ten season with a different outlook than some of their fans. They've been emboldened by the knowledge that they are versatile enough to overcome opponents that are determined to take away one aspect of the game, whether it be through of- fense, defense or special teams. That penchant for playing complementary football is a solid foundation upon which to build, and the Lions are doing so with optimism. ■ A work in progress P

• Cover