Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1400830
1 6 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M Matt Millen is back this fall for an- other season of color commentary on the Big Ten Network. Millen, a former Penn State All-American and four-time Super Bowl champ, was at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in July for Big Ten media days. Before he left town, BWI's Greg Pickel caught up with him to get his thoughts on the upcoming season. BWI: What are your impressions of Penn State heading into the 2021 sea- son? MILLEN: "To me, it's pretty simple. I think James [Franklin] actually talked about it a little bit yesterday: confi- dence. You can win physically, when you're in Little League and in high school, but you get to college and you have to use your brain a little bit more. When you get to the NFL, you've got to be dead on. And from the neck up, if you don't have the confidence to know that you can do it, if you doubt yourself a little bit, it's hard to succeed, really. "What I saw last year, in the beginning they took a hit with their confidence. But once they got that first win, it kind of took off. So, I have high expectations. It's a good staff, there are good players there. They'll have great opportunities, so it will be up to them. And I just think I'm looking forward to a lot of wins this year." BWI: What's the vibe you're getting from around the conference? MILLEN: "I think the Big Ten has done a great job of increasing talent from the coaching side. Greg Schiano coming back in [at Rutgers]. At Purdue, Jeff [Brohm] has done a phenomenal job, and Tom Allen at Indiana. There are some really, really good coaches. If you get the coaches, you get the proper guys in the right spots and they're able to recruit, you're going to have great foot- ball. I think the conference is in great shape." BWI: In terms of the film you watch, who are some guys at Penn State you want to see more of this year? MILLEN: "Well, they have some young kids coming in, pass rushers, which they're going to need because they lost some. On the offensive line, you can see there are some kids who have some potential. But if I had to pick one, it would be the outside linebacker [Bran- don Smith]. I think that kid is a stud. I said that from the time he showed up. He flashes. I would love to see him be more consistent because I think he's capable, and I think he'll do that." BWI: What did you see from quarter- back Sean Clifford that gives you posi- tive feelings going into this year? Did you see any areas last year where, if he does that over a 12-game season, Penn State can be better than it was in 2020? MILLEN: "You have to know what you have in that quarterback spot. So, he's not a runner, but he can move. To me, it's accuracy. He just needs to be accurate with his [throws]. Whether he's playing the short game or he's pushing the ball down the field to [Jahan] Dotson, that's what he's got to be able to do. Can he do that? Yeah, I think the last few games he showed that, but his strength is not with his feet, although he can do that." BWI: If Beaver Stadium is full, what do you think that will mean for the team and the fan base? MILLEN: "Yeah, that's huge. I'll never forget this, this is before Beaver Stadium was Beaver Stadium the way it is now. I think we had like 55,000 people or something, so probably half of what it is. We played Ohio State, the third game my freshman year, and you could start to feel the electricity when we drove onto campus on the team bus, and it was something I never forgot. I kind of measured every game after that to that spot, including Super Bowls. "So, when you get in that bus and you're riding, you can feel the electric- ity, you can feel the energy before you ever even get to the place. That's some- thing you just feed off of. I think the crowd understands it, and I know the players get it because when it's dead, it's hard to feed off nothing. I think it's a win-win for the fans and the players." ■ Millen waves to the crowd at Beaver Stadium during the 2019 Blue-White Game. The former Nittany Lions defensive lineman turned broadcaster was back in State College after undergoing a heart transplant four months earlier. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL Sitting Down With BTN College Football Analyst Matt Millen