Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1464375
M A Y 2 0 2 2 3 7 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M WEEK 5 — NORTHWESTERN Quarterback Ryan Hilinski struggled in his first season with the Wildcats af- ter transferring from South Carolina last year. He completed just 54 percent of his throws for 764 yards, with three touch- downs and an interception. Those numbers don't inspire confi- dence, but coach Pat Fitzgerald wasn't able to land a potential competitor over the winter. So, spring drills have been about getting this position solidified with the talent on hand. WEEK 7 — AT MICHIGAN There's been plenty of melodrama in Ann Arbor this offseason, with head coach Jim Harbaugh staying after an extended flirtation with the NFL, and coordinators Josh Gattis and Mike Macdonald both leaving. And even though those matters were all resolved in February, Michigan still has some questions to answer. The Wolverines went into spring prac- tice with some uncertainty at the quar- terback spot, and that's pretty much how they came out of it. They primarily relied on Cade McNamara during last season's Big Ten championship run, but J.J. Mc- Carthy flashed potential throughout the season and appears well positioned to challenge the incumbent for the starting spot. That competition will have to wait, though. McCarthy missed the Wolver- ines' offseason drills with a shoulder in- jury and isn't expected to resume throw- ing until this summer. WEEK 8 — MINNESOTA A familiar name is back on the Gophers' sideline this spring. Kirk Ciarrocca re- turned to Minnesota as offensive coor- dinator in December 2021 after just one season at Penn State, where he served as OC in 2020 before being let go and re- placed by Mike Yurcich. Back, too, is running back Mohamed Ibrahim, although he's been limited this spring. Ibrahim is working his way back from a season-ending leg injury he suf- fered in last year's opener against Ohio State. Also, as a practicing Muslim, he can't eat or drink from sunup to sundown during Ramadan (April 2-May 2), so the coaching staff has come up with an indi- vidualized practice routine for him built around predawn workouts. WEEK 9 — OHIO STATE The offense is loaded, as anyone who watched quarterback C.J. Stroud and re- ceiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba light up Utah in the Rose Bowl can attest. But the defense is in transition, with Ohio State having brought in Jim Knowles as its new coordinator after a mediocre performance last year. Knowles, formerly of Oklahoma State, has worked to install his defense this spring. It helped that safety Tanner Mc- Calister followed Knowles to Columbus, arriving as a grad transfer after starting for two seasons with the Cowboys. An- other standout safety, Josh Proctor, re- turned to action this spring for the Buck- eyes after suffering a season-ending leg injury against Oregon last September. WEEK 10 — AT INDIANA The Hoosiers figure to look very dif- ferent on offense this year after bringing in a new coordinator, two new position coaches and large contingent of transfers. The coordinator is Walt Bell, formerly head coach at Massachusetts and a sea- soned offensive tactician whose back- ground includes stops at Florida State and Maryland. The transfers are plentiful, but the name to remember is quarterback Con- nor Bazelak, formerly of Missouri. Baz- elak threw for 5,058 yards in 24 games at Mizzou before heading to Bloomington, where he is competing with returnee Jack Tuttle this offseason. WEEK 11 — MARYLAND The Terrapins suffered a big setback before spring drills even began, with sophomore linebacker Demeioun Rob- inson announcing on March 28 that he had entered the transfer portal. That sur- prising piece of news piqued the interest of several big-time programs, including Penn State. It's certainly not what the Terps wanted to hear after a 2021 season in which they allowed 30.7 points per game to rank 13th in the Big Ten. WEEK 12 – AT RUTGERS In hope of fixing one of the Scarlet Knights' biggest deficiencies last sea- son, head coach Greg Schiano reshuffled his staff, putting running backs coach Augie Hoffman in charge of the team's beleaguered offensive line. Schiano also brought in four transfers, including a likely starter at either guard or tackle in FCS All-American J.D. DiRenzo, formerly of Sacred Heart. There's also a battle going on at quar- terback this offseason, with redshirt freshman Gavin Wimsatt is looking to unseat incumbent Noah Vedral. Rutgers averaged 19.7 points per game last year, so it's fair to say the door has been left open. WEEK 13 — MICHIGAN STATE The Spartans hit the transfer jackpot last year when they landed running back Kenneth Walker III, so it's not surprising that they worked the portal even harder this year. Michigan State landed eight transfers over the winter, and five of them were practicing this spring, including two of Walker's potential replacements: Jalen Berger, formerly of Wisconsin, and Jarek Broussard, formerly of Colorado. While the battle for the top spot in the backfield has been a hot topic in East Lan- sing, the bigger question might be, who's going to replace the three 13-game start- ers who are gone from the offensive line? The Spartans' graduation losses, coupled with a series of injuries up front, left coach Mel Tucker with only seven healthy linemen for much of the spring. ■ 2022 PSU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE Date Opponent (TV) Time April 23 Blue-White Game (BTN) 2 p.m. Sept. 1 at Purdue (FOX) TBA Sept. 10 Ohio TBA Sept. 17 at Auburn TBA Sept. 24 Central Michigan TBA Oct. 1 Northwestern TBA Oct. 15 at Michigan TBA Oct. 22 Minnesota TBA Oct. 29 Ohio State TBA Nov. 5 at Indiana TBA Nov. 12 Maryland TBA Nov. 19 at Rutgers TBA Nov. 26 Michigan State TBA