Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1482664
1 0 N O V E M B E R 2 0 2 2 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M I n his postgame news conference af- ter Penn State lost to Michigan 41- 17 on Oct. 15, coach James Franklin catalogued some of the factors that had turned a much-anticipated battle of top-10 opponents into a Wolverines romp. One of those issues, Franklin said, was that the Nittany Lions are fielding a smaller-than-average defensive front this year. Michigan took advantage by handing the ball to Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards, and watched them spearhead a rushing attack that pro- duced 418 yards. It was a discouraging piece of analy- sis. Schematic issues can be addressed in the midst of a season. Physical issues, though? As Franklin acknowledged, they take some time. "That's not one of those things that's a short-term fix," the Penn State coach said at his weekly news conference a few days after the game. "Obviously, we can put on a couple pounds, but that's not a fix for us right now. "I'm happy to get into those things after the season," Franklin continued, "but we're focused on Minnesota and getting better and putting our guys in the best position to be successful. We're making sure we're using the right tech- niques and fundamentals to give us a chance to get a win this week and build off it." Penn State got that win, thumping the Gophers 45-17. Franklin's team went into its Oct. 29 matchup against visiting Ohio State at 6-1 and still with a shot at a New Year's Six bowl. To earn a major bowl bid, however, the Lions will need to navigate a November schedule that, while perhaps not as dangerous as the minefield they picked through in Oc- tober, figures to pose some challenges. A year ago, Penn State lost five of its last seven regular-season games and then fell to Arkansas in the Outback Bowl, setting the stage for a winter of discontent. This year, the Lions head into the fi- nal month of the season having already faced the Big Ten's two East leaders, Michigan and Ohio State, and will now take on the rest of the division. Through Week 8 of the college foot- ball season, Penn State's last four op- ponents — Indiana, Maryland, Rutgers and Michigan State — had compiled a collective record of 16-14. The first of those foes, Indiana, dropped its fifth in a row when it fell to Rutgers on Oct. 22. The Hoosiers' biggest problem has been a sluggish rushing attack that is averaging a Big Ten-worst 80.4 yards per game. After watching his team rush for 19 yards and allow 7 sacks in a loss to Mich- igan on Oct. 8, head coach Tom Allen fired offensive line coach Darren Hiller. The change didn't make much of a dif- ference against the Scarlet Knights, with five ball carriers combining for 62 yards in a 24-17 defeat. Indiana will be coming off a bye week Penn State Looks To Finish Strong In Season's Final Month MATT HERB | MATT.HERB@ON3.COM NEWS & NOTES Penn State pressured Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa into throwing a decisive pick-six last year, but he was completing 72.5 percent of his passes through his first seven games in 2022. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL