Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1539550
O C T O B E R 2 0 2 5 2 9 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M whole width of the field, the length of the field, and more than just one threat. We've got to be able to spread the ball around so that people can't say to them- selves, 'If we stop this tight end or the running game, then they're going to have a hard time beating us.' It's going to be really important that we establish that in the first three games." Building A Rapport That philosophy was obvious in Penn State's early game plans. Rather than lean on the comfort of a ground game built around a veteran offensive line and senior running backs Nicholas Single- ton and Kaytron Allen, the Nittany Li- ons have pressed the ball downfield to test senior quarterback Drew Allar and a brand new receiver group led by transfers Kyron Hudson, Trebor Peña and Devonte Ross. Franklin said as much in the after- math of the team's Week 1 win, in which the three senior wideouts combined to make 14 catches for 167 yards and a touchdown. "The passing game in general was an emphasis going into the season and an emphasis in Game 1," he said. "We would like to get a few more chunk plays and get the ball down the field a little bit more from an explosive standpoint." Like Franklin, Penn State receivers coach Marques Hagans wasn't exactly effusive after the opener, but he liked what he saw of the newcomers. "Overall, the guys played well enough for us to win, which was the most impor- tant thing," Hagans said. "[There are] a couple of things internally that we've got to clean up and get fixed, but I thought the guys came out, they competed, they played hard, and when their number was called, for the most part, we made the play. "We got the job taken care of that we needed to do to get the win, which is the ultimate goal. And now, we're moving forward to the next one. I can say inter- nally, there are a couple things to clean up, but I thought it was a positive day." Some observers, concerned that the emphasis on the passing game had di- minished the effectiveness of the ground attack, came away feeling less excited. However, by Thursday, Franklin had calmed fans' nerves over the running game with an assurance at his weekly radio show. "We have had Nick and Kaytron for three years, so we know what we've got with those two guys," he said. "We still need to establish the passing game, and we've only got one game with our receiv- ers. Going into the meat of our season with Drew and our three new receivers [working well together] is really impor- tant. Building confidence in our passing game going into the season, and with those three new receivers that have only been here for one game — I think that's still going to be a priority for us." When the Nittany Lions then strug- gled against Florida International in Week 2, Franklin had no need to feign surprise. The result against the Panthers was what Penn State wanted — a 34-0 victory to stay unbeaten. The perfor- mance therein was decidedly opposite of that. Allar finished 19 of 33 for 200 yards and 2 touchdowns. He hit one highlight ball, a 42-yard strike to Ross, and he also tossed a 30-yarder to Peña earlier in that same drive. Outside of those moments, "We've gone into these first couple of weeks with a philosophy of things we were trying to get done in terms of building chemistry and confidence in certain aspects of the game, rather than just doing what we've got to do to win games and score points. That really revolves around those three receivers." J A M E S F R A N K L I N Trebor Peña shined in his first game with the Nittany Lions, totaling a team-best 7 catches for 74 yards against Nevada. PHOTO BY STEVE MANUEL