Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1541276
D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 5 31 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M "We have to develop the play-action. We have to develop the intermediate game, which is that 12- to 18-yard range, and just take more shots there. And then obviously, you've got to be selective and take five, six, seven shots vertically down the field. I have to get it fixed. We will throw the ball down the field." Striving To Improve Penn State has only a handful of games remaining this year. There could be an extra one if the team manages to reach the six-win threshold to qualify for a bowl. The Lions will worry about that if and when the time comes. For now, Grunkemeyer, his teammates and coaches can only focus on what they can control, which is improving each day, trying to win on Saturday, and putting the best version of themselves on tape for the future. "Coach Terry talks about how ef- fort isn't going to be a question for us," Grunkemeyer said. "That's something we focus on in every team meeting. You're not going to be able to play if you're not going to give effort. I think that's something he takes pride in, and that ultimately trickles down to the locker room. But I think we have a very veteran team, a very experienced team, and that's probably one of the most im- portant things in a time like this. "A lot of guys [at other places] may think, hey, the season's over. We don't have that in our locker room. I think of a guy like [redshirt senior center] Nick Dawkins, off the top of my head. He's one of those guys who's going to bring the same energy, the same effort, every day to practice, whether we're 0-12 or 12-0. And I think that's just a testament to the type of guys Coach Franklin brought in here these past couple years." ■ While Penn State's quarterback situation has been in flux thanks to the season-ending injury that knocked out senior starter Drew Allar in Game 6, the struggles that the Nittany Lions have endured in the passing game are multifaceted. A big part of the problem has been that the wide receivers have not been the kind of differ- ence-makers that PSU had hoped for when it landed seniors Tre- bor Peña, Kyron Hudson and Devonte Ross in the transfer portal. Through the Lions' first nine games, the one-and-done trio had totaled 76 catches for 857 yards and 6 touchdowns. Peña was leading the way with 331 yards on 32 receptions. Those numbers have seemingly left the door open for one or more of the team's younger receivers to make an impact, but that hasn't happened. The most buzzworthy of the young wide- outs — redshirt freshman Tyseer Denmark and true freshman Koby Howard — had totaled just 6 catches for 85 yards over that same span. Interim coach Terry Smith and the offensive staff would like to get the younger wideouts onto the field, but the coaches also worry about whether PSU's freshmen have absorbed enough of the offense to make an impact. "The challenge with any young player, especially freshmen, is learning the system completely," Smith said. "We have tons of plays with a ton of different options off each particular play. A lot of times with young receivers, they may run routes short or they're not quite where they're supposed to be when the quar- terback wants them. A lot of times, the coach doesn't have confi- dence to put them in because they may make that mental error. "The young guys don't know the entire playbook. You have to be selecting plays they can handle, and that's the challenge with those guys. We have to do a great job of tutoring these guys and giving them some added meeting time to get them up to speed so they're available for more opportunities." In Penn State's 38-14 loss to Ohio State on Nov. 1, Howard played 7 snaps, while Denmark played 1. Howard was on the field for 5 pass plays and 2 runs, and he caught a 26-yard pass on his lone target of the game. A week later against Indiana, he had 2 catches for 28 yards. While Howard hasn't had much chance to make an impact yet, Smith said he's put himself in position to see more snaps in the season's final games. "What Koby does best is that he competes," Smith said. "This guy loves football. He got in [against Ohio State], and he got in last week against Iowa. We've got to get him an opportunity to get out there and shine." — Nate Bauer In Penn State's first nine games, redshirt freshman Tyseer Denmark had just 2 catches for 17 yards. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT Nittany Lions Seeking Role For Young Receivers