Blue White Illustrated

<9QKAFFH=FFKL9L= Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Lion Country Lodging.com PENN STATE Parent Discount Plan lioncountrylodging.com Get 15% OFF each time you visit your student Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Get 15% OFF each time you visit your student Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Get 15% OFF each time you visit your student Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Get 15% OFF each time you visit your student Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê L L i io n C Get 15% OFF each time you visit your student Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Get 15% OFF each time you visit your student Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê L Li io n C Co u un tr try ry L o d dg gi in P PE EN N S TA TA TE TE Pa Pa re en n t D i is c o un n t P PE EN NN N S T Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê n g g. c co m Pl Pl la n Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê M A R C H 1 9 , 2 0 1 4 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 8 James Franklin described the moves of Derek Dowrey and Brian Gaia to the of- fensive line as a decision based on need. And although the first-year coach has firmly embraced a positive outlook, some of the unpleasant realities of the NCAA's sanctions against the Nittany Lions were brought into sharper focus Monday aBernoon. "We basically look at the overall roster positions of strength, positions of weakness, based on numbers, based on talent," Franklin said. "A big part of that is when I looked at the defensive line, we had a four-deep of scholarship play- ers on the defensive line basically: four- deep at defensive end, about three-and-a-half-deep at defensive tackle, nose guard and D‑tackle. On the offensive line, we did not have a two- deep of scholarship players. Not even a two-deep. So it just felt like we needed to make some moves." Additionally, Franklin confirmed the moves of Adrian Amos to safety and the transition of Anthony Zettel from de- fensive end to defensive tackle this spring. • Franklin talked about the physical nature of the practices he will be run- ning this spring. Though the terminol- ogy is different, his description "tag-off" drills sounded similar to the "thud" drills that Bill O'Brien imple- mented at Penn State. Said Franklin, "I think we can get a lot of work done with tag-off, which is ba- sically two‑hand touch, but you're doing it in an athletic position. You've got to be able to legitimately say when you watch the tape that the guy would have made the tackle. He was in an ath- letic position. He was down in a football position, bent down, good bend in his ankles, knees and hips, and was able to tag palms up with two hands on the ball carrier. If not, they're going to run. They're going to keep running to the ball carrier until they're able to do that. I think you can get a lot of work done if you do it the right way and you demand the fundamentals and the technique in an athletic position. "So we'll do it, but it's not necessarily from an injury-prevention standpoint. … I also believe spring ball is a time to develop toughness as well. So some- times it's hard to do that during the sea- son because if you do get some tweaks or some pulls or some issues during the season, it's going to affect you on game day. Right now everybody wants to talk about the Blue-White Game. We're not trying to win the Blue-White Game. We're trying to win today's practice. The more good days we put together like that, the Saturdays will take care of themselves." • Penn State features a combined total of only 23 juniors and seniors this spring, Franklin was asked about the types of leaders he is looking for and who specifically might have emerged to fill that need. Penn State has a combined total of only 23 juniors and seniors this spring, but Franklin said that a number of players have stepped up, among them Amos, Christian Hackenberg, Miles Di- effenbach, Mike Hull and Jordan Lucas. PRACTICE NOTEBOOK BY NATE BAUER

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