Blue White Illustrated

when they need to. I feel that I have the ability to do that." Sound familiar? It should. Franklin has been saying the same things consistent- ly about what he would like Hackenberg – or any quarterback, for that matter – to be able to do. Most recently, in offer- ing his most impassioned defense yet of Hackenberg, Franklin said he hopes that improvements to the quarterback's sup- port system will allow him to "get us into the best play and distribute the ball to our playmakers, and every once in a while pull the ball down and take a six- yard sack and turn it into a six-yard gain." Last season, most of Hackenberg's "runs" were to escape a collapsing pocket. He absorbed one hit after an- other, as Penn State gave up a Big Ten- worst 44 sacks, and his elusiveness di- minished as the regular season wore on. Hackenberg's best games as a sopho- more were the opening victory over UCF and the Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College. He topped 300 yards passing in both of those games, but he also had some nice runs to go along with all those completions. Against UCF, Hackenberg carried three times for 19 yards. Against Boston College, he had six carries for 23 yards, including a critical 6-yard run to set up the tying field goal at the end of regulation. "If you look at all the games that we played well in as an offense, I was able to step up, have a clear running lane up the middle and be able to do that in certain situations, whether it be third down, whether it be two-minute. I think two- minute was where it showed up the most," Hackenberg said. "I take pride in that, in being able to just be efficient, and I think that's the biggest thing – just be efficient and make sure that we elim- inate the negative-yardage plays, keep everything moving forward. "This off-season I've worked on that, I've studied the film, I've talked with Coach Rahne. And that's a part of my game that I feel I can continue to build on. I take pride in it, being able to be a guy who can get the six yards on third down if everyone is covered and finish the run and make sure that we're moving in the right direction." Looking at Franklin's history with quarterbacks, all the way back to his time with Josh Freeman at Kansas State, Chris Turner and Danny O'Brien at Maryland, and Jordan Rodgers and Austin Carta-Samuels at Vanderbilt, the same picture emerges. The teams for which he's coached have developed different types of quarter- backs, but pro-style QBs have had the most success. As a sophomore, Freeman set single-season school records for pass attempts, completions and yards, while O'Brien enjoyed one of the better fresh- man seasons in Atlantic Coast Confer- ence history. Rodgers' passing numbers improved considerably from year one to year two under Franklin – once Zac Sta- cy and Jordan Matthews emerged as playmakers – but he could never really be described as a "running quarterback." At Penn State, it becomes harder to buy the theory that Franklin prefers run- ning quarterbacks when you look at the passers he has recruited. He may have inherited Hackenberg, but he chose to pursue Brandon Wimbush, Tommy Stevens and Jake Zembiec. Wimbush, who signed with Notre Dame after initially committing to Penn State, is listed by Rivals.com as a dual- threat QB, but while he's able to move the chains with his legs, his greatest as- set is his strong arm and ability to make all the necessary throws. Stevens, like Wimbush, has the ability to run, but he was also an accomplished passer, aver- ing 172 yards as a senior at Decatur Cen- tral High in Indianapolis. Zembiec, a 2016 recruit, is perhaps most indicative of the program's direction. He is un- doubtedly a pro-style quarterback with great arm strength. Penn State's staff will look to get the most out of the talent it has at its dis- posal. As Hackenberg enters the second half of his college career (or, perhaps, the final third) there's no fundamental shift in quarterbacking philosophy around the corner, or even on the horizon, real- ly. It simply won't happen. ■ 111 E. Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S

• Cover