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M A T T   H E R B | M A T T @ B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M D E C E M B E R 3 0 , 2 0 1 5 B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M 13 ARMED AND READY Christian Hackenberg embraces 'great challenge' posed by Georgia defense If this is his farewell, Christian Hack- enberg is hoping to make it a memorable one. His Nittany Lions may not be play- ing for one of college football's biggest prizes when they face Georgia on Satur- day in the TaxSlayer Bowl, but to Penn State's junior quarterback, what matters most is the chance to compete. "I think being able to go to Jacksonville and play one more game is a lot of fun," he said. "It'll be in a cool venue against a dif- ferent opponent from a different league." Hackenberg is likely to be the most scrutinized player on the field on Saturday, owing to his role in Penn State's game plan and also to the likelihood that he will be play- ing his final college game. Head coach James Franklin said earlier this month that Hackenberg and junior defensive tackle Austin Johnson had approached him about exploring their pro options. "What we basically decided more than anything is about wanting to have a plan and be or- ganized, so that whatever is decided, it's not going to be someone coming out and throwing something out midweek on [so- cial media]," Franklin said. "It's going to be something that we are going to try to do together and do it the way they want it to be done and that [will] represent Penn State the right way." A year ago, Hackenberg ended his soph- omore season with a rousing victory over Boston College in which he threw for 371 yards to set a Penn State postseason record. It'll be tough to replicate – or even approach – that impressive showing this time around, in part because Penn State will no doubt want to get the ball to fresh- man running back Saquon Barkley, and in part because the Nittany Lions will be going up against the top passing defense in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Georgia is allowing only 146.1 yards per game through the air and has surrendered only nine touchdown passes all season. Hack- enberg said he's been im- pressed with what he's seen on film. "They're very giDed, they don't give up a lot of big plays, they get up in your face and compete," he said. "Ultimately, they're a pretty fast team, strong, physi- cal. It's going to be a good challenge for us. I have a ton of respect for them, and they do a ton of stuff, so you aren't really sure what they're doing all the time. I think it's going to be a great challenge for us as a unit. They're very talented. They've won a lot of big games this year and have a lot of quality wins." The Bulldogs do have victories over Missouri and Auburn, among others. But in their three losses – to Alabama, Ten- nessee and Florida – they surrendered an average of 33.3 points per game. Moreover, Georgia hasn't faced an elite quarterback this year, and its last two opponents of the regular season – Georgia Southern and Georgia Tech – attempted a combined total of only 25 passes. For all their struggles on offense, the Nittany Lions have attempted to field a balanced offense throughout the season and boast more versatility than anything the Bulldogs have seen since they wrapped up their Southeastern Confer- ence season with a 20-13 victory over Auburn on Nov. 14. As they prepare for the TaxSlayer Bowl, Hackenberg has their undivided attention. "He can throw it. He can absolutely sling it," inside linebacker Jake Ganus told the Albany (Ga.) Herald. "It's a lot different. We've played two option teams in a row, and now we play a kid who can put the ball anywhere on the field. We just have to be real sound in our cover- ages, and getting to him will be big." Hackenberg's long-term future has been as much a part of the pregame con- versation as the matchup with Georgia. Some analysts have said he could help his stock by returning for his senior season. In a recent conference call with re- porters, ESPN analyst and former Penn State quarterback Todd Blackledge lauded Hackenberg's pro potential but added that he needs to be "retooled and re‑coached fundamentally." "People talk about his accuracy. Any- body who plays or coaches the position of quarterback knows accuracy has more to do with your feet than it does with your arm, and I think his footwork and his fun- damentals and those kind of things [have] regressed a little bit," Blackledge said. "Part of that [has to do with] protection breakdowns. Part of that is not trusting your protection. But part of it is that I just don't know how well he's been coached over the last couple years." Hackenberg said he's had some conver- sations with new offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead, saying, "I think it's very cool how passionate he is." But it's pos- sible that Penn State will never find out how well he fits into a Moorhead- coached offense. The one certainty is that he will get a chance to show what he can do against one of the best pass de- fenses in the country. For the Nittany Lions, that may have to suffice. COMING ON STRONG Although only a junior, Hack- enberg is already the leading passer in Nittany Lion foot- ball history, having thrown for 8,318 yards in his career. Photo by Steve Manuel

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