Blue White Illustrated

T H E M O N T H I N . . . In many ways, [Joe Moorhead's offense is] similar to what Alabama has been run- ning under Lane Kiffin: West Coast passing concepts married to a simple, inside zone-based run game and no-huddle approach. As Moorhead told [SB Nation's] Steven Godfrey about this system, "I think Coach Franklin liked the idea of no- huddle, of tempo, of getting in the best play against a defense that's presented." The offense is less about a diverse portfolio of plays and more about the flexibility to adjust a small collection of concepts at the line, all well-practiced and under- stood by the players. IAN BOYD & STEVEN GODFREY SBNATION.COM I think Hackenberg will play in the NFL like the kid he was as a freshman at Penn State, rather than the one we watched the past two seasons. He might never be a top-tier quarterback, but the Texans need to try and fix their big hole at the po- sition and Hackenberg makes sense. PETE PRISCO CBSSPORTS.COM I'll miss Penn State's Coaches Caravan, officially on hiatus for at least this year. It wasn't the numbers that made it so great, though they were impressive: From 2012 to '15, the caravan made 59 stops in 32 days in seven states and the District of Columbia, covering 9,799 miles and reaching 17,845 fans. .. What the caravan was about for me was the stories. And the access. The former emanated from the latter. What I always liked best about the caravan was the opportunity to get know Bill O'Brien and James Franklin a little better. And sometimes, a lot better. MIKE POORMAN STATECOLLEGE.COM To be able to coach at the Division I level, in the Big Ten, in your home state, a school that you grew up really idolizing and loving very much, it's beyond words. To me, it's the pinnacle of what you try to achieve when you're a college football coach. I'm just very ecstatic to be in this situation. MATT LIMEGROVER, Penn State's new offensive line coach It was one of those times where it was really emotional. It was a decision that was made, and I didn't have anything written out, so what came to mind was the people I spent a lot of time with and the people who brought me to Penn State. Coach Franklin and I had a conversation in person, and I felt like that was best for our relationship to thank him on a personal level. CHRISTIAN HACKENBERG, asked about his announcement that he was leaving Penn State, in which he neglected to thank James Franklin These kids work so hard for us, for myself and my staff and for Penn State, that we have to continue to fight. If I feel like that's being taken away from them, then I'm going to fight for them. I'm going to fight for my best player, Brandon Taylor. He's sacrificed, he's remained loyal and committed to us during the darkest days of this university. And for that, and for what he's done for us this year, I'm going to fight. My staff is going to fight, our team is going to fight. PATRICK CHAMBERS after being ejected from Penn State's 88-57 loss at Michigan State Q U O T E S O P I N I O N S ALL SPORTS Pa. budget standoff idles Coaches Caravan Citing budgetary considerations, Penn State has put the annual Coaches Cara- van on hold this year. Launched in 2012, the caravan dis- patched coaches from a number of Penn State programs to cities throughout Pennsylvania and surrounding states, with football head coaches Bill O'Brien and James Franklin playing central roles. But due to the state's budget stalemate, the caravan will not take place this year, Penn State spokesman Je9 Nelson said. "Even though no state dollars are used for the Coaches Caravan, Penn State Athletics felt it was prudent to not hold the event this year," Nelson said via Twitter on March 2. ■ while remaining alert to rising expens- es," athletic director Sandy Barbour said in a prepared statement. "During the past year, we have begun to see some encouraging indicators, includ- ing the return of Big Ten bowl dis- bursements and additional revenue in other areas, that are allowing us to re- turn to a sense of normalcy sooner than we had anticipated, in conjunc- tion with our expense-management efforts." The restoration of Penn State's $4.7 million share of Big Ten bowl revenues in fiscal year 2015 was a significant factor in Intercollegiate Athletics re- turning to a balanced budget sooner than anticipated. Penn State's confer- ence bowl revenue share is projected to hold steady or increase this coming year. Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics does not receive any state funding, nor are any student fees or other forms of fi- nancial support directly allocated by the university's central administration. Penn State is one of only seven NCAA Division I athletic departments that re- ports to be self-supporting.

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