Penn State Sports Magazine
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specialists to address their needs in the kicking game and a defensive front that is already starting to see some potential impact players emerge to make up for the loss of three starters. And then there's that schedule. Yes, it's tough, but it will give Penn State an opportunity to turn some heads this fall. Michigan State played in the College Football Playo? a year ago. Ohio State played in the Fiesta Bowl, Iowa in the Rose Bowl. All three will be coming to Beaver Stadium, and a victory over any of them would signal to onlookers – re- cruits in particular – that the program is on the upswing. Of course, any hopes of improving on last year's 7-6 record are contingent on Joe Moorhead's new o?ense producing more than the 23.2 points per game the Lions scored last season, the 11th-best average in the Big Ten. This would seem, at >rst glance, to be an inopportune time to >nd themselves breaking in an inex- perienced quarterback. But the other pieces on o?ense are falling into place, and while it's never a good idea to put too much stock in the Blue-White Game, this year's edition showed that both Trace McSorley and Tommy Stevens have adapted nicely to the pace that Moorhead wants to set. Those young QBs have a combined sev- en seasons of eligibility remaining (11 seasons if you count newcomer Jake Zembiec), and in that respect they are emblematic of their team. Of the 109 players on Penn State's current roster (in- cluding incoming freshmen), 70 will have either freshman or sophomore eligibility this fall. By contrast, there are only six players leA from the 19-member class that signed with PSU in February 2012: Golden, Nyeem Wartman-White, Derek Dowrey, Brian Gaia, Wendy Laurent and Evan Schwan. That class >nished 53rd in Rivals.com's team rankings. Due to a wave of defections that followed the scandal and the subsequent coaching change, it was not the class that Penn State had been hoping for or expecting, but it did contain some real di?erence- makers. Jesse James, Austin Johnson and Jordan Lucas went on to become NFL DraA picks, and Trevor Williams is also looking to earn a spot on a pro roster this summer. Wartman-White might have a shot at joining them next year. Geno Lewis and Akeel Lynch were starters be- fore being eclipsed last year by younger players and opting to leave as graduate transfers. Laurent, Gaia and Dowrey have started on the o?ensive line, and the latter two may start again this fall, while Schwan and Golden are eyeing >rst-team spots at defensive end and strong safety, respectively. Whether the team's personnel mix – a whole lot of youth seasoned by a pinch of veteran experience – is su@cient to produce a breakthrough season probably depends on your de>nition of break- through. It will also depend on how well the Nittany Lions have adapted to Moorhead's scheme. Theirs is a high- risk, high-reward approach. If the of- fense works as hoped, it will take pres- sure o? of a defense that has been asked repeatedly over the past two years to keep opponents in the teens. If it doesn't work, if it produces wheel-spinning drives that take only a minute or two o? the clock, the defense will continue to bear a disproportionate responsibility for the team's success. For what it's worth, the Lions have al- ready had their mettle tested by more than just the Big Ten's best defenses. Thanks to players like Golden who be- lieved in them when they were at their lowest point, they've endured. They've been jabbing their >ngers at the sky whenever something good happens, em- ulating their perpetually optimistic head coach. Now, maybe things really are pointing up. ■ 2 0 1 6 P E N N S T A T E F O O T B A L L W H A T T H E Y ' R E S A Y I N G After back-to-back 7-6 campaigns, a seriously stagnant offense and a rocky off- season punctuated by two assistant coaches departing, James Franklin is starting to feel the heat in Happy Valley. He's banking on a new offensive approach and prom- ising young talent to help the Nittany Lions compete in the loaded Big Ten East – but they still look like a tier below in 2016. ESPN COLLEGE FOOTBALL PREVIEW The recruiting gains of the past two years are starting to have an impact, and the effect of the NCAA sanctions is fading, but this program is not in the clear just yet. Since the end of the 2015 regular season, James Franklin has replaced his offensive and defensive coordinators and also hired two new position coaches. The reconfig- ured staff will have to figure out a way to energize an offense that ranked 13th in the Big Ten last year in yards per game and 11th in scoring. It will also be looking to patch up a defense that lost three starters from a highly effective front four. Still, the Lions are welcoming their third consecutive top-25 recruiting class this summer, so there is reason to believe they have the necessary talent for a breakthrough season. Whether that breakthrough occurs in 2016 is a separate question. ATHLON SPORTS It seems that Penn State finally has an offense that fits its quarterbacks, and the skill positions are deep. But if the offensive line and defensive line struggle, the Li- ons appear headed to another middling seven-win regular season. LINDY'S SPORTS Penn State has a big September. After the season opener against Kent State, the Nittany Lions renew a rivalry with Pittsburgh at Heinz Field. The schools haven't met since 2000. The following week features a rematch with Temple after last year's season-opening loss. The Nittany Lions then open Big Ten play at Michigan. The back half of the schedule features home games against Ohio State, Iowa and Michi- gan State. There are several chances for PSU to prove it isn't just a .500 team in the Big Ten East. This is the year for Franklin to prove it. SPORTING NEWS