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third down. "We ran a wrong route," Franklin said immediately after the game, not explicitly fingering Charles for the infraction. "We had some guys on the field who aren't typically on the field, and we ran a wrong route." To lay the blame for the loss at the feet of Charles would be foolish. He's a red- shirt freshman who was playing in his first career road game, at the most criti- cal time of the game. But look closer at why he was in the game, and the truth begins to crystallize. Charles was in the game in place of DeAndre Thompkins, who had just made a 34-yard reception on fourth down to keep the Lions' comeback hopes alive. Thompkins was slow to get up after the play, gingerly trotting off to the sideline as the Nittany Lions rushed up the field to get into their first-down call at the Pitt 32-yard line. Thompkins, cited by Franklin recently as a "great example" of how success finds those who are given time to ma- ture, was in the game in place of an in- jured Blacknall. If Blacknall plays, Thompkins is his backup. If Thompkins is his backup, Charles never sees the field in that situation. But injuries happen, and in a game that came down to the last few plays, what might seem like an innocuous mistake by a freshman effectively cemented the loss. Meanwhile, on the defensive side of the ball, the impact of Penn State's youth and lack of depth was evident for all to see. With Cabinda unavailable, Penn State had to move Nyeem Wartman-White in- side. That wasn't a big deal in itself – Wartman-White had played the position previously – but his shift thrust true sophomore Manny Bowen into a promi- nent role, and he was routinely caught out of position against a Pitt rushing at- tack that demanded instinct-quick re- actions from Penn State's linebackers. So now Franklin is talking about boost- ing true freshman Cameron Brown's role because of how thin the Lions are at linebacker. On the line, where the Lions were al- ready desperate to replace four NFL- bound players, the effects are even more apparent. Fair or unfair, Parker Cothren can hardly be compared to Austin John- son. Redshirt freshman Kevin Givens can hardly be compared to Anthony Zettel. And by the time Givens was forced out of the game due to a first-half injury, an already green front required an even bigger contribution from fellow redshirt freshman Robert Windsor. Meanwhile at end, another redshirt freshman, Ryan Buchholz, repped oppo- site classmate Shareef Miller. The abun- dance of playing time was partly the result of an injury that senior Evan Schwan had suffered in the opener. That the Nittany Lions managed to tighten up in the second half was an en- couraging sign for Franklin, but as he later explained, there was a learning curve that had to take place. And it's one that, if fans and media members are being honest, should have been expected. Said Franklin, "I think some of the fly sweeps and motions and shifts that they were doing gave some of our young play- ers [difficulties]. It made them hesitant, and they weren't playing as fast, as ag- gressive, as they needed to play." Asked a few days after the game whether the absences had an effect on Penn State's performance against Pitt, Franklin elaborated on the answer he gave reporters immediately after the game. And really, it's the answer that needs to be given – whether people want to hear it or not. "I think whenever you're missing starters and missing guys who have played significant reps for you – and again, you're a young football team as it is – there's no doubt it creates chal- lenges," Franklin said. "You've got less- experienced guys on the field who have to step up in more-prominent roles. There's no doubt about it. "You want to be as healthy as you pos- sibly can be. You want to have as much experience on the field as you possibly can, but that's part of the game as well. We understand that." Getting everyone else to understand it is a task that Franklin will have no choice but to embark upon this season, yet again. ■ 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 e 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

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