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per game, the statistics may actually un- derstate the o:ense's potential. That's because Penn State was even more ef- fective in its 9nal six games than it was earlier in the season. Despite playing with a makeshi; o:ensive line in those games, the Lions averaged 42.8 points and over 470 yards of total o:ense, and it's not unreasonable to assume their upward trajectory will continue in 2017. Defensively, there are some question marks. Penn State has to replace starting ends Garrett Sickels and Evan Schwan, and also departing are outside line- backer Brandon Bell and strong safety Malik Golden. This is a defense that struggled in September when its season-opening starters at linebacker – Bell, Nyeem Wartman-White and Jason Cabinda – all were injured. Although Wartman- White played against Pitt, Cabinda and Bell missed most or all of the game, and the Panthers were able to rush for 341 yards on 56 carries. Two weeks later, with all three starting linebackers out of action and several of their backups ail- ing, Michigan gained 326 rushing yards on 49 carries. The Panthers and Wolverines combined for nine rushing touchdowns. But the situation changed dramatically in late October when Bell and Cabinda returned to the lineup against Ohio State. With the linebacker corps back at something approaching full strength, the Lions were able to hold the Buckeyes to 168 rushing yards. It was a marvelous showing – the Buckeyes had been aver- aging 300 yards per game on the ground to that point in the season – and it proved to be a harbinger of things to come. In their 9nal 9ve regular-season games, the Lions allowed only 334 rush- ing yards on 168 attempts, as Purdue, Iowa, Indiana, Rutgers and Michigan State combined to average 1.98 yards per carry, with only three rushing touch- downs. Wisconsin had more success than those teams in the Big Ten Champi- onship Game, gaining 241 yards on 49 carries (4.9 yards per carry) with three rushing touchdowns. But Penn State did well against USC's ground game in the Rose Bowl, allowing only 122 yards on 34 carries (3.6 ypc). As the Trojans' 52-point scoring out- burst indicates, there is a lot more that needs to be accomplished. The Nittany Lions 9nished eighth in the Big Ten in both scoring defense (25.4 points per game) and total defense (367.9 ypg) this past fall. That's probably the No. 1 rea- son why national sportswriters like Myerberg are skeptical of Penn State's chances of 9nishing atop its division and returning to the conference title game. O:ensively, Penn State has the poten- tial to pick up where it le; o: when it opens its 2017 season on Sept. 2 against Akron. The Nittany Lions 9nished third in the Big Ten in scoring o:ense and second in total o:ense this past season and appear well-equipped to replicate or even improve on those numbers. The Zips should consider themselves warned. When it opens spring practice in mid- March, Penn State will need to address its defensive needs while continuing to sharpen its o:ense. Here's a position- by-position look at the team's o:-sea- son priorities: QUARTERBACK Even at season's end, Moorhead had only introduced McSor- ley to about 70 percent of his total of- fensive package. McSorley's performance this past season far ex- ceeded everyone's expectations, but there is plenty of room for improve- ment. With a better understanding of Moorhead's system, the junior-to-be will be able to improve his post-snap reads and raise his 57.9 percent comple- tion rate. That, in turn, will help Penn State improve its third-down conver- sion rate, which was one of the lowest in the Football Bowl Subdivision at 33 per- cent. Just think of how explosive Penn State's o:ense will be if it's able to con- vert on 40 percent or more of its third- down opportunities this coming fall. I also believe McSorley needs to im- prove his arm strength so that he's bet- ter able to throw those 20-yard down-and-out passes and stretch the 9eld vertically. The Nittany Lions must also make sure that backup quarterback Tommy Stevens gets plenty of reps with the 9rst-team o:ense this spring. McSorley stayed healthy this past season, but if the Lions aren't so fortunate this com- ing year, they will need Stevens to be ready. RUNNING BACK Everyone knows what Barkley is capable of doing. I be- lieve he will be a top-9ve Heisman Tro- phy candidate going into the season. His status as the position group's proven veteran should give the coaching sta: an opportunity to focus on Miles Sanders, Andre Robinson and Mark Allen. Those three should get the vast majority of the reps in spring practice. It's time for them to reach their full potential. When they're on the 9eld replacing Barkley, Penn State's o:ense can't a:ord to skip a beat. RECEIVER McSorley needs a go-to wideout now that Godwin is set to leave early for the NFL. The candidates

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