To the surprise of no one: Christian Hackenberg is still adjusting to James Franklin’s coaching philosophy.
Everyone has wondered what happened to the 2013 Big Ten Offensive Freshman of the Year that thrived as a true freshman under the tutelage of Bill O’Brien.
After a record-breaking 454-yard outburst versus UCF in last year’s season opener, Hackenberg has not looked like the same player, now sporting a 13-17 touchdown-to-interception ratio under Franklin. He has yet to eclipse 400 total yards through three games this season.
Many factors have influenced this decline in production, namely the offensive line, but the difference in coaching styles have been an underlying issue.
Franklin, who may now have a bigger role in playcalling, has significantly reduced the amount of deep balls Hackenberg throws, albeit for good reason as the porous offensive line simply hadn’t allowed time for plays like that to materialize.
The offense has restructured Hackenberg’s role, seeing more check down pass attempts than before that haven’t yet yielded promising results, in part to poor throws caused by mechanical missteps.
“The quick gain footwork is something that i’ve been getting adjusted to just because I’ve been used to throwing the ball vertically,” he said.
“I’ve been working on [it] since this staff got here, and it’s something that I’m still going to continue to work on,” he added.
The emergence of true freshman running back Saquon Barkley, may have impeded the bounce back season many expected from Hackenberg, but the quarterback remains confident he and his receivers will be ready when called upon.
“We’ve been running the ball really well so we’re going to continue to ride that horse,” he said. “We’re going to adjust off that whenever need be.”
One of the biggest reasons for the success of that run game? The offensive line.
The o-line has shown vast improvement, not only opening gaps for the tailbacks but keeping a clean pocket for Hackenberg, who hasn’t been sacked in the past two games since the season opener at Temple.
“It’s big for us,” Penn State offensive guard Brian Gaia said, “but we know just cause we did it twice doesn’t mean it’s guaranteed this week or the next.”
Against Rutgers last game, for just the second time in his career, Hackenberg attempted less than 20 passes in a game, a telling sign of his current role with the program. He finished the game 10-for-19 with 141 yards and one interception.
“Last week I did some things well at times,” he said, “mentally I thought I played well but physically a little too inconsistent for my liking.”
Following the win, head coach James Franklin praised his quarterback for his role as a game manager. He said Hackenberg made the requisite checks at the line of scrimmage to enable the run game to flourish.
Whether Franklin decides to let Hackenberg loose for a 40-pass game remains to be seen, but the quarterback will be looking to master all facets of his game until that day comes.
“Just being able to find the balance and uphold my side of the bargain and do it at a high level, which I know I can, but I just have to do it on a more consistent basis.”
