The Nittany Lions offensive line showed actual signs of development last week, opening running lanes for the tailbacks, which had a ripple effect on the passing game as things opened up down the field.
All things considered, that was against Buffalo. Penn State competes in a Big Ten conference that boasts two national contenders and four top-25 teams.
In that Buffalo game, the team lost Andrew Nelson on the final play of the first half.
Paris Palmer replaced Nelson at left tackle and offensive line coach Herb Hand said the JUCO transfer looked more confident on the field than he did in the season opener.
“It was an opportunity for him to go out and prove to himself that he can play at this level,” Hand said. “He wanted to prove to his teammates that they can count on him. It was a positive moment for him to have that redemptive opportunity.”
Palmer and company cleared the way for Saquon Barkley’s 116-yard day, and they managed to keep their starting signal-caller upright throughout the game, not allowing a sack after giving up 10 against Temple.
“We did a great job of managing the game, establishing the run and obviously protecting Christian (Hackenberg), keeping him clean.” “It was a great improvement in that regard.”
Head coach James Franklin revealed that Nelson has been dealing with a reoccurring injury and his status for Rutgers’ game did not sound optimistic.
As the line continues to develop with experience, coach Hand wouldn’t mind if they all resembled a the anchor of that line.
“I love Angelo Mangiro,” Hand said of his senior center. “You give me five Angelo Mangiros, you are going to win a lot of games.”
“When he walks out on the field, he’s ready to go,” Hand added. “From an experience level, he brings a lot to the table. But that’s what you expect when a guy is a fifth-year senior. Those are the attributes you want your older guys in the program to have.”
In last season’s matchup, Penn State’s defense forced five turnovers, allowing the Nittany Lions offense to climb out of an early 10-point deficit and win the game with a six-play, 80-yard drive in the final two minutes.
Hand said they’ve extensively reviewed that game tape although there will be different faces on the opposing team from last year but one has remained constant.
“Unless you have a change at the coordinator position, generally speaking the philosophy is going to remain very consistent,” Hand said. “We looked at how we can improve upon the areas that we didn’t excel at and how we can accent the areas where we did excel.”
A hobbled Rutgers’ defense will come to Beaver Stadium, already giving up 677 passing yards through two games, 10th-worst among 127 FBS teams.
With the litany of missing pieces for Rutgers, the Nittany Lions will be favored in this game but claiming victory is far from a formality off the field for coach Hand.
“Winning is difficult,” he said. “On paper, it may look like one team is better than the other. But you still have to go out each week and do it when the lights are on and the stadium is full.”
