The bye week is over and that means it’s back to football for James Franklin and his staff. With Michigan on the horizon there isn’t any time to lose as the Nittany Lions prep for a big primetime showdown in Ann Arbor and the chance to go 5-1 on the year. With the Wolverines coming off of a third straight loss things won’t be easy for Penn State looking to pick up a win over a desperate team.
What’s the plan moving into Week 6 of the season? Stay tuned to StateCollege.com for live bullet points from Franklin.
-Franklin says they had a really productive bye week not only in the football aspects but in the classroom and getting home to see their families as well. Said that it was good to get younger players some reps as well. Notes they’re building a program for the future as much as they’re working towards beating Michigan.
-Team had Monday off per usual and will get back to practice Tuesday.
-Franklin notes that Penn State has the advantage in the turnovers but not penalties this season compared to Michigan.
-Franklin says that when he looks at who he considerers to be the best player on the opposing team he always looks to see where they came from for a recruiting perspective.
-Saturday was supposed to be a recruiting trip for Franklin but a scheduling change (Saturday game was moved to Friday) saw him stay home instead. Says he watched football in the basement with his family.
-Franklin says that there are defensive linemen that he could play this season but hasn’t. Trying to save them for future.
-Franklin continues to stress that they can’t abandon the running game. Have to be patient. Says that there are no ugly 3-yard runs.
-Devon Gardner poses a threat to Penn State because of his ability to pass and run nearly as well in both instances. Just another thing they have to deal with. Notes that at 6-4, 220 pounds that he isn’t easy to bring down either.
-Franklin says that Hackenberg is a football player just like the rest of the roster in terms of the ability to take hits and contact on a regular basis. Says that obviously keeping Hackenberg is a top priority.
-“Not like you can wave a magic wand” to fix the running game.
-Derrick Green being out for Michigan “It’s not like you’re in a situation like it’s just one guy playing.” So Franklin doesn’t think that injuries in that area for Michigan are going to take a big step backwards as a unit.
-Studying special teams Franklin says that there are a couple areas where there was “grey area” in terms of who had what responsibilities. In response to question about field goal and punt blocks this season.
-Franklin says that the challenges of game planning for a team like Michigan isn’t stopping everything that they can do but to decide what you want to take away. Understanding the scheme and what your weaknesses are helps so when you call a play or a scheme you know what to expect.
-Discipline with rush lanes, caging the quarterback are two ways to keep a running quarterback contained. But on the flip side if you try and make a play outside of the lane you might get a sack that way but you could also give up a big play.
-Franklin says that defensive back stats are a bit both good and bad. You want interceptions and pass breakups but limited stats means plays aren’t getting to them. A byproduct of how well Penn State is playing up front. But as experience and confidence grows so will the plays.
-Franklin says the helicopter he was flying around in this weekend wasn’t Penn State’s but just the best option to be able to get to a number of games in a short period of time and the most cost effective way to do it.
-Franklin says body language is something he watches for when he get a chance to see a game live. Normally watches plays from coaching tape that doesn’t show off the same kind of information that you might see on a national broadcast.
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