It’s early, but the statistics reveal James Franklin has a problem on his hands. Penn State isn’t running enough plays. That means its defense is staying on the field too long and its offense isn’t converting on third down. Out of 18 Big Teams, the Nittany Lions are tied for 15th with 59.5 plays per game, and that includes a contest against Bowling Green.
Wonder why only three different wide receivers have touched the ball this season? Well, there’s the answer. The offense isn’t playing nearly enough to diversify its involvement.
“We need more plays, which goes hand in hand with third down,” Franklin said. “If you can convert a higher percentage on third down, then you’re on the field longer, and you’re probably talking about 10 to 15 more plays a half. …The more plays, the more opportunities for touches. I think that just kind of happens organically. We go into every single game, specifically on the offensive side of the ball, trying to get everybody involved.”
The question marks surrounding the team’s receiving corps remain high entering Saturday’s game against Kent State. And lack of touches in a 34-27 win over Bowling Green, a game in which wide receivers registered just three catches, didn’t help the cause.
Harrison Wallace III caught five passes for 117 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener at West Virginia, showcasing that there may be talent at the position that’s simply been underutilized in infrequent offensive opportunities.
Wallace didn’t touch the ball against the Falcons, and fellow starters Liam Clifford and Julian Fleming have combined for just one catch from quarterback Drew Allar through two games.
“As an offense, we want to spread the ball around as much as we can, just because that would help us balance out the run and pass game and get everybody involved in the game plan,” Allar said Wednesday.
Clifford earned rave reviews in the offseason and has excelled in the practice viewing sessions the media has witnessed. But his game has seldom appeared on the stat sheet. Fleming, a former five-star recruit and high-profile transfer from Ohio State, hasn’t truly made his mark in the receiving game, either.
Fleming has defined himself as one of the team’s most efficient run blockers not on the offensive line. But it’s not likely he transferred to Penn State to simply block. It’s a safe guess he wants the same amount of receiving opportunities, if not more, than he had over a four-year career with the explosive Buckeyes.
It’s possible that Fleming’s time comes against the Golden Flashes, whose defense has allowed 82.5 plays per game, a tally which ranks among the six worst in the FBS. Kent State most recently sustained a 71-0 loss to No. 6 Tennessee this past Saturday.
“We want to get everybody involved, and obviously he’s a special player with the ball in his hands,” Allar said. “I’ve seen it countless times throughout practice, so I’m hoping that we get to show that off during these games throughout the season.”
The Nittany Lions are coming off a bye week in which they practiced third-down periods at an increased rate. And that’s really all they can do. Franklin can only hope the extended time off and focus on third-down execution pays off for his offense, and the underused wide receivers, specifically.
“You can’t force the ball to go to certain guys, depending on the defense that you’re getting or the pressure you’re getting or the look that’s presented is going to dictate and determine where the ball goes for that specific play,” Franklin said. “So more plays is really, to me, the solution.”
