Following Penn State’s practice on Wednesday, interim head coach Terry Smith met with the media inside Holuba Hall to provide updates ahead of the Nittany Lions’ matchup at Ohio State.
Smith spoke about the team’s intensity level throughout the buildup to Saturday, their mentality at this point in the season given high levels of adversity and their wide receiver struggles.
Here’s what he had to say.
Practicing with purpose
Smith said discussions with the “sports science people” have shown increased effort from players during practice throughout the week, as measured by fast-twitch muscle usage, speed, distance traveled and other measureables.
Smith called it the second best week of the season from that standpoint, though he didn’t say when the best week occurred.
“The guys are ready,” he said. “They know what’s in front of them. No one’s giving them a chance, and we’re just going to stay together and we’re going to play hard.”
Smith attributed the increased intentionality to the strength of the opponent, with the No. 1 Buckeyes on Saturday’s itinerary, as well as the increased rest from the team’s second bye week of the season.
“The guys are eager to get after it, and they’re taking advantage of these reps,” Smith said.
Lumberjack lions
Two weeks ago against Iowa, the first game with Smith at the helm, a handful of Penn State players and coaches walked into Kinnick Stadium sporting gray shirts with bold white letters reading “IF.”
Smith said it signified the infinite possibilities of any game, and how any outcome is possible based on effort, execution and other factors.
On Wednesday, he debuted a new mantra for the week.
“We’re going to chop wood,” Smith said. “We’ve got to be able to chop a redwood tree until it’s done, and it’s a hard task, and it’s one chop at a time, and we have to believe in those chops that it’ll eventually break through for us, and that’s what our belief is for Saturday.”
Redwood trees are known for their massive size, symbolizing the tough task ahead of the Nittany Lions on Saturday, and red is also similar to one of Ohio State’s official colors (scarlet).
Dan Lanning and Oregon utilized a similar philosophy in their 30-24 victory over Penn State on Sept. 27, with a “death by 1,000 cuts” theme.
Penn State wrestlers have often used the mantra “chop wood, carry water,” and former Nittany Lion wide receiver Parker Washington has frequently invoked the phrase, which appears in his social media bios and in posts.
Establishing the run
Penn State’s passing attack has struggled for the better part of three seasons, with subpar production particularly in big games. According to Smith, a former Nittany Lion wide receiver, the best way to open up the passing game on Saturday will be with an effective run game.
The Nittany Lions fared better on the ground against Iowa, with Kaytron Allen setting career highs with 28 carries and 145 yards for two touchdowns. Smith said the team needs to capitalize on a strong run game with play action, getting linebackers to bite on the fake and opening up space for receivers.
Against the Hawkeyes, no Penn State wide receiver reached 20 yards. While they aren’t as physically gifted as the Buckeyes on the opposite sideline, Smith expressed confidence that the scheme can get his group involved in the game.
“There are some creative ways. Obviously you can get into your bag of tricks, but that’s a tough way to live,” Smith said. “You know, you really want to be able to have three receivers in the game and run, just great pass concepts. And, you know, we have those in our game plan this week, and we just gotta protect Ethan (Grunkemeyer) and then allow him to pitch and catch with our receivers.”
