Penn State hit the practice field with a renewed sense of urgency following the team’s first loss of the season at the hands of Oregon.
The media was offered a glimpse into the action on Wednesday evening for a viewing window as the team regrouped and prepared for a road game at UCLA on Saturday.
Here’s what went down on a beautiful day on the practice field.
One less linebacker
Star linebacker Tony Rojas wasn’t seen practicing during the media viewing session, marking a potential key loss for Penn State as it prepares to enter the thick of Big Ten action.
Rojas’ absence will likely be addressed during head coach James Franklin’s post-practice press conference, providing some clarity into his status.
He missed time briefly against Oregon last Saturday before returning to the game, appearing for 70 of 78 defensive plays.
Penn State’s linebacker depth was already in question entering the season, with Rojas, North Carolina transfer Amare Campbell and Dom DeLuca as the only players with significant playing experience.
Players who could step up if Rojas misses time are Anthony Speca, Keon Wylie and Alex Tatsch, all of whom have seen snaps this season.
Blocking bonanza
While Penn State’s quarterbacks and running backs spent an extended portion of the viewing session working on handoffs, the offensive linemen and wide receivers were going through blocking drills.
The receivers practiced getting vertical while holding blocks, working against either wide receivers coach Marques Hagans or assistant coach Mark Dupuis.
On one particularly physical rep, Kyron Hudson pushed Dupuis backward and the coach grabbed his chest and coughed afterward.
Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions’ offensive linemen practiced combo blocks and zone scheme blocking.
Left tackle Drew Shelton and left guard Vega Ioane worked with starting center Nick Dawkins, while right tackle Nolan Rucci and right guard Anthony Donkoh worked with Cooper Cousins — who can line up anywhere along the interior — at center.
After some work in sets of three, they paired up and worked on combo blocks, with both players working on the same “opponent” (a scout team offensive lineman) before the inside blocker broke off and turned downfield.
