close
close

Penn State looks for a rebound win in White Out to keep the CFP dream alive

Posted on by Pranco
Penn State looks for a rebound win in White Out to keep the CFP dream alive

Penn State-Ohio State finished in favor of the Buckeyes for the eighth straight year last Saturday and for the tenth time in James Franklin’s tenure at Penn State.

Cheers and trash rained from the stands at Beaver Stadium as Franklin got into a verbal altercation with a student and a “fire Franklin” chant broke out in the tunnel as the team headed to the locker room.

“At the end of the day, we lost to a top-five team and one of the best programs in the country,” said Franklin, who has a 1-10 record against Ohio State. “We had chances to win the game, and we have had chances to win those games in the past. We have to find a way to make it happen. That starts with me.”

The missed opportunities were the story of the match. Cornerback Zion Tracy intercepted Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard’s first pass attempt in the first quarter and returned it for a touchdown to go up 10–0. The momentum was on Penn State’s side early, but in the end, Tracy’s pick-6 was Penn State’s only touchdown of the game – despite having two possessions inside the Ohio State 5-yard line.

The first came with 14 seconds left in the first half and a timeout available. Quarterback Drew Allar looked for his receiver Harrison Wallace III, who had hauled in a 24-yard reception the play before. But Wallace was able to catch the ball, and Ohio State cornerback Davison Igbinosun made a circus interception in the corner of the end zone.

The next came in the fourth quarter with five minutes left. Tight end Tyler Warren made a direct jump 33 yards down the sideline to the Buckeyes’ 3-yard line. Penn State then ran the ball three straight times with Kaytron Allen and called a play-action pass on fourth down that fell incomplete.

Saturday’s loss was reminiscent of Penn State’s 24-15 loss to No. 3 Michigan last November. There was no production or separation from the wide receivers, and the Nittany Lions couldn’t establish the ground game. The home fans responded in kind after the match, showering Happy Valley with boos.

The only difference is that last year’s loss ended the Nittany Lions’ College Football Playoff hopes.

With a record of 7-1 and 4-1 in the Big Ten, Penn State still has a chance to make the newly expanded 12-team playoff, win a home game and even appear in the Big Ten Championship.

But before postseason talks begin, the Nittany Lions have four more games on the schedule, including the annual White Out game against Washington on Saturday.

“We have to make sure that one loss doesn’t turn into two, and that means checking and flushing the things we can in our building,” Franklin said. “Whether it’s on campus, in the community or on social media, that makes it more challenging for our players specifically to do that. We have to make sure we move forward.”

Behind the scenes of PSU’s Week 10 game against OSU

The energy was at an all-time high in Beaver Stadium for Penn State’s Week 10 game against Ohio State.

It has been a challenging season for the Huskies. Last year’s national champion runner-up has looked completely different since former head coach Kalen DeBoer took the head coaching job at Alabama in January.

Former Arizona head coach Jedd Fisch replaced DeBoer, and the Huskies brought in 59 new players to help replace the 41 lettermen who departed. Washington has just two returning starters from last season: linebacker Alphonzo Tuputala and corner Elijah Jackson.

In a transition year, the Huskies are 5-4 with a 3-3 conference record as Big Ten newcomers, with wins over USC, No. 10 Michigan and Northwestern. They relied on Mississippi State transfer quarterback Will Rogers, Arizona transfer running back Jonah Coleman and returning receiver Denzel Boston, who leads the Big Ten in receiving touchdowns.

Like Ohio State, Washington’s receiving room features a 600-yard receiver, a 500-yard receiver and a 300-yard receiver.

“We’re looking forward to sticking to our technique and just trying to compete with those guys,” Penn State cornerback AJ Harris said. “This is a great group of wide receivers, but we just have to give it everything and try to take care of business.”

The Huskies have a top-25 passing attack this season with Rogers at the helm. The senior quarterback has 2,284 yards, 13 touchdowns and four interceptions and has completed 71 percent of his passes.

“He gets the ball out quick,” Harris said. “He knows where he’s going with the ball. He’s a professional quarterback who knows what he’s doing.”

But Rogers hasn’t thrown a touchdown pass since losing 40-16 to Iowa on Oct. 12, and he’s thrown all four interceptions in three of his last four games.

As for Coleman, he has already surpassed last year’s rushing total with 889 yards – fourth most in the Big Ten. The junior back also ranks fourth in the conference in rushing yards per game (98.8) and third in yards per carry (6.3).

However, the Huskies’ offensive talent and production have yet to translate into points. The offense ranks 100th in scoring offense at 23.6 points per game; it ranks 91st in third-down efficiency and 43rd in red zone efficiency.

Revision of the CFP’s projected bracket

Nicole Auerbach and Joshua Perry discuss their favorite expected matchups from the latest College Football Playoff rankings.

The other side of the ball is a different story. Washington ranks 21st in scoring defense, No. 10 in total defense and No. 2 in passing defense, and it has a top-20 interception leader in linebacker Carson Bruener.

“Statistically, their numbers are really good. Especially when you talk about pass defense, Franklin said. “We are impressed with their linebacker Bruener, defensive end and linebacker (Tuputala) and their safety (Kamren Fabiculanan). Really good players who have been productive this year.”

After a game against Ohio State where Penn State’s wide receivers had just three catches for 49 yards, improving in that area will be a challenge against the Huskies. Poor receiver play plagued Penn State’s offense a year ago, and it’s something Franklin wants to mitigate before Saturday.

“I think significant progress has been made in that area, but there is still more work to be done. That last game is an example of that,” Franklin said. ‘We have to be able to threaten people. I need to be able to stretch people. I have to be able to make plays, create separation and make tough catches. That has to happen.”

Step 1 is getting back on track in front of a White Out audience. More than 107,000 Penn State faithful will dress in white for a must-win game to keep their homecoming hopes alive. For now, though, Franklin is focusing on taking things day by day.

“I think the most important thing for us is how we practice on Tuesday and how we practice on Wednesday,” he said. “The most important thing is that we have to get better this week and find a way to beat Washington. If we do those things in the next few weeks, all the things we want (to do) are still ahead of us.”

How Washington vs. Penn State to watch:

About the author
Mitch Corcoran is a senior at Penn State University and has been on the staff of Onward State, the student blog, since his freshman year. At Onward State, Mitch is an associate editor and has covered several varsity sports, including football and men’s volleyball, since the spring of 2024.