“We definitely need to have a more aggressive mindset, and pick up a little bit on the defensive side”, Richardson said. “We’ll modify practice this week fairly dramatically, to be honest with you, from what we’ve done in the past, that’s kinds of where we’re at”. As we continue to get better as a hockey team, the student section continues to get better as well. “We’ve got to be fresh and we’ve got to be physical”. 247 Sports ranked Penn State’s 2016 recruiting class in the top five of all of college football and ESPN followed suit with a similar ranking.
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“He said we played 59 minutes”, wide receiver Amba Etta-Tawo recalled. And we understand that’s something we need to improve upon to be the type of good tackling team. I think it’s a distraction for Penn State. Not too shabby numbers for a true freshman in the Big Ten. He was targeted three times on Penn State’s opening series of the season at Temple, for instance. Without him, the Terps quarterbacks struggled through the first five games.
-S Marcus Allen has been a high-risk, high-reward player during his sophomore season. “Finishing entails making plays that are there to be made”. Four of his six touchdown catches have either tied the game or given Penn State the lead.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do [on defense]”, Gadowsky said. And this is where I want to be. “But this is where I want to be”. We’ve got a lot of work to do on the field. But this is where I want to be.
“Stuff like that, I guess a few people could look at it like as a compliment”.
Franklin said he believed that by Saturday, freshman running back Saquon Barkley will be close to 100 percent physically for the first time since injuring an ankle in the San Diego State game September 26. Penn State will have played nine straight games after this weekend, with a bye scheduled for November 14.
Illinois and Penn State have offenses that have excelled at times but have also stalled as well.
This week’s opponent, Illinois, plays a more pro-style offense and its QB, Wes Lunt, isn’t a runner.
O-LINE SHUFFLE: If Nelson can’t play, Penn State will likely move Brendan Mahon to right tackle where he played when Nelson was out earlier this season. It also included Franklin, who is in the midst of his second season at Penn State, a job he once called his “dream job”.
Regardless of what the fans think, Franklin and the Nittany Lions are 6-2 and on their way to a second consecutive bowl game.
Scouting the special teams: Punter Daniel Pasquariello seems to have taken over a starting job that has been won and lost by him and Chris Gulla at various points throughout the year. Neither has been consistent. Pinkel has not commented on Mauk’s status in recent weeks. Carl Nassib added to his NCAA leading 12.5 when he sacked Hills late in the fourth quarter to all but preserve Penn State’s 31-30 win over Maryland last week. He leads the nation with 13.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss and has been among the team’s most consistent players despite playing with a nagging injury. The Nittany Lions are averaging 3.40 goals allowed per game and have given up four goals during penalty-kill situations.
-C Wendy Laurent started last week against Maryland, with regular center Angelo Mangiro moving over to replace Brendan Mahon at left guard.
Barkley had a modest game (20 carries, 67 yards) by his standards against Maryland.
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Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio was asked about the vacant position at South Carolina, his alma mater, after Steve Spurrier abruptly retired, and Dantonio had even less to say than Franklin did. He has yet to see action this season.
