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After Week 1’s narrow escape, Penn State has things to work on and, hopefully, some new wrinkles to reveal Saturday night at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh.
Here are 5 things I’d like to see from the Lions against the Panthers:
1. Tommy Stevens
He warmed up but didn’t play against App, so here’s hoping Tommy Stevens is healthy and able to reprise his role as the “Lion,” H back or whatever you want to call it. The 6-5, 240-pound backup QB worked his way onto the field last season as — in the words of Sports Illustrated — the Swiss Army Knife of the PSU offense.
I’d love to see him get the chance to run it, pass it and catch it multiple times — and look completely healthy doing it.
2. Tackling, sacks, forced turnovers
Last week the young, inexperienced defensive unit played on its heels, tackled terribly and employed a vanilla scheme that allowed App State and its first-time starter at QB to get really comfortable. Penn State managed 2 sacks and rarely hurried Zac Thomas. The game’s lone turnover happened on the final play, Amani Oruwariye’s interception.
So, hopefully first-game jitters are gone and the old cliche about major improvement happening between Games 1 and 2 of the season proves true. The Lions should be getting defensive tackle Kevin Givens back from suspension to anchor the line.
I’d like to see defensive coordinator Brent Pry mix things up, bring more blitzes, gamble a bit. Sacks and turnovers build enthusiasm and momentum, and would be worth the trade off of possibly allowing a few big plays. Last week, while giving up 38 points anyway, it would have been nice to try to shake up the Mountaineers a bit.
3. More PT for true freshmen Parsons, Slade
I really want LB Micah Parsons to be part of the answer on defense, because his 5-star, super blue chip status suggests that he can be and, at this point, it seems like he needs to be.
The need for RB Ricky Slade to step up is much less dramatic, and odds are he’ll play a secondary role to Miles Sanders throughout this season. It’d be terribly unfair to Sanders even to drop into a straight timeshare with Slade after biding his time behind Saquon Barkley.
🚨 FIRST CAREER TD ALERT 🚨 @TheSlade_Era pays dirt to give @PennStateFball some separation. pic.twitter.com/OF9Sub9Ba7
— Penn State On BTN (@PennStateOnBTN) September 1, 2018
But to my eye Slade looked impressive in limited action against App, and he could force coach James Franklin and staff to think long and hard about how to split up the carries.
4. Proof that the special teams are OK
So App State had the 100-yard kickoff return and the onside kick recovery last week, huge plays that very nearly cost Penn State the game. But beyond those two plays, the coverage teams looked solid, we had a big return of our own and all the place-kicks went through the uprights.
I’m counting on coaches and players learning from the bad plays and not repeating them. If Pitt manages multiple big plays on special teams, we might find ourselves worrying about those units all season. Let’s hope not.
5. More, more, more from McSorley
Last week, Trace McSorley passed for 229 yards, rushed for 53 yards and 2 scores, delivered a great throw to convert a season-saving fourth-and-2, connected on a chuck-and-duck, game-tying TD pass in the final minute of regulation, committed no turnovers … and … and …
To summarize, he had an average Trace McSorley game. He can and should do even more, as coach Franklin said after the game. In particular, Franklin said he told McSorley that he shouldn’t hesitate to run.
“We’re always at our best when Trace uses his legs,” Franklin said. “When he steps up, and takes off, that causes a lot of issues. … It makes that defensive coordinator second-guess himself.”
With Franklin’s green light, I’d love to see McSorley kick his Heisman campaign into high gear with a 300-100 (passing yards-rushing yards) game in a two-score victory.
Luke Glusco is a Penn State graduate and veteran journalist. He covers Penn State and occasionally writes about other Big Ten programs and topics. He also serves as the primary copy editor for Saturday Tradition.