Nittany notes: Franklin reaffirms that Penn State is his dream job; offense shows new wrinkle

James Franklin assured his supporters in Nittany Nation, myself included, that he wasn’t fibbing nearly 5 years ago when he called Penn State his dream job.

At a press conference on Wednesday, the Nittany Lions’ fifth-year head coach acknowledged that his initial game plan for dealing with USC rumors didn’t work. So he affirmed that he has “all the plans in the world to be here, and be here for a long time.”

So, for now, that’s that.

Personally, as I’ve written on multiple occasions, I think Franklin arrived in State College as the right man, at the right time, to lead the program.

And for him, Penn State checked every box: resources, tradition, brand recognition, game-day atmosphere, 107,000-seat stadium, passionate fan base. Without the down period from the sanctions, he might not have been able to stake a claim to such a gold mine with only three years of experience as a head coach.

“I’m a Pennsylvania boy with a Penn State heart,” Franklin said at the time. “I always dreamed of this opportunity … it’s funny, when my wife and I were dating, we talked about my dream job, and I always said Penn State.”

Rumors will swirl again. Is there anywhere James Franklin might rather be? Only he knows.

And of course, this thing works both ways. Heading into Senior Day on Saturday against Maryland, the Lions have a shot at a third straight 10-win season. But they could also wind up 8-5. Either way, I’m excited for the coming seasons. But Franklin would have to hope the administration isn’t as fickle as the more pessimistic among the faithful.

For my money, it’s way too soon for either side to be giving up on the other. I hope Wednesday’s statement cements Franklin’s status for 2019, at the least, because I’m eager to see how this thing plays out.

Did I see 2 backs in the backfield?

I did. I did. I did see Miles Sanders and Ricky Slade in the game at the same time for a handful of plays against Rutgers.

Do it have a major effect? No. Penn State’s offense sputtered throughout the 20-7 slogfest against the Scarlet Knights.

But I like the new wrinkle from first-year OC Ricky Rahne. As entertaining as the offense was for two years under Joe Moorhead, it needs to evolve and adapt as opponents adjust to it. I’d love to see the Lions be able to run spread AND traditional sets as defenses and game situations dictate. That might be asking a lot given the limits on practice time in the college game, but I think some elite programs are pulling it off.

Moorhead’s Mississippi State squad isn’t exactly tearing it up against the SEC. His Bulldogs scored 7 or fewer points in four of their first six league games, averaging 4.0 points in their four losses.

Rahne’s results in his debut season as a coordinator are not pretty. Franklin must decide whether that suggests growing pains or that Rahne doesn’t have what it takes. Either way, the approach seems to need some tinkering.

The two-back set might be a first step in that direction. A power element to complement Moorhead’s finesse style would go a long way in combating the nasty weather and nasty defenses that show up from time to time in a B1G season.

Against Rutgers, the Lions lost time-of-possession for the ninth time in 11 games — despite holding the Scarlet Knights to 234 yards. In postgame media sessions, Franklin checks off his key stats: drive start, turnovers, penalties, explosive plays. I’d like to see an emphasis on ToP, and less forcing shots at big plays.

The home-run deep ball really hasn’t worked since the Kent State game. When Trace McSorley has been effective, it’s been with dinks, dunks and quick-hit slants to TE Pat Freiermuth. Do that consistently, and big plays will happen with catch-and-runs. Do it enough, and over-the-top plays will open up.

The Lions have been guilty of out-thinking themselves throughout this season. Two fourth-quarter drives against Rutgers show the bad and the good.

1. On second-and-5, McSorley heaves a pass 50 yards downfield to a well-covered receiver. After another incomplete pass on third down, PSU punts having killed less than 1 minute off the clock.
2. The very next drive, still leading 20-7, the Lions run the ball on 12 straight plays and kill 5 minutes — essentially closing out the game.

Call me greedy, I think Penn State — with its entire offensive line returning — should be able to mix and match explosive and grind-it-out attack styles next year. Maybe the brief look at a two-back set on Saturday suggests the coaching staff is thinking along those lines.

Luke Glusco

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.