How can PSU’s offense hold up the rest of the way? That and more in the Penn State mailbag
Our latest mailbag of the season is here and we have the answers to your questions. As a reminder, if you have any questions send them to psu_mailbag@centredaily.com for inclusion in the mailbag in the future. From big picture to small minutiae, we’ll answer your queries about the Penn State football program.
How do you feel about Penn State’s offensive power this season against the stronger teams in the Big Ten? Do you feel like they can continue to score points at a high level and continue to win games? —Jon W.
Penn State’s offense is going to be what dictates how far this team goes. I’m confident the defense is going to be one of the best in the country, but it still needs an offense to complement it.
Through two matchups it’s been good but still hasn’t done enough to prove it’ll be good enough against the likes of Ohio State and Michigan later this year. The weapons are clearly there in both the running game and the passing game to get there. Mitch Tinsley and Parker Washington are the type of top of the depth chart duo that can create explosive plays with their route running and with the ball in their hands. The depth at receiver has explosive ability with the likes of KeAndre Lambert-Smith, Tre Wallace and Omari Evans all having big-play ability.
Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are running backs who can turn three yard gains into 80 yard gains. Singleton with his burst, power and speed and Allen with his strength and balance through contact. All of that lines up to make an offense that should succeed — if the offensive line can block and the quarterback can get the receivers the ball. The line has thus far been better and continues to improve with Olu Fashanu serving as a building block at left tackle. Quarterback is more of a question because of Sean Clifford’s inconsistency, but if he can hit on just enough throws to create big plays, Penn State’s offense could be good enough to hang with the best in the conference.
At this point in the season, what do you believe is Penn State’s biggest issue? What could prevent them from being able to compete against the elite teams in the country? —Corey S.
There are a few things at play here, but at the end of the day it comes down to consistency at quarterback and overall talent level. Penn State has recruited well, but the best teams in the country still have a talent advantage that can be exploited. Other teams are faster and stronger on the inside and Penn State has to out-execute those opponents to beat them. Of course, we’re really talking about Ohio State here.
For instance, Chop Robinson is a dynamic pass rusher that can be one of the best in the country at what he does. Ohio State has several players like that. The bottom line is that the Nittany Lions and head coach James Franklin will need to stack even better recruiting classes than they already have to be in that tier of team. The 2022 class is a great start with the likes of Singleton and Drew Allar setting the standard, but there needs to be more classes like that one. Of course, Allar is also the type of talent at quarterback that can singlehandedly raise the profile of the program.
What position group has to dominate for Penn State to get a road win against an SEC opponent? Also, what future non-conference matchups are you most excited about in the coming seasons? —Wes D.
This isn’t necessarily a position group, but the front seven has to stop the run. Auburn has negative interest in throwing the ball and wants to run over and over and over again. That’s what the Tigers are going to try on Saturday and Penn State has to have a response. PJ Mustipher has to be an anchor on the inside, eating up space and blockers to allow the team’s linebackers to read their keys and fill the necessary holes to stop the likes of Tank Bigsby and Jarquez Hunter.
Things get even more complicated when a quarterback like Robby Ashford is introduced to the situation. Ashford is technically the backup, but plays plenty and is a dynamic runner. Curtis Jacobs is going to have to be all over the field when Ashford and Hunter have the ball because of their speed and his own sideline to sideline range. The front seven stepping up and dominating would essentially lock up a win for Penn State.
As for the second question, there aren’t a lot of options to pick from here, unfortunately. I’d personally be excited for more road trips but that’s limited to West Virginia and Syracuse. Right now, the answer is probably the Mountaineers on the road in 2024. That’s going to be a season opener for the Nittany Lions and one that could be against an entirely new regime. The reality is, with how college football has realigned recently, all of the future schedules are destined to be more exciting — especially the trips to California to see USC and UCLA. Those games are more enticing than anything Penn State currently has scheduled in non-conference play.
That’s it for this week’s mailbag. Don’t forget to email us at psu_mailbag@centredaily.com to get your questions answered. We’ll have you covered this Saturday for Penn State’s game against Auburn, so be sure to head to centredaily.com for all of the coverage you need.
This story was originally published September 16, 2022 at 8:00 AM.
