{"id":69820,"date":"2024-09-11T08:33:37","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T13:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/penn-state-coach-james-franklin-talks-fixes-on-offense-and-defense-and-more-during-the-bye-week\/"},"modified":"2024-09-11T08:33:37","modified_gmt":"2024-09-11T13:33:37","slug":"penn-state-coach-james-franklin-talks-fixes-on-offense-and-defense-and-more-during-the-bye-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/penn-state-coach-james-franklin-talks-fixes-on-offense-and-defense-and-more-during-the-bye-week\/","title":{"rendered":"Penn State coach James Franklin talks fixes on offense and defense and more during the bye week"},"content":{"rendered":"

Penn State coach James Franklin spoke at his first and only news conference<\/a> of the bye week on Tuesday night. The leader of the Nittany Lions, who is amid his 11th season in State College, covered what he\u2019s learned about the offense and defense after two weeks, a couple of individual players, and some other early season thoughts. The first question focused on the defense coming out of the Bowling Green<\/strong><\/a> game. First-year coordinator Tom Allen\u2019s unit was not good in the first half but better in the second during the 34-27 win.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter tackling really well in week one, I didn\u2019t think we tackled as well in week two,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cI think that was pretty obvious. And then on top of that, we just made some mistakes, made some things more difficult than they needed to be, especially early in the game. You look at our first half statistics compared to our second half statistics, it wasn\u2019t even close. But I think the biggest thing that it really came down to was tackling. There\u2019s some things that we\u2019ve had to clean up with the technology about what is best for Penn State and using the technology on the defensive side of the ball and at home. What are the best ways to use that? Whether we\u2019re using the mic system. And some of the things that you got to work through by doing that, especially at home with the noise. I think that factored in. <\/p>\n

More: What did we learn about Penn State defense during open practice?<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

\u201cAnd then we had a couple bumps and bruises, so we had some moving parts that caused us some issues on defense and on special teams. But obviously the bye week came at a really good time to kind of spend some time working through some of these things, get some things cleaned up. But I think the biggest issue is we didn\u2019t tackle as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

Franklin then added to those thoughts with more to say on the defense.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe only other thing is, the sacks, we\u2019ve been more disruptive in the past,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cBut just like I thought after watching that tape, their whole game plan was not to allow us to get sacks. It was quick game, it was run game, it was move the pocket. They weren\u2019t holding on to the ball. So, in a lot of ways, that\u2019s going to factor in a great deal with your production. The other thing that factored into that is we didn\u2019t play well in the first half, where if you play well in the first half, and the score gets out of whack, then they have to break their game plan and how they want to play, and then that\u2019s usually when the sacks come. So both of those things.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s everything else Franklin had to say.<\/p>\n

On if there will be any internal discipline for DE Amin Vanover after he was charged with DUI on Tuesday<\/h2>\n

\u201cI think you guys know that have covered us for a long time,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if there\u2019s been very many times, if any, that I\u2019ve talked about internal punishments that we\u2019ve had. We\u2019ve released a statement on it. But I don\u2019t think there\u2019s been many times where I\u2019ve actually told you guys what the internal punishment was.\u201d<\/p>\n

On his thoughts on the Penn State offense so far<\/h2>\n

\u201cI think the biggest thing to me is third down,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cAnd the reason I say that is, it really goes hand in hand with all of our things that we need to get cleaned up on offense. So what I mean by that is, back to the first half: Our defense, there\u2019s extended drives. Our offense is not. We\u2019re either scoring or we\u2019re going three and out a lot of times. So what happens is the play count is out of whack. We\u2019re not getting enough plays. You\u2019ve heard me talk about balance. Part of balance is not just running and being able to throw the ball in every situation. It\u2019s spreading the field, 53 and a third. It\u2019s also getting touches for guys. <\/p>\n

More: Lions handling bumps and bruises, seek offensive opportunity<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have enough opportunities to get enough guys touches because we\u2019re not sustaining drives. Defensively, we\u2019ve got to get off the field. Our rep count is way up right now on defense. And our rep count needs to be higher on offense. We get 10 more plays in the first half. <\/p>\n

\u201cDon\u2019t have a hold on third down, and we convert that third down, or we don\u2019t drop the ball on third down, that may equal another six drive six plays. We do that two more times, you\u2019re talking 10 to 15 plays in the first half. You talk about over a game, that creates more opportunities and more touches, and we want to be able to spread the wealth. That\u2019s us as coaches, but that\u2019s also the players going out and executing so that we can stay on the field. <\/p>\n

\u201cI think that will resolve a lot of issues. Our efficiency, our spreading the ball for touches, our third down percentage. Obviously, the more we\u2019re on the field, there\u2019s more opportunities to score points. And it keeps our defense off the field. A lot of reasons. We\u2019re much more explosive. That\u2019s not a question. But we got to get these other things cleaned up.\u201d<\/p>\n

On not getting many depth reps against Bowling Green and hoping for more against Kent State<\/h2>\n

\u201cWe got to win,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cWe got to win. Having that conversation or talking that way is just not something that we necessarily do. I\u2019m more comfortable talking about past games than future games. But yeah, we would love to play really well, get the rep count and the ball distribution the way we\u2019d like it to be, and then get other guys on the field and get our guys out. We were not able to do that this past Saturday.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the play of backup Penn State right tackle Nolan Rucci so far<\/h2>\n

\u201cHe did some good things,\u201d Penn State coach James Franklin said. \u201cWe had a plan for a rotation to get those guys some more reps, and then the game doesn\u2019t go the way you want it to go in the first half, and you\u2019re scratching and clawing. And we were able to get him in the second half. He did some good things. We need more of that. The coaches have got to play guys. We need to continue to build depth. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve had more bumps and bruises than this year than we\u2019ve had in the last couple years. Three years ago, we had a decent spike in some bumps and bruises, and we got that right now. So we got to develop depth. That\u2019s going to be really, really important for us moving forward, and we got to play them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Is there value in having a type of win like Penn State did over Bowling Green early in the year?<\/h2>\n

\u201cObviously that\u2019s not what you want to hear,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cThat\u2019s not what anybody wants to hear. But yeah, I think I got a bunch of coaches and ADs who have been reaching out to me about those types of things. The staff, we\u2019ve talked about it. I mean, you\u2019re going to have to win a ton of different ways throughout the year. There\u2019s going to be games where you blow people out. Going to be games where you\u2019re on the road, scratching and clawing for every point you can get. There\u2019s going to be games where, you\u2019re on the road, you\u2019re dealing with weather. There\u2019s a ton of different ways. And we\u2019re going to have to find multiple ways to win games. That was one of them this Saturday. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d love for it to be different, but I do think there\u2019s some value of having the grit to battle through. You guys saw, winning is hard. I know you guys are just like us, you\u2019re in the Penn State submarine. You don\u2019t watch any other games. You don\u2019t see any other games. But there\u2019s some people that would have loved to have an ugly win all over the country. And we\u2019ll take as many of them as we can get. I\u2019d prefer that we can play in a way that we can build the confidence that we need going into Big Ten play and get a ton of guys reps and still be able to clean up some of the mistakes. But yeah, I think there\u2019s some value in winning these types of games.\u201d<\/p>\n

What has he learned about Tom Allen the last two weeks?<\/h2>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s been a ton of opportunities to be around Tom and the type of man he is, the type of coach he is, the type of person he is, the relational leader, how he\u2019s developed relationships with our players on a very, very significant level,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cAnd then, like you\u2019re saying, you have the West Virginia game, which I thought defensively, we played very, very well, especially when you compare it to the year before. And then last game, we faced some adversity that we probably didn\u2019t anticipate. The adjustments we made, how we handled it. And then you\u2019re also talking about transitioning back from being a defensive coordinator to being a head coach for seven years, and then going back into that role. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd then, on top of that, college football has changed this year with the technology and how you use all those things. I think talking to a lot of buddies all over the country, it\u2019s a lot of people working through how to use the technology and how it impacts you. But I think, Tom\u2019s doing a really good job. This week is going to be a really important week for our staff. And I think it\u2019s going to be really important week for the players. And then to go into next week, really with a lot of these things kind of cleaned up.\u201d<\/p>\n

How do you plan for contingencies without spending too much practice time on them?<\/h2>\n

\u201cI think the first thing is, that\u2019s why, in practice, you rep the ones and the twos and sometimes the threes because they\u2019re going to have to be developed,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cThey\u2019re going to have to be ready to play. It\u2019s no different than having some of the scrimmage stuff that we do on Sundays. You got to develop those guys. They got to play. But then it\u2019s also, what\u2019s great about our game is there\u2019s so many scenarios to cover, so the scrimmages are really important. When we do offense versus defense, two minute drill, or whatever the situation may be. There\u2019s a ton of situations that come up that you necessarily can\u2019t always plan and organize for, that just kind of come up organically. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo that\u2019s how we do that during training camp. We also do that during the season. Typically on Tuesdays, we did it today, where we\u2019ll do two minutes against each other. We\u2019ll have a different two minutes situation, typically, each week. And that\u2019s a great way to do it. And we\u2019ll usually take at least 10 minutes of going good on good every day. Wednesday, we\u2019ll do third down and red zone. And that\u2019s helpful with that. So that\u2019s probably the biggest way. And then obviously, all the stuff that you\u2019re preparing for on tape that you\u2019ve seen of your opponent without chasing too many ghosts.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the play of Penn State middle linebacker Kobe King<\/h2>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a veteran guy that\u2019s been here and played a ton of football for us, and now is in a much more significant leadership role,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cYou know, he\u2019s a guy that\u2019s earned everybody\u2019s respect in terms of his teammates and the coaches and staff, and kind of just has evolved into that vocal leader that maybe he wasn\u2019t two years ago. Obviously, your point. I think it\u2019s a good one. You know, he lost his brother, who he\u2019d been with all through high school and then all through college, to the NFL. But I also would make the argument now, after being here, as long as he\u2019s been here, he\u2019s got, you know, 124 brothers in that locker room that he\u2019s very, very close with and very well respected, kind of, throughout the locker room. So he\u2019s doing really well. And we need him to be, you know, like we talked about before, about being strong up the middle with your deep tackles and your safeties and your middle linebacker, really important.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Nittany Lions defensive tackle Zane Durant<\/h2>\n

\u201cI think he\u2019s playing very, very well,\u201d Franklin said. \u201cWe had kind of a strong belief in what he was going to be able to do this year. He practices like that every single day, super consistent. Got bigger and stronger and more explosive. He loves football. I think that\u2019s one of the things that\u2019s so important in today\u2019s day and age. You better recruit guys that love football and not love what comes with football. They love football. I don\u2019t like football, and I love the things that come with it. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a guy that loves ball, and he loves everything that comes with it, the strength and condition, the summer running, the winter workouts. He understands all part of the process, and he embraces that. He literally day in and day out, punching his ticket, and is consistent. So, he\u2019s a great example that we use all time.\u201d<\/p>\n

The post Penn State coach James Franklin talks fixes on offense and defense and more during the bye week<\/a> appeared first on On3<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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