Penn State on the prowl for a win in Auburn
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Early preparation and reps are the main focuses for Penn State Football, according to head coach James Franklin at a weekly press conference on Sept. 13.
“We’re going to have to be sound,” Franklin said regarding Penn State’s ability to handle the challenge that the Auburn Tigers’ run-oriented offense poses.
The matchup on Saturday, Sept. 17, between the Nittany Lions and Tigers, falls just one day short of a year since these two teams clashed in Happy Valley during Penn State’s “Whiteout” game. The Blue and White came away with a 28-20 victory over the Tigers.
Now playing in an “Orange-Out” at Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Nittany Lions have “a ton of respect” for Auburn’s program and conference, according to Franklin. Preparations started early for the Nittany Lions to get ready to enter a hostile environment.
“We’ll show them some pictures of what the locker room will look like, what the stadium will look like,” Franklin said.
He acknowledged Tigers offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau’s focus on the run with an impressive running back room led by junior Tank Bigsby. Rushing for 102 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Happy Valley last year, Bigsby will be a prime target for touches once again against the Nittany Lions defensive line.
Other Auburn Tigers that Franklin shared his impressions of were junior wide receiver Ja’Varrius Johnson and redshirt freshman quarterback Robby Ashford, who Penn State pursued out of Hoover High School.
Looking at his offense, Franklin emphasized quarterback reps and sixth-year Sean Clifford’s leadership as two vital components to keep Penn State’s quarterback room functioning at a high level.
“We all come in with the same mentality,” Clifford said. “Coach Franklin always preaches ‘you got to prepare like a starter.’”
Franklin credited Clifford’s mentorship as a developmental tool for young Nittany Lion quarterbacks Drew Allar, Christian Veilleux and Beau Pribula.
To prepare for the expected disruptive Auburn crowd noise, Penn State’s quarterback room practiced a silent cadence to make a clean snap in a hectic situation.
“It was an adjustment at first just to be able to tighten things up and have eyes downfield,” Clifford said.
Penn State’s wide receiving core found a leader in senior+ Mitchell Tinsley. A transfer from Western Kentucky, Tinsley’s deep receiving capabilities filled the offensive void left by Washington Commanders wide receiver Jahan Dotson.
Tinsley recorded 27 yards on three receptions and a touchdown against Ohio University on Sept. 10. While being new to the Blue and White himself, Tinsley said that the most important thing was passing the torch to the next generation of Nittany Lions.
“At the end of the day, it’s something that I feel like is right for me to do,” Tinsley said.
In regards to sharing playing time, Tinsley said that he trusts his teammates and never feels like he has to stay in the game to get the job done.
Franklin praised Penn State’s wide receivers on their overall speed and agility improvements on the field.
“I do think we have more consistency from top to bottom in terms of ball skills and fundamentals,” Franklin said. “I think there’s more true competition through the entire unit.”
Emma Holtz is a junior majoring in public relations. To contact her, email emma.holtz01@gmail.com.
