Penn State Football Tailgate Show: Rutgers
The Penn State Nittany Lions take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights this afternoon for the final home game of the 2023 season. Join the Penn State Football Tailgate Show, presented with Seven Mountains Media, for 90 minutes of Penn State football discussion with former Penn State defensive tackle Aeneas Hawkins. We’ll preview the game to discuss the major storylines of the week and how the team will play.
Join the show live at 9 a.m. on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel. We have a special deal for you if you’re a channel member, but not the website! Join Blue White Illustrated for two months of premium content access for just one dollar with promo code PSU1.
Penn State vs Rutgers Preview
Penn State head coach James Franklin never gives specific injury updates or timelines, but this week he did give insight into when fans might see receiver Harrison Wallace back on the field.
“Yeah, we won’t see him this week. But I’m not sure after that,” Franklin said during his Wednesday press conference.
As you might expect, the Penn State offense dominated conversation this week among fans and the media. Franklin fired offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich on Sunday of last week and the team has formulated a new plan for the rest of the season. Running backs coach Ja’Juan Seider and tight ends coach Ty Howle were elevated to co-offensive coordinators (a title which they already had) and are now in charge of the offense.
However, Franklin declined to discuss who would call the plays this week. During his weekly radio show, Franklin clarified a misconception about how things were going to go on Saturday.
“I don’t think I said they were going to share play-calling duties. I said they’re both going to be involved, which I guess you could interpret a lot of different ways. But I’m just not going to get into how we’re going to do it,” Franklin said. “I got two guys that have been in charge. But it’s really been a collaborative effort with the entire staff, specifically on the offensive side of the ball to come up with a game plan.”
Penn State defensive adjustments?
The Penn State defense played well enough to win but on their own. Last week, the team gave up several explosive runs to Michigan, especially on third down. How will the team adjust? We’ll discuss how that will play out this week, and if the team should consider changing it’s third down package.
