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Three key questions facing Penn State

By Audrey Snyder/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 8 years ago

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The biggest takeaway from Penn State’s win against San Diego State comes later this week when the status of several key players who sustained injuries in the game becomes more clear.

James Franklin doesn’t discuss injuries unless they are season ending and the availability of both starting safeties Jordan Lucas and Marcus Allen, plus running backs Akeel Lynch and Saquon Barkley as well as reserve defensive end Evan Schwan are important pieces to Penn State’s season.

So, while Franklin will talk Tuesday for his weekly news conference here are three pressing questions facing the Lions this week as they ready for Saturday’s noon kick at Beaver Stadium against Army:

1. What’s the depth look like at safety?

Malik Golden started in place of senior Jordan Lucas and Troy Apke entered in the first quarter when Marcus Allen went down. Allen reappeared on the sideline with his arm in a sling and ice on his shoulder, certainly not the most promising sign for the Penn State secondary.  Remember when Lucas injured what appeared to be his shoulder two weeks ago and went to the locker room and came back with it heavily wrapped but continued playing? It’s possible Penn State has two safeties with banged up shoulders right now so depth there will be huge.

 

Allen was talking with freshman safety Ayron Monroe on the sideline between plays and while Monroe didn’t go in and has yet to see any game action this year, it would seem like he’s in jeopardy of burning his redshirt if Allen is out for an extended period of time. Redshirt freshman Koa Farmer moved from safety to linebacker and back to safety within the last year so he could give them some depth behind Golden though Farmer’s limited with experience and was also banged up and didn’t play a few weeks ago due to an injury. Both Farmer and RB Nick Scott are gaining experience on special teams as kick returners, but are they ready for bigger roles if called on?

Monroe had a strong camp and received extra time with the second team because Apke was still banged up early in camp from an offseason injury so we’ll see if the freshman is thrust into any action, even on special teams, in the coming weeks. Remember, Penn State uses starters on special teams so like Apke last year who stepped in and burned his redshirt when Allen was bumped up to a starting role because of Ryan Keiser’s injury, there will be some special teams changes if both safeties, or just Allen, don’t play.

2. Can Mark Allen and Nick Scott carry the load in the run game if needed ?

All of the options behind Saquon Barkley and Akeel Lynch are freshmen. Mark Allen and Nick Scott got their feet wet in the backfield Saturday and it wasn’t anything special. Now, if Barkley is hobbled does Penn State try and push him to play Saturday against Army, a team the Lions should be able to beat without him? I’d say probably not. While it doesn’t look like this Penn State team will blowout many opponents, having Barkley healthier in a week or two would seem like a better option, depending how significant or insignificant the injury is. We’ll see. By the looks of it and the reaction as he tried to get off the field afterward Lynch’s injury certainly looked worse so we’ll wait and see what happens there.

But, what can the 5-foot-6 Allen and Scott, a special teams standout, do for the offense?

“Mark’s a guy we’re familiar with being he was on the scout team last year,” linebacker Brandon Bell said on Saturday. “Having to face him every week was a nuisance, zig-zagging a lot, but he’s a guy who was very determined after last season to have a role on this team and you could see it all through the winter last year and the summer.

“He’s a tough little guy. He’ll put his shoulder down.”

Allen’s first career reception he turned into a 13-yard touchdown in the second quarter. I wrote about Allen a few weeks ago and his role model Darren Sproles, so it might be worth revisiting the story now with Penn State’s run game in question.

Johnathan Thomas, a redshirt freshman who hadn’t dressed the first three games this season due to injury, was in pads on the sideline on Saturday so his availability could help if Barkley and Lynch are out or limited. There’s also freshman running back Andre Robinson who is in line to take a redshirt this season, but I’d be very surprised if they’d end up burning his redshirt at this point.

3. What about the third-down conversions?

The numbers aren’t pretty. Through four games Penn State completed 16-of-55 (29 percent) of third-down conversions, placing the Lions 122 of 127 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. James Franklin said it already several times this season that finding success on first and second downs is important so it’s third down and a manageable distance, but against San Diego State Penn State converted just 4-of-15 third downs.

Penn State’s average distance on third down against San Diego State? 8.67 yards.

How were the Lions on 3rd downs in the previous three games? Not good. Converted 2-of-13 vs. Temple, 6-of-15 against Buffalo and 4-of-12 against Rutgers. How’d PSU get to 4-of-15 against San Diego State?

First quarter (converted 0/2):

  • 3rd and 8 (Hackenberg rush for 3 yards)
  • 3rd and 11 (Hackenberg pass incomplete to DaeSean Hamilton)

Second quarter (converted 3/6):

  • 3rd and goal at the 7 (incomplete pass)
  • 3rd and 6 (Hackenberg pass to Godwin for +7)
  • 3rd and 5 (Hackenberg incomplete to Geno Lewis)
  • 3rd and 8 (Hackenberg incomplete to Chris Godwin)
  • 3rd and 5 (Hackenberg pass complete to DaeSean Hamilton for +7 yards)
  • 3rd and 10 (Hackenberg pass complete to Chris Godwin for +11 yards)

Third quarter (converted 0/3)

  • 3rd and 5 (SDSU pass interference penalty continued the drive)
  • 3rd and 16 (Hackenberg pass complete to DaeSean Hamilton for 4 yards)
  • 3rd and 2 (Brandon Polk rush for 1 yard)
  • 3rd and 10 (Hackenberg sacked for a loss of 6 yards)

Fourth quarter (converted 1/4)

  • 3rd and 10 (Hackenberg pass complete to Mark Allen for 16 yards)
  • 3rd and 6 (Hackenberg pass incomplete to DaeSean Hamilton)
  • 3rd and 17 (Mark Allen rush for 6 yards)
  • 3rd and 9 (Nick Scott, rush for no gain)

Audrey Snyder: asnyder@post-gazette.com and Twitter @audsnyder4.