I asked Jamie Tomsic of Basis Blues Nation on the Full Ride Network six questions about the Penn State Nittany Lions. Minnesota takes on Penn State for their annual White Out game in Happy Valley on October 22nd.
Huge thanks to Jamie for giving us his thoughts!
Follow D.J. on Twitter: @jamietomsic1
–> Follow Noel on Twitter: @n0elthompson
1.Entering this season, Penn State was 11-11 in their last 22 games but had the 6th best recruiting class in the nation last year under James Franklin. What were the expectations of the Nittany Lions entering this year and how would you grade their season so far?
The COVID season really hit Penn State hard. It was tough to gauge where those teams were. The 11-11 mark was not representative of what this team has been over the last 22 games. With that said, I think the expectations of the Penn State fan base were cautiously optimistic. This was the first year Clifford would have the same offensive coordinator 2 seasons in a row. The fan base expected growth (maybe too much) and a feeling of the Joe Moorhead offenses of the past.
At this point in the year, I think the season is going slightly better than expected. I think a lot of fans expected to come into this matchup with 2 losses and to be at this point in the season with a couple of tough road victories, I think it would be fair to consider this season, up to now, as a positive. That Michigan loss was a tough one though.
- Penn State is coming off its first loss of the season last week against Michigan. They entered halftime down two points, but the game got away from them in the second half. What went wrong for the Nittany Lions against the Wolverines?
I believe this Manny Diaz defense lives and dies by the blitz. When you have a defense that plays that way, its tough to contain a rushing attack like Michigan’s. If you’re blitzing and you don’t get there or over-pursue, there is going to be a big hole and that’s exactly what happened. There were little to no adjustments, and it showed.
- What would you consider the strengths and weaknesses of this Penn State team?
The strengths of this team are its depth in MOST positions, the defensive backs are very good and our running backs are solid.
The biggest weakness is obviously the lack of a presence on defense in the run game. Offensive play calling has been questionable to this point and consistency in all 3 aspects has been a glaring issue all season.
- Like Minnesota, Penn State entered the season with its own sixth-year quarterback, Sean Clifford. Clifford exited the game last week with an undisclosed injury. What is his status for the game against Minnesota? If Drew Allar starts, could you give us a quick scouting report on him?
Coach Franklin does not disclose injury news. If I had to make a bet, I would say Cliff would be back on the field Saturday night. Should Allar get the call, you should expect a little less diversity in the play calling and a little more ability to stretch the field deep. Allar seems to be the more accurate of the two, but, Clifford’s experience seems to be the deciding factor in him still being the starter in Happy Valley. In limited action, Drew seems to have an almost too cool demeanor in the pocket. I think his ceiling is way higher than that of Clifford. There have been references made to Josh Allen and Ben Roethlisberger but, if I had a dollar for every time a qb came into CFB with a ton of hype and flopped, well, you know where I was going to go there. I would not like to jinx the hopeful savior of our program, so I will just leave it at: Drew Allar has just as much to prove as Sean Clifford and I believe he will take any opportunity he can to start that process as soon as possible.
- Could you give us one or two impact players on offense and defense that Minnesota fans should know about?
You will hear about Abdul Carter and the freshmen running backs at Penn State. I think to go a little off the beaten path, expect big games from Brenton Strange on offense and the King brothers on defense.
Brenton Strange has been putting together a good campaign and really should be looked at as the top target for whoever is throwing the ball to him.
Kalen has been playing quite a bit and has shown some great flashes. Kobe hasn’t been on the field as much, but he makes his presence known when he is there. Expect to hear the name King on Saturday.
- Minnesota heads to Happy Valley as four-point underdogs for a primetime matchup against the No. 16-ranked Penn State Nittany Lions. It is also the annual White Out game, which has one of the coolest atmospheres in college football. What is your prediction for the game between Penn State and Minnesota? Why?
This has been rolling around in my head ever since the Michigan game ended. Over the last few seasons, Penn State has had trouble picking back up after they have lost a game. Last season, Penn State was playing great after opening with ranked wins over Wisconsin and Auburn and starting 5-0. Then came a top-5 matchup against Iowa, which saw Sean Clifford go down in a critical spot. Penn State would go on to lose that matchup, and Sean Clifford didn’t look the same from then on. After a promising start, Penn State finished 7-6.
With that said, I think Penn State has the advantage of the White Out and I am hopeful that they can refocus throughout the remainder of the season. I have a ton of respect for PJ Fleck and the outstanding job he’s done everywhere he’s been, but I think the combination of the atmosphere and the level of talent on the field for Penn State, I think Penn State pulls this one out in an ugly game where a lot of yards are given up on the ground.
Penn State: 31 Minnesota: 28