Biggest deficiency with this year's PSU team: OLine toughness

[GregInPitt]

We have discussed this, but the OL toughness really is the most important missing piece that prevents the 2022 team from breaking out as a top team, and winning against the best teams on the schedule.

Matt Stankiewitch, former PSU All B10 olineman, gets right to the point in this short interview. Franklin needs some of the past PSU great olinemen to come back and tell it like it is to the current oline roster.

Former PSU All-Big Ten Center, Matt Stankiewitch talks Penn State O-line toughness

Does PSU have the toughness needed up front

www.fox43.com

 

[LaJollaCreek]

You can be tough as hell and whiff on blocks. You can be tough as hell and have a slow RB dance around behind you. You can be tough as hell and the TE's can whiff on blocks. Year after year after year with this same RPO scheme while OL have been making it to the league and the ground game stumbles. I think maybe it's more scheme and execution as PSU's numbers in the gym and at the combine kind of reflect improvement under Galt. I'm sure they could be tougher, but it's now an annual problem with new OC after new OC and new OL coach after new OL coach.....what hasn't changed though?

 

[s1uggo72]

We have discussed this, but the OL toughness really is the most important missing piece that prevents the 2022 team from breaking out as a top team, and winning against the best teams on the schedule.

Matt Stankiewitch, former PSU All B10 olineman, get right to the point in this short interview. Franklin needs some of the past PSU great olinemen to come back and tell it like it is to the current oline roster.

Former PSU All-Big Ten Center, Matt Stankiewitch talks Penn State O-line toughness

Does PSU have the toughness needed up front

www.fox43.com

CJF said the same thing when ML was the OL coach. it aint the Jimmy's in this case its the X's n O's. To me the blocking schemes look like a QB drew them up as opposed to an OL coach. As an assistant, the OL coach is just doing what he is told to do. You can keep changing those guys out (OL coaches) , but until you change the X and O's, you'll get the same result.

 

[Still in State Colllege]

I really believe there is something wrong with what Franklin wants to run. The only time PSU has been able to run is when they have had legitimate NFL running backs.

They have changed OC's and OL coaches enough to indicate there is a disconnect between the players they are recruiting and what they are being asked to do. It is clearly not working.

 

[hapval8286]

I think it's just as much the RB's not having enough talent to hit the hole quickly unlike Barkley, Sanders and Brown. That takes both speed burst and vision with a little power mixed in. The closest we have is Lee and he is still a step slow for what is needed unless the holes are obvious. Maybe he is still playing slow because he's not confident enough. Hopefully, we see some improvement in both o-line and RB play these last few weeks.

 

[donaldfair71]

I think everyone in here kind of nails it. When it is this bad, it is often several things lacking.

There was a play in the first quarter of the Maryland game that kind of summarized the running game to me. It was an inside zone play and the end crossed the tight end's face inside and he washed him down as he is taught if he gets beaten (whether he should be getting beat is another thing, but it happens). The back with any vision, I believe it was Cain, can one slide bounce it outside and make the end pay for getting nosy, and it was so there to be bounced. The back just puts his head down forward and gets stopped at the line. Even Strange got up looking and saying something to the back about cutting back from it, it wasn't a difficult bang bang thing. But just runs forward, no vision.

It feels like a lot of things. I don't believe there is much creativity in the run games, I don't believe the backs always help (Lovett I believe is the best at actually reading blocks, followed by Lee), and I don't believe that teams ever really have to prepare for any gap run schemes, so they can constantly slant away from the TEs and beat the combo/climb techniques.

I also think that they are very predictable by alignment, with Tight End on the formational side of the back being a MAJOR run tell.

 

[PrtLng Lion]

I think part of the equation here is also lack of FB leading the way into the target gap for the ball carrier. When was the last time we used one (consistently)?

 

[s1uggo72]

I think part of the equation here is also lack of FB leading the way into the target gap for the ball carrier. When was the last time we used one (consistently)?

are you being serious? But you dont need a FB to have a consistent run game , that said you just block it a little different