Penn State practice update, O-line illness and mailbag with Nate Bauer
Penn State football held their open practice yesterday, and senior editor Nate Bauer is back for his weekly chat to discuss what he saw and heard. He joins host Thomas Frank Carr to discuss what they saw from the players and what head coach James Franklin said after practice to the media.
Penn State Offensive Line Absence
They start with the issues along the offensive line that Penn State is dealing with this week. Three players, tackles Rasheed Walker, Caedan Wallace, and center Mike Miranda, were all absent from Wednesday night’s open availability. According to Franklin, they are among several players with a non-COVID flu. So who stepped in for them in practice, and how did they look? T-Frank and Bauer discuss.
A New No. 2 Quarterback
Franklin delivered another new piece of information yesterday that freshman quarterback Christian Veilleux has overtaken Ta’Quan Roberson for the backup quarterback position in the past few weeks. Nate doesn’t think the information is relevant to this weekend or the rest of the season, but T-Frank tries to put it into a context that matters going forward. He contends that it’s a positive sign from a specific aspect that bodes well for Veilleux next season.
A reporter brought up Penn State facilities and program health on Wednesday night, so T-Frank and Bauer dig into the topic one more time. Franklin’s latest comment piqued T-Frank’s interest, so he asked Bauer to elaborate on what Franklin meant.
Mailbag!
After a lengthy discussion about the program’s trajectory and where it stands in college football, they switch gears and answer questions submitted by listeners on Twitter. The topics they discuss include:
- Is there hope for improved quarterback play next season?
- Is there a specific list of projects that Nate and T-Frank can identify to make Penn State a relevant football program?
- How should fans feel about the 2021 season, given where it started, how it went, and where it’s ending?
- What goes wrong when Sean Clifford holds on to the ball?
- Should Penn State be more aggressive in the transfer portal for receiver depth going forward?
- What improvements and strides have been made that fans don’t see?
- Why is the nature of being a fan so torturous?
Finally, T-Frank wraps up the show with a quick preview of what he’s seen of Rutgers on film and what their identity can tell him about how the game plays out. Only one facet of the Scarlet Knight’s offensive attack interests him, and he says it might play a factor on Saturday. However, despite his best efforts, one key piece of information is missing to give an accurate projection.
