Penn State vs. Michigan State week: James Franklin Wednesday press conference
Penn State head coach James Franklin spoke with the media on Wednesday night after practice to update the fans and media on his team before the final game of the 2022 season. Several of this week’s conversation highlights include continuing the discussion around the defense’s tackles for loss and a special celebrity appearance at Wednesday’s practice. Check out Franklin’s full comments below and subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube, so you don’t miss any coverage this season!
How Penn State creates tackles for loss
When asked why tackles for loss are so important, Franklin expounded on how they create them and some of the reasons why they’re important. One of those positives is off-field success for Penn State.
“Obviously, you got a chance to penetrate, create negative plays, and tackles-for-loss every single guy that are be doing their job because if you create vertical seams, and not everybody is in their gap, you obviously can also put yourself in a position to give up a big play. We’re just more consistent across the board and playing within the scheme and playing fast and aggressive. And if you’re a defensive player, specifically a defensive lineman or a linebacker, I can’t imagine there’s there’s a more productive system to play in. So that’s the other positive from this not only do our guys get an opportunity to make plays, but it’s attractive to recruits coming in,” he said.
Press conference Rundown
00:00 Press conference start
00:05 Why are tackles for loss so important and how are you specifically getting them?
02:19 When do you know when a player like Abdul Carter is ready to move to Mike and take on that communication role?
03:33 Have you seen Kobe King’s meditation skills, which he talked about, come through in his play?
04:12 What has Donald Driver’s presence (who was at practice) brought to Penn State?
05:18 What would it mean for the Big Ten to get two teams into the College Football Playoff?
06:13 How do you get Drew Allar prepared but not risk him getting injured?
07:33 How would you evaluate the season that PJ Mustipher has had?
08:05 What did you learn from meeting Jon Schaefer?
