Penn State vs. Minnesota game preview: BWI Daily
Penn State football takes on Minnesota in a must-win game on Saturday. Not only would a win prevent a two-game slide, but it would reverse narratives about Penn State head coach James Franklin’s ability to deal with big-game losses. Throw on top of that a showdown with former offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca during the White Out and you have all the makings of a high-pressure game. The BWI Daily Edition will break all of that down on the official game preview show. Subscribe to Blue White Illustrated on YouTube, so you don’t miss the show!
Penn State practice observations
Host Nate Bauer and Blue White Illustrated publisher Sean Fitz start the show by discussing the things they saw at Penn State’s open practice on Wednesday. Firstly, they share an update on what they saw from quarterback Sean Clifford. The sixth-year senior exited last week’s game with an injury and didn’t return to the field. Bauer and Fitz give fans their opinions on what Clifford’s actions at practice mean. Bauer also discusses what he thinks Franklin meant earlier in the week by saying that Clifford had “earned the right” to start.
From there, they discuss other players with known injuries and how they were at practice, including guard Landon Tengwall. However, one notable absent at practice wasn’t injured last week. Next, hear what the duo says about running back Keyvone Lee.
Minnesota preview
They’ll examine the critical matchups in the game and finish with a game prediction to close the show.
Penn State offensive duality and crisis explained Pt. 2
Yesterday, we examined the history of Penn State offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich, his transition to Penn State, and some of the conflicts and challenges his time at Penn State has presented. However, before we get to the on-field implications of yesterday’s story we should address something first.
Collaborate not declarative
We all play a delicate political balance in our work environments each day. Penn State head coach James Franklin has long expressed his policy of being a hands-off head coach that is a “sounding board” for his coordinators rather than an authoritarian decreeing his wishes. It’s something he maintained Wednesday during his weekly press conference after practice,
“It’s more of a sounding board for the offensive coordinator. Very rarely is there something I’m adamant about. Some things, whether its practice schedule or certain things I’m adamant about but very rarely. Typically I’m bringing a guy in and letting him do his job, or I wouldn’t have brought him in.”
When presenting two sides of a story, we tend to see things in a binary, either-or light. The truth is never that simple, and the situation with Penn State’s two-tight-end offense may be more collaborative than directive. Something that offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich expressed on Thursday,
“But he gives great input each game plan, and it’s the same as it was last year and it’s very similar to what it was for me at Oklahoma State and, and really at Texas as well. So a lot of supportive input and, you know, stamping out things that maybe he doesn’t particularly care for, which is helpful. You got to let your ego down and put everything aside and be able to listen to not just the head coach but every coach in the room.”
But that doesn’t mean it’s perfectly harmonious or easy to do.
