Editor’s note: Ahead of this week’s matchup between San Diego State and Penn State, we’re bringing you opposing columns: one from The Daily Aztec’s sports department and one from The Penn State Daily Collegian. First, we’ll bring you the Nittany Lions’ perspective.
“Penn State football’s offense taking baby steps”
By Connor Whooley, Penn State Daily Collegian
Penn State football’s offense under James Franklin is like a new born baby.
Last year, it learned it had to crawl before it could walk. It learned its legs — the offensive line — were the most important part.
In the Nittany Lions’ 31-30 victory over Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl to finish out last season, the team pulled itself up onto a table and stood there, clinging to the edge for dear life.
Then, in its 2015 season opener against Temple, Penn State tried to take a big step, and came crashing to the ground.
But over the past two games, the Lions have taken baby steps in learning to walk. James Franklin and the coaching staff are guiding the team around the room and some big steps could be on the way.
But it will take more baby steps to get there.
Leading up to the game with Buffalo, Franklin said he was going to take a more active role in the play calling and that the Lions would try to run the football more effectively, while moving the pocket in the passing game.
With rain pouring down, rendering passing somewhat ineffective, the Lions stuck with the ground game and in the second half, it paid off.
Freshman running back Saquon Barkley — literally — hurdled onto the scene and has emerged as possibly the No. 1 back in a 1-2 punch with junior running back Akeel Lynch.
And against Rutgers, the ground game was further expanded upon, as both backs chugged for over 100 yards apiece and three scores. Again though, the rain limited junior quarterback Christian Hackenberg through the air.
So what’s next?
It seems the Lions may have found their legs. The offensive line has a level of competency and consistency now, the running game has been established and the silver lining of the passing game is that Hackenberg hasn’t been sacked in the past two contests.
Moving forward, the Lions will continue to expand upon the running game, cementing in their offensive line as capable blockers. That in turn will open up the airways for Hackenberg. Play-action passes and run defenses will allow the highly-touted quarterback to air it out more.
Protection in the pocket will allow him to find the right receiver in a talented group of young pass catchers.
Like Franklin said earlier, the team will have to take shots deep down the field, and with an offensive line that’s beginning to grow, that could be possible.
Penn State could be walking soon.
Sure, it may be wobbly at times. It may come crashing down again.
But at least for now, the Lions have their legs under them.
The saying goes that you’ve got to crawl before you can walk and walk before you can run. That’s what Franklin and his staff have figured out.
We’ve all thought this before though, and like a baby teases for weeks before it actually takes a step, the Lions have teased us too.
But when the Lions finally do take that first step on their own, firing passes down field and rushing with efficiency at the same time, the Penn State faithful will have a full-blown walker.
Hopefully, somebody has the camcorder rolling.
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Patrick Carr, Daily Aztec Sports Editor
The ship isn’t sinking for San Diego State football.
Yet.
But it’s starting to take on water. Not just in one part of the ship, but many parts. Bless the special teams unit of junior punter Tanner Blaine, senior kicker Donny Hageman and junior punt returner Lloyd Mills, who are doing all they can to fill the holes.
Head coach Rocky Long, meanwhile, is standing, watching, blaming the media and not putting any blame on himself or his crew for assembling a ship that isn’t fit to make it across the ocean.
Much of the focus has been on Kentucky graduate transfer quarterback Maxwell Smith, who was supposed to provide the sharpest play at the position since Ryan Lindley. He didn’t look convincing in fall camp.
He certainly hasn’t looked good in SDSU’s first three games. His play has been about as sharp as a soft fuzzy seat cushion, much like the one that’s supposedly starting to heat up under Long.
The offensive line, chalk full of new faces and missing one of last year’s key starters due to suspension, hasn’t provided star junior running back Donnel Pumphrey with enough space to run.
Pumphrey went over 100 yards on the ground for the first time this season on Saturday. It took him 28 carries, which is too big of a workload for a 5-foot-9, 170-pound running back. Senior Chase Price, a bulkier 200-pound back who can run between the tackles, had just four rushes.
The wide receivers have been anonymous at best. Sloppy routes and dropped balls have plagued a group that struggled last year with the exception of Ezell Ruffin, who despite missing more than half the season was SDSU’s leading receiver in 2014.
And what about the defense? The unit that was most hyped coming into 2015 despite lacking starters at vital positions.
Admittedly, it’s been hit with injuries to key players. Starting redshirt-sophomore safety Trey Lomax, so good at patrolling the middle of the field that University of South Alabama threw pass after pass to, is out for at least another month with a dislocated kneecap.
Senior linebacker Jake Fely missed Saturday’s game after experiencing concussion-like symptoms stemming from a car crash earlier in the week.
Senior defensive tackle Christian Heyward played on Saturday, but is still working up to 100 percent after suffering a knee injury in fall camp.
Yet, the blame is being thrown at Long.
The media is now starting to question him, wondering if Long is the guy to take SDSU to Boise State levels. Others, instead, are reluctantly questioning him.
After all, how angry can you get at a coach who’s taken SDSU to four straight bowl games after Aztec football was completely irrelevant for so long before then?
The fans, what little amount there are, are also turning on Long.
#FireRocky lit up social media after Saturday’s loss. Forums and comment threads are beginning to see similar trends. The people who are invested in the team (mind you, it’s a very small number) are calling for Long’s dismissal.
Should Long necessarily be the target of this? No, but that’s how it happens.
So even if Long captained the ship through a hurricane, three shark attacks, a Kraken and an iceberg, he’ll go down with the ship if it sinks in a kiddie pool.
Another one of the problems the Aztecs face is getting more — any — fans to their games. It makes sense; San Diegans flock to the beach by the thousands on Saturdays, not antiquated Qualcomm Stadium to watch a mediocre team struggle to play football against other mediocre teams.
Speaking of fans, Long isn’t happy about the attendance on Saturday, but SDSU alone won’t attract fans.
The Aztecs are still at a point where attendance varies based on opponents. South Alabama, whom almost no one in the stands had any idea of, was a glitzy enough opponent to attract 18,194 fans in a stadium that holds 71,000.
Sorry, that’s pathetic.
Speaking of stadiums, there is more at play this season besides football. The Chargers have been whining about Qualcomm Stadium for the past few months and SDSU’s lease with the antiquated concrete eyesore expires in 2017.
Then what happens? No one knows for sure. The only certain thing is there’s not a lot of space on campus to build a small stadium that’s commonplace in the Mountain West.
Not only is the immediate future of the team looking grim, but the long-term forecast of football in the city is also unclear.
