BWI Live: A Penn State football podcast from Blue White Illustrated

The Penn State offense needs to adjust if they want to recover from their dysfunction that led to six points against Ohio State in the meaningful part of last weekend's loss. Raw point totals won't fix the Penn State offense against Big Ten basement dweller Indiana. The offense needs to force the issue and make some meaningful changes to how they operate on the football field. 

Today, on Friday's Five Things, we're running down the five adjustments that could help the Penn State offense achieve a better threat balance for the season's final stretch. 

Join the BWI Live Show today at 10 a.m. on YouTube to get your thoughts on the show as well. Senior Editor Nate Bauer joins the show to discuss today's five things and take questions from the live chat. 

Penn State balance in the passing game

The Nittany Lions have struggled to use the full field this year, relying on select areas and routes to win. Head coach James Franklin acknowledges that this is a problem. 

"Yeah, we've got to be able to attack the entire field. If most of our production is coming in similar areas of the field, then it makes you easier to defend. There's no doubt about it," Franklin said. 

We'll look at where the targets are going and what the production looks like in the under-utilized areas of the field. While offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich likely has plans to fix the issue, we'll take a stab at it too. 

Focus on the passing game

Most of today's show focuses on the Penn State passing game. The Nittany Lions don't represent enough of a credible threat to open up the running game right now. So restoring a balanced attack and credible threats is the critical fix. Franklin agrees that the team is behind in this area. 

"Yeah, we're behind in the passing game. I think we've shown some flashes," he said. 

Franklin believes that getting Harrison Wallace back up to speed and integrated into the passing game will help. However, the pass-catchers need to step up and it's something they've been told behind closed doors and now, publicly.

"I don't want to ever say anything's divisive between the offense and the defense. Or, a position group feeling like they're being called out. We do those things behind closed doors. But, the reality is, there's room for growth there."

 

Franklin believes this week is a good chance to take a step forward and execute properly. 

"But, this is an opportunity to take a step this week and build confidence moving forward. I think there's guys in that room that have the ability to do the job and do the job at a high level. But it's about consistency physically. But, it's also consistency mentally."

Join the show to find out what we think that will look like on Saturday. 

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The Penn State Football team takes on Indiana on Saturday at noon in the friendly confines of Beaver Stadium. Who will be attending the game? Join the BWI Live Show today at 10 a.m. for a comprehensive matchup preview, including recruiting visitors and game breakdown. 

Join the BWI Live Show by subscribing to the Blue White Illustrated YouTube channel. We'll also be taking your question on the show! Join the site to get access to the BWI Mailbag Thread so you can have your question featured on the weekly Q&A session. 

Today's questions feature a lengthy receiver conversation, offensive performance improvement guidelines, and more. 

Penn State trying to turn the page from Ohio State loss

Penn State head coach James Franklin spoke with the media on Wednesday evening and tried to shift his focus forward to Indiana. However, the media was still interested in what happened last weekend against Ohio State. It's a delicate balancing act for Franklin to push forward but be a team-player with the fans and media. 

""To be honest with you, we've had discussions about moving the press conference to Monday [from Tuesday] for a little bit of that reason, so we can move on and not keep doing this. Not keep going back and talking about it. I get [that the media] asks the questions. But for us., one of the ways to move on is to stop talking about it. And the hard part is [the media wants] to talk about it. Which, I get it. I totally get it." 

"But, it's kind of sending mixed messages. The best way to move on is to focus on the next opponent, learn from it, which we did on Saturday night, which we did on all day Sunday. But then, it's time to move on to the next opponent, learn the lessons from the game, make the corrections, and then pour all of our energy into finding a way to get a win against Indiana and playing well, so we can build that confidence and take it for the rest of the season."

Penn State passing game 

The biggest question for the Nittany Lions this year is its passing game with a new starting quarterback and a thin group of proven wide receivers. Franklin admitted on Wednesday that this part of his team is lagging behind. 

"Yeah, we're behind in the passing game. I think we've shown some flashes. I think [Harrison "Trey" Wallce III]'s injury, when we didn't have a whole lot of proven guys before that; I think some guys that have kind of come in have transitioned a little bit slower than than we had hoped. But, this is an opportunity to take a step this week and build confidence moving forward. I think there's guys in that room that have the ability to do the job and do the job at a high level. But it's about consistency physically. But, it's also consistency mentally."

 

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In the biggest game of the Penn State Football season, the Nittany Lions laid an egg against Ohio State, losing 20-12. While the defense held up its end of the bargain, keeping the game to a one-score affair until late in the fourth quarter, the offense manged six points in the first 59 minutes of regulation.

So what happens next and where does Penn State go from here? We'll break it down on the BWI Live Show, airing at 10 a.m. on YouTube. Penn State football insiders Nate Bauer and Sean Fitz join the show to discuss the game that they saw live and in person at Ohio Stadium. We'll break down the offensive dysfunction that finally caught up with the Nittany Lions. We'll also cover the defensive effort against the Ohio State offense and against Marvin Harrison Jr.

Join the show today because we'll be taking your questions and comments throughout the show. Drop your feelings in the live chat, and we'll react to the best on the show. If you haven't yet, subscribe to the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel so you don't miss any content, like Drew Allar's postgame press conference.

Penn State offense fails the biggest test of the year

No matter which way you look at it, the Nittany Lion's offensive numbers aren't pretty. Allar completed only 40% of his passes through the third quarter, thanks partly to four drops by his receivers during the game.

The Nittany Lions only managed to get nine rushes apiece for Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton during the game, which accounted for 74 of Penn State's 186 yards through the same time frame.

We'll break down why those things happened, what went into Penn State's total meltdown on offense, and what happens next.

Defense plays same game as last year

Once again, the Penn State defense held the line for most of three quarters but fell late thanks to the cumulative pressure put on them by the game script. The defense held Ohio State to 12 points through most of the contest, but a late turnover on downs by the Penn State offense set up Ohio State for the final go-ahead drive that led to Marvin Harrison's lone touchdown on the day.

Speaking of Harrison Jr., we'll review how Penn State covered the superstar wideout and how Kalen King availed himself in the biggest matchup of the year.

Finally, we'll review how a loss like this on a national stage either hurts recruiting or doesn't. Join the show live at 10 a.m. to be a part of the action!

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The Penn State Nittany Lions lost their first game of the season on Saturday afternoon when they went to Columbus, falling to Ohio State. The Penn State offense struggled to move the football all day, breaking their 30-point game-scoring streak. The Penn State defense once again kept the team in the game, holding the explosive Ohio State offense to ten points through three quarters.

Join the BWI Live postgame show to discuss the game. Want to be part of the show? Drop your comments in the live chat to get your voice heard. We'll cover the team's issues on offense, the defensive performance from the Nittany Lions, and how Ohio State allowed the Nittany Lions to stick around in the game.

Penn State offense fails to convert

The story of the game for the Penn State Nittany Lions was that they couldn't convert on third down. The team was 0-11 at one point early in the fourth quarter. Penn State had been a methodical offense that stayed ahead of the chains all year. But against Ohio State, that plan melted down.

It was another sub-standard road game for quarterback Drew Allar as well. The sophomore quarterback got off to a rocky start, then the offense failed to protect him, with multiple pressures up the middle that forced throwaways. Allar ended the game under 60% completion percentage on the road for the third time this year.

We'll cover what the Ohio State defense did to stop the Penn State attack in its tracks and force the offense into bad passing situations.

The offense had one final gasp in the middle of the fourth quarter when head coach James Franklin elected to go for it on fourth down just shy of the 50-yard line. Allar was hit by Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimoloau, and the ball fell incomplete. The Buckeyes marched down the field for the nail-in-the-coffin moment.

BWI Live: Penn State Comes up short vs Ohio State | Postgame Show

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The most important game of the 2023 season is almost upon us! The Penn State Nittany Lions head to Columbus to face the Ohio State Buckeyes in a showdown of undefeated top-ten teams. Join the BWI Live Show today at 10 a.m. to get the official game preview. We're discussing how Penn State will fare in the upcoming showdown, reviewing practice form Wednesday night, and taking your questions!

Penn State Football insiders Sean Fitz and Nate Bauer will discuss what they saw at Wednesday's practice and give their predictions for the upcoming game. Subscribe to the Blue White Illustrated YouTUbe channels so you don't miss our live shows or breaking news content!

If you haven't yet, it's a great time to subscribe to Blue White Illustrated. New members get 50% off the yearly price of membership. Get inside access to information from practice as it happens, so you're first to know who is in and out for the Nittany Lions.

Penn State gets big piece back at practice this week

The status of Penn State guard JB Nelson was up in the air until Wednesday evening when he returned to practice ahead of the showdown with Ohio State. Head coach James Franklin was still ambivalent about how much he'd play this weekend.

"Yeah, we'll see. He's missed a little bit of time. So obviously getting him back, kind of in the mix and greased up and ready to go. The good thing is Vega's played well. So obviously, be able to evaluate that throughout the week. I think they're both going to play. So, we'll see how it plays out," Franklin said.

We'll explain what Nelson's presence means for the offensive line and the Penn State offense. Bauer and Fitz will also discuss the most important things they saw at practice on Wednesday night.

Previewing matchup with Ohio State

Next, we'll preview Penn State's showdown with Ohio State. It's the best team that Franklin's squad has faced this year. But do they need to be perfect against the Buckeyes to come away with a victory? Not so fast,

"The reality is, confidence comes with preparing well. But, it also comes with experience. And, those guys have it. Our most veteran players, our best leaders, our best players, they need to play well in these types of games. We don't have to play perfect, but we need to play well in these types of games," Franklin said

We'll turn the show's last segment over to you, the fan. What's on your mind as the team heads into the weekend? Join the show live to ask a question in the live chat. We'll be taking them during the BWI Mailbag to end the show.

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Penn State vs Ohio State Game Preview | Is this the year for the Nittany Lions?

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The Penn State Nittany Lions football team takes on the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday in Columbus for a showdown to help determine the Big Ten East. We preview the game on today's BWI Live Show. Join the Keystone Kickoff Show's exclusive video presentation on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel. We preview the Ohio State defense, offense, and where Penn State has advantages on Saturday.

Penn State has to contend with the best receiver in America

While the Ohio State offense isn't what it's been in the past, the team still is incredibly dangerous thanks to Marvin Harrison Jr. We discuss how he can change the game in an instant. On Tuesday, Penn State head coach James Franklin broke down what makes him special.

"Well, I think number one, the thing that jumps out to me is his body control and ball skills. He's got the ability to contort his body in the positions and catch the ball effortlessly."

I think that's the first thing.

The other thing, he's just smooth and fluid. You know, a guy that you guys are familiar with that I think was smooth and fluid, similar to him is Jahan [Dotson]. The difference is this guy is doing it at 6'3", 6'4". It's interesting, you watch him on tape and he looks like he's got good size, but when you see him in person, he's a big dude."

Critical Matchup for Nittany Lions interior O-Line

We also highlight an area that has performed well for the Nittany Lions this year. Can the interior of the Penn State offensive line, which will presumably be without starting guard JB Nelson, play to the same level that they've achieved against a very good defense? While we focus on the defensive line on today's show. Franklin explained the Ohio State defense and how it presents challenges in the run game with three safeties.

"When you're playing, say, a traditional 4-3, traditional 3-4, you got rules of how you account for the guys in the box. How you're going to block to the Sam, combo block to the Mike, combo block to the Will or you're reading the Will in the RPO.

Now they got this extra safety like Ohio State is doing like Iowa State was the team that made it kind of sexy and popular out there. It's different than your normal rules of how you account for that guy in the run game.

So that's where it can become challenging, is you're having to teach things different than you normally do," Franklin said.

Join the BWI Live show at 10 a.m. on YouTube to learn more about the upcoming matchup between Penn State and Ohio State!

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Is Penn State more talented than Ohio State this year?

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The Penn State Football team is 6-0 heading into its biggest game of the 2023 season this weekend. Before we get to the matchup with Ohio State, we'll put a final word on the past weekend against UMass on today's BWI Live show.

It's also decision day for four-star defensive line target Jaylen Harvey. The Maryland product has pushed back his decision date several times but will announce Monday night between Penn State, USC, and Maryland. The BWI Liv recruiting show will preview the decision and discuss how they see things playing out.

Join the show live at 10 a.m. on YouTube, and as always, subscribe to the channel if you haven't yet. We'll take fans' questions live in the chat and discuss the topics you bring up!

Penn State waiting for a decision from Harvey

It's been a long and interesting journey with Harvey and Penn State. The 89-overall prospect in the On3 Ranking System has been a heavy lean toward the Nittany Lions since the spring but has yet to pull the trigger. On today's show, we'll recap his recruiting journey to this point and get fans up to speed on what the latest is on his recruitment. Recruiting insiders Ryan Snyder and Sean Fitz will break it all down for you on the show.

We'll also discuss what type of player Harvey is and how he would fit into the Penn State defensive line class under Deion Barnes. The 6-2, 245-pound defender could play multiple positions in the future, so the group will detail his potential fits at the next level and describe what type of player he is outside of his physical tools.

UMass victory is the final test before Ohio State

The Nittany Lions got a feel-good victory on Saturday afternoon over the UMass Minutemen in a cold, wet game. We'll recap the most interesting and relevant parts of the 63-0 contest. On offense, we'll discuss how the team generated more shot plays downfield and how that portion of the offense looked in the rain.

Next, we'll discuss the offense's performance outside of quarterback Drew Allar, including how Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton fared in the win.

But of course, the real story is the Penn State defense obliterating the UMass offense. We'll discuss the day that Daequan Hardy had on defense and on kick return. Do the Nittany Lions have a new punt returner for the rest of the season?

Finally, we'll look ahead to the showdown in Columbus this coming weekend.

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On Saturday, the Penn State Nittany Lions Football team defeated UMass on a rainy and cold October day in Happy Valley. Join the BWI Live Postgame Show immediately following the game to discuss the win and how the team is set up to face Ohio State in the defining game of the 2023 season next Saturday in Columbus.

Penn State offense shakes off slow start

It was another slow start by the Nittany Lions until cornerback Daequan Hardy ripped off a 56-yard punt return for a touchdown on his first return of the season. The 5-9 corner had a strong game with a pass breakup and several disruptive plays in the first half. He later capped his career day with a second punt return for a touchdown.

The team also committed its first turnover on offense for the 2023 season. Injured receiver Trey Wallace returned to the lineup and got off to a rusty start. He fumbled on a slant route to give up the ball, then missed a deep pass from Allar.

But the slow start quickly faded away, and Penn State scored on four straight drives to blow the game open and put things to bed early in the third quarter. Penn State's offense finally found it's explosive stride with Wallace back in the lineup. Wallace caught a shallow pass and ran for 31 yards, and then Theo Johnson finally got involved in the deep passing game. Allar connected with the 6-6 tight end on a 30-yard touchdown strike over the middle to score early in the third quarter. Johnson followed that up with an 18-yard catch and run to put Penn State up 42-0 and the starters to call it a day.

Defense domiantes again

Once again, the Penn State defense was beyond suffocating. This week's flavor of havoc was sacks. The team registered six of them before halftime and allowed just one net rushing yard in the shutout performance by the starters. Before the competitive portion of the game was over, UMass averaged five yards per drive. The defense also racked up 13 tackles for loss and was virtually unopposed into the backfield on run or pass plays on the afternoon. The standout performer was defensive end Adisa Isaac, who tallied 2.5 sacks and 3.5 tackles for a loss on the day.

Join the BWI Live Postgame show as we discuss the game and preview the upcoming contest with Ohio State.

Penn State takes on Ohio State in the pivotal game of the 2023 season coming up next Saturday. We'll have coverage starting at 9 a.m. with the Penn State Football tailgate show live on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube Channel.

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The Penn State Nittany Lions football team faces UMass today at 3:30 for the 2023 Homecoming game. We’re previewing the game today on the Penn State Football Tailgate Show, starting at 12:30. The show airs live, outside of the Bryce Jordan Center across the street from Beaver Stadium. Former Penn State defensive tackle Aeneas Hawkins gives you his thoughts on the upcoming game and the state of the Nittany Lions as they head into the pivotal second half of the season.

The Penn State Football Tailgate Show is a production of Seven Mountains Media and is an exclusive video broadcast on the Blue White Illustrated YouTube channel. Can’t make it to the show? Join us on the stream or listen locally on 99.5 The Bus.

Penn State impressed with UMass

Penn State head coach James Franklin discussed the UMass football team to begin the week and praised the Independent club for their innovation and production on offense.

“Their offensive coordinator, we’ve been impressed with, Steve Casula. Steve is doing a really nice job for them. We’ve been impressed with them on offense.

They’re an 11-person, no-huddle spread, heavy, heavy RPO team. Maybe the most explosive team we’ve played this year. If you look at them statistically, they’re No. 2 in major college football for plays of 50 yards or more. They’re ranked No. 2 in the country. Plays of 10 yards or more, they’re ranked ninth in the country, so this is an explosive team,” Franklin said

It’s also the first game that Penn State should have number two wide receiver Harrison Trey Wallace back in the lineup in a meaningful way. Wallace appeared in the game against Iowa but wasn’t targeted and then missed the game against Northwestern the following week before the bye. During the show, Hawkins highlights the receivers in his Key Matchups segment to break down how Wallace’s return affects the offense.

1-0, but with an eye on the future

One of the key elements of the final non-conference game is health. Wallace is back, but the team lost guard JB Nelson during the last contest with Northwestern. Franklin wouldn’t comment on his stats, per his usual policy with injuries, but he did acknowledge that the team is, overall, in a good spot.

“Nothing has changed with J.B. in terms of how we normally discuss injuries and things like that. Nothing has changed there.

In terms of health, I think we’re in a pretty good place from the things that we talked about in terms of the number of reps our guys have had in games the number of guys we’re playing. I think we’re in a pretty good place from that perspective.

I mean, obviously, you’d always love to be totally healthy, and we’re not that, but I think we’re in a pretty good place,” Franklin said.

With the team’s showdown against Ohio State looming next week, getting out of this game healthy is a critical part of today’s contest. We’ll discuss the Penn State offense, defense, and give predictions for the game on today’s show. Join us starting at 12:30!

Penn State Football Tailgate Show: Homecoming vs. UMass

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The Penn State football team takes on UMass Saturday for its final non-conference game of the season. While no one expects this to be a challenging game for the Nittany Lions, it's important to examine how the team can prepare for the second half of its season with this contest. Today on the BWI Live show, we'll examine five things we're looking for when Penn State takes the field against UMass.

If you want to get your thoughts on how you'd like to see the Penn State offense and defense play, join the show live and discuss the game! We'll be taking live questions from the chat and discussing season-long trends in how the team has played so far this season.

Penn State getting its groove back

The Penn State running game is productive but hasn't had the feel-good plays they wanted this season. Despite that, running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider is happy with how his tandem of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen have played so far this year.

"I really like where we're at. Contrary to belief, we run the ball effectively. We haven't had a long runs. Everybody knows that. But if you watch the film, you watch the defense the week before they play us, and the week when they play us, we are getting different defenses every week," Seider said.

However, we'll discuss what head coach James Franklin said earlier in the week about how great running backs can get off their groove. Does Penn State need to re-establish that?

We'll check in with Seider, who again puts that on the coaches and the defenses paying extra attention to his dynamic duo.

"Well, I mean, talking about instincts, I think a lot of that is on us as coaches, being able to get back to who we are in our running style and what plays we want to carry out the week. You know, we probably added some stuff in there that we wish, as a coach, you wish you'd maybe take back and get back to our fundamentals. But it's also a defense a lot of time, dictate what type of scheme we run throughout the week."

UMass making things happen for both sides of the ball

We discussed earlier in the week that UMass's offense is explosive but plays with a risk-reward style. We'll dive into some numbers that illustrate what kind of day it will be for the defense if they can be opportunistic with their chances.

Next, we'll examine how the UMass defense plays and how it might be tailor-made to get Penn State's struggling passing game back on track this week.

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