Penn State could have wanted to maneuver on from former head coach James Franklin, however because the workforce confirmed on Saturday night time in a 25-24 loss to Iowa, that alone just isn’t going to repair the place this system is correct now.
Saturday’s recreation was Penn State’s fourth consecutive loss, and continued to focus on an issue that has snuck underneath the radar this season.
The protection cannot cease anyone in massive moments, and that could be a dangerous search for defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, given the hype round his arrival. To not point out his wage.
Penn State’s protection has ruined the season greater than something
In case you are on the lookout for scapegoats as to why Penn State, the preseason No. 2 workforce within the nation, is sitting at 3-4, there is no such thing as a scarcity of choices.
Franklin is clearly the most important scapegoat and has already been changed.
Beginning quarterback Drew Allar was having a massively disappointing season earlier than his season-ending harm, whereas his additional time interception towards Oregon might be replayed by Penn State followers for years. That play began the downward development for the season.
As disappointing as his season has been, he’s nonetheless a possible NFL passer, and his absence the remainder of the way in which goes to considerably restrict what the offense can do.
Whereas all of these areas are issues, the protection underneath Knowles must be extra of a focus for blame. And it isn’t even essentially concerning the factors they’ve allowed or not allowed. It is about how they’ve constantly failed in massive moments.
They gave up 30 factors at dwelling to Oregon, together with two additional time touchdowns, adopted that up by permitting 42 factors to a beforehand winless UCLA workforce, after which didn’t get fourth-quarter stops towards unranked Northwestern.
On Saturday in Iowa, with Penn State clinging to a five-point lead with 4 minutes to play within the fourth quarter, it didn’t make one other cease.
This time, maybe in its most embarrassing means of the season.
Dealing with an Iowa offense that was backed up by itself 25-yard line and had proven zero potential to throw the soccer all night time, Penn State allowed the Hawkeyes to drive 75 yards on simply two performs for a game-winning landing. Sixty-eight of these yards got here on one run by quarterback Mark Gronowski.
