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NittanyCentral

NittanyCentral delivers expert analysis from veteran reporters and timely updates on Penn State sports, with in-depth coverage of Nittany Lions Football, Wrestling, Basketball, and more.

Penn State Football, James Franklin

James Franklin Details Penn State’s Whiteout Strategy, Injury Status Before Oregon Clash

Robert ShieldsJames Franklin, Penn State Football

After Penn State’s bye week, Penn State Football head coach James Franklin met with the media for his weekly press conference ahead of Saturday’s Whiteout game against the Oregon Ducks.

In his opening statement, Franklin addressed how Penn State handled the busy early-season bye week and gave a rundown of Penn State’s assessment of Oregon ahead of the Nittany Lions’ first-ranked matchup of the season.

Three Key Takeaways from James Franklin’s Press Conference Ahead of Penn State vs. Oregon

1. Penn State Focused on Improvement Over Bye week

Penn State Football
Penn State Football has its most daunting test of the season, to date, hosting the Oregon Ducks Saturday night. (Syndication: Hanover Evening Sun)

Franklin has mentioned in recent years that Penn State has deeply thought through the Nittany Lions’ approach to bye weeks.

This season is no different, as Penn State took the opportunity to run more “full speed” work during the bye week than normal.

Franklin noted that Penn State added more full-speed work on Thursday and Sunday than the Nittany Lions would traditionally. Franklin also discussed wanting more full-speed work for the quarterbacks during Penn State’s Sunday practice during the bye week.

Additionally, Franklin noted that Penn State included extra work on third downs, tempo, and defensive communication through crowd noise into the bye week practices.

2. Penn State Must Start Fast in Oregon Matchup

Throughout the press conference, Franklin also mentioned the need for Penn State to start fast against Oregon.

Franklin noted that Oregon typically has started fast in games over the Dan Lanning era, making it all the more critical for Penn State to get things right early against the Ducks.

Penn State Football, Nick Singleton
Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are making a charge at Penn State’s all-time rushing record. (Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images)

Franklin stressed the need for the Penn State Whiteout crowd to be loud and make a difference on each play to make Beaver Stadium the best home environment in college football Saturday.

Franklin further noted that Penn State will limit the rotations on Saturday, as the game against Oregon is no longer about “building depth” as Penn State had done in the first three games of the season, but rather about having Penn State’s best players on the field as much as possible.

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3. Penn State is in a good spot on the injury front

After a question about the health of Penn State’s team coming out of the bye week, James Franklin noted that Penn State is in a “really good place” health-wise at this point in the season.

Franklin mentioned that the team has a few players with “bumps and bruises” but overall, the Nittany Lions are in “pretty good shape” on the injury front.

One player that Franklin specifically mentioned potentially getting back from injury this week is Mylachi Williams, which will boost Penn State’s depth at defensive end. Franklin noted that Penn State will need to balance getting full-speed work during the practice week with keeping players completely healthy heading into the Nittany Lions’ first real test of the season.

Penn State is set to host a top 10 team for the (regular season) Whiteout for the first time since 2017.

If the Nittany Lions want to keep a leg up on the competition for the Big Ten championship and a college football playoff bye, it is imperative that the Nittany Lions take advantage of the home field environment to secure a statement win against the Oregon Ducks.

James Franklin mentioned Monday afternoon that the process for Penn State is the same every week regardless of the opponent on the other side of the field, but it’s hard not to see the opportunity to change the national narrative for the Nittany Lions with a win Saturday.

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Robert Shields
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