Penn State Football: Grading the Nittany Lions Through Five Games
By Eric Sion
Sep 20, 2014; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin looks on from the sideline during the second quarter against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren- USA TODAY Sports
Coaching
It seems like James Franklin delegates a lot of gameday responsibilities and decisions to his coaching staff. That’s not a bad thing because plenty of other head coaches do it too. But in comparison, Bill O’Brien was a lot more involved when it came to play calling, personnel, etc.
Defensive coordinator Bob Shoop’s defensive style is working quite well so far and Sean Spencer’s “Wild Dog” defensive line knows how to get into the backfield.
Offensive coordinator John Donovan’s play calling on offense has been pretty predictable and he must start using Akeel Lynch and the tight ends more often. It’s only been five games for this new staff at its new school, so things should get better throughout the season.