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Penn State Football: Things to be thankful for

By Joey Lovell

Penn State head coach James Franklin smiles as he greets supporters following the Nittany Lion's 45-17 win over Minnesota at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in State College.Hes Dr 102222 Whiteout
Penn State head coach James Franklin smiles as he greets supporters following the Nittany Lion's 45-17 win over Minnesota at Beaver Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2022, in State College.Hes Dr 102222 Whiteout /
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As the Thanksgiving holiday comes to an end, let’s take a look at some things Penn State football fans should have been thankful for yesterday.

The Penn State football regular season is set to close out on Saturday when they square off against Michigan State for the “Land-Grant” Trophy.

While there are some fans who have expressed disappointment in the team, the majority of the “Nittany Nation” realizes that there is much to be thankful for with the state of the program.

Here are just a few of those areas.

1. Our incredibly talented true freshmen. Whether it’s the dynamic duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen in the backfield or the latest edition of No. 11, Abdul Carter, terrorizing opposing offenses, Penn State’s bevy of talent that are only a season removed from the high school grid iron is a blessing that any knowledgeable fan would be incredibly thankful for.

2. Incredible improvement in offensive line. Penn State’s running attack went from 107.8 yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry in 2021 to 184.1 YPG and 4.9 YPC in 2022. While some of that is obviously because of the debut of the “Dynamic Duo”, their talents would be largely wasted if not for the fantastic turnaround in the offensive line production. With the loss of only 3 in the 2 deep rotation, we can be thankful for an experienced line to start the ’23 campaign.

3. There has been a little discontent from some fans who think that this season was not successful. From a ’21 season that saw Penn State go 7-6 to a ’22 season that had them starting outside of the Top 25 to now sitting at 9-2 (with a very possible win against MSU) and knocking on the Top 10’s door, we SHOULD be thankful for an improvement in their overall record.

4. I grew up with Penn State football in the 1980’s. Heated rivalries with Pitt, West Virginia and Syracuse were part of the yearly games that I looked forward to. So, I’m thankful that Penn State is able to renew their rivalry, for the next two seasons anyway, with the Mountaineers of West Virginia for the first time since 1992.

5. James Franklin. Love him or hate him, he has become the first African American coach to 100 wins at the FBS level, doing this in 151 games. There are 26 other active coaches with 100 wins and only six have earned their victories quicker than Franklin did. Under his recruiting, Penn State has seen some of the greatest players in their illustrious history. Names like Barkley and Parsons will forever be etched in the fabled tales of Penn State lore. That storied tradition looks to be continued with the likes of Singleton, Allen and Carter.

So, as you sit back and digest your holiday meal with your family and loved ones, take a moment to be thankful for the greatest thing yet: Penn State football.

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