UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- James Franklin read off a list of numbers, knowing all too well that should he be asked about his quarterback during Tuesday's news conference he was armed with statistics.
"The most important stat that you have as a quarterback is wins, and he's 5-0 compared to 3-2. I think to me the discussion should end right there," Franklin said.
However, he wasn't ready to end the discussion there, much like offensive coordinator Joe Moorhead did last week, harping on the same statistics. Franklin said McSorley is "pretty much better in every metric possible."
"I will go further: Completion percentage, first five games from last year was 58 percent. He's at 65 percent. Okay, even if you want to take the last five games of the year last year," Franklin said. "The last five games of the year last year, he was 61 percent last year. He's 65 right now in the first five. Touchdown interception ratio, last year in the first five games, he had six touchdowns and three interceptions, and right now he has 12 and four."
Franklin highlighted McSorley's improved decision making and his check-with-mes at the line of scrimmage, something he said maybe NFL scouts don't give McSorley and quarterbacks who run this type of system enough credit for.
"I know a lot of times the NFL guys are not as complimentary of this system sometimes, which I disagree with," Franklin said. "I think you look at us, we're a West Coast passing offense with progressions and footwork and very similar to what I came up in. The difference is you've got the coach making the adjustments from the sideline, which makes sense, because the players spend 20 hours a week on this and we spend whatever ridiculous number of hours we spend. ... What we need Trace to do is make adjustments with the protection, some adjustments in the run game, but mostly in the protections."
The Nittany Lions haven't used their two-quarterback package in the past two weeks. The move would put Tommy Stevens in around the goal line along with McSorley. Franklin said that decision has nothing to do with them not being pleased with the results or with Stevens, rather that it's just a byproduct of the game plan.
Wanting to keep Stevens involved remains a focal point, but if the looks the defense is providing don't jive with the two-quarterback package, it won't be used. So, during the final minutes of the Lions' win against the Hoosiers there was Stevens throwing passes on the sideline to Juwan Johnson, staying loose for an opportunity that never came.
Franklin said back in his quarterbacking days at East Stroudsburg he went through it and so too did Moorhead. While Franklin said he isn't naturally a patient person -- and most people aren't -- he said he continues to tell Stevens that at some point his time will come and when it does he needs to be ready. Whether or not he gets a shot Saturday afternoon against the Wildcats in that special two-quarterback package designed for him is a whole other story.
"That's part of this position," Franklin said. "There's only one on the field except when we get a little creative and then decide to put two on. But then when we decide to put two on, then you guys ask me, how come we don't always put two on and how come we didn't have two on this week. And who -- do you want us to take off? You want us to take Saquon Barkley off the field? ... What about Mike Gesicki? You want him off the field?"
FEELING BETTER ABOUT FIELD GOALS
Franklin said after going back and watching the film of the Lions' field goal unit -- a performance Saturday night he called "unacceptable" after a miss and a blocked field goal against Indiana -- he felt a little better about it. The Lions don't plan to make any changes to the unit.
"We're just going to continue to work through it," Franklin said. "We've got a new holder. We've got a new snapper, and like I said, the blocks really aren't on [kicker Tyler Davis]. You know, our operation time was fine. I wouldn't say the kicks were overly low. We just, when you don't block a guy through a gap and he comes screaming through free, you know, they are going to block the kick."
Franklin typically wants his specialists focused on just one duty, but this season Davis added kickoffs to his list of responsibilities, something the kicker wanted to add to show off his versatility. However, Davis is 5 of 11 with field goals blocked in each of the past two games after hitting on 22 of 24 field goal attempts last season. Franklin said he has no plans to take Davis off of kickoffs, a role he's improved on since the start of the season.
Holder Bill Fessler met with the media on Tuesday and said Davis hasn't let the unit's struggles get to him.
Why is Franklin a little more upbeat about the unit now? Well, that he said stems from what he dubbed as a "correctable thing" he noticed on film.
"Going back and watching the film, I feel better about it," he said. "10 out of the 11 guys did it exactly right, and on the one, the guy used a completely different technique, and fundamental, and did it completely different than he had done it the eight other times, and on the ninth rep, chose to do a different thing. ... Right where we didn't take care of our gap someone blew right through our gap."
Franklin praised Davis for admitting that the missed field goal was his fault, one that he just didn't hit right. Franklin mentioned this same thing a few weeks ago when Davis had another miss.
"When guys own their mistakes as coaches it helps you make corrections and move on," he said.
SPECIAL WEAPON
Redshirt sophomore wide receiver Irv Charles continues to make a name for himself on special teams. Charles forced a fumble in the Indiana game that led to a touchdown, and he's been playing on multiple special teams units all season. He downed a ball at the one a few games back as well.
"He's been great on special teams. Making a bunch of big plays on special teams," Franklin said. "He's getting opportunities in the game in terms of reps. You know, we don't go into games saying we're going to throw the ball to Mike Gesicki 10 times. It's however the game goes and however the game flows, and Irv, as well as a bunch of our guys know, they just have to keep working hard and when the opportunities come, take advantage of it. It's nothing more than that."
Franklin said that Charles, like Stevens and many of the other younger players on this team who are buried on the depth chart at their positions, have to learn to be patient. That's something Franklin mentioned since Big Ten media days in July and Charles' limited opportunities as a receiver are the result of a loaded receiving corps. Contributing on special teams, much like linebacker Cam Brown did last year and continues to do, is one way he can make an impact.
O-LINE
McSorley was sacked five times against the Hoosiers, four of which came in the second half. The Lions have used three different right tackles this season and while they'd like to lock in on one, Franklin said Saturday night he's never been part of a team that's used all five of the same linemen for an entire season.
"The biggest difference for us right now is straining and finishing blocks," he said. "Are there some times where the defense makes a great call and they get us for a tackle for a loss or something like that or a zero-yardage play? Yeah, that's going to happen. But for us, I think the biggest difference for us is just straining a little bit longer. Finishing blocks from an aggressive demeanor, from an aggressive perspective. That's the next step for us."
Wanting the line to be more aggressive is something Franklin's mentioned since Week 1 and seemingly it goes hand-in-hand with the up-and-down results of the run game, another area Franklin has mentioned just about every week.
Whether or not right tackle Chasz Wright suits up this week after not playing in the second half last week also remains to be seen.
The interior of the Lions' line will be tested this week by 6-4, 315-pound defensive tackle Tyler Lancaster, a player Franklin said that Lions have "identified as a problem."
QUICK HITS
• Penn State's players of the week: Offense: DaeSean Hamilton, Defense: Jason Cabinda, Special teams: Irv Charles.
• Defensive end Ryan Buchholz outlined his season thus far, as well as the Lions' deep rotation of linemen:
• Franklin said he expects Gesicki to play against Northwestern. He's said that in the past about players as well who then haven't played, so for what it's worth, I'll keep an eye on the tight end during warmups. And, should the injury be to Gesicki's midsection, which again, it's unclear to say what exactly it was, no team is going to acknowledge that for fear that the other team would target that area.
• Sophomore linebacker Cam Brown met with reporters following Franklin's availability and said he continues working on his weight gain in an effort to hit 230 pounds by the time his collegiate career comes to a close. Brown is well on his way after he said he enrolled around 202 pounds and now fluctuates between 218 and 220.
Cabinda slimmed down in the offseason and continues tallying a lot of tackles, a move that Brown said showed him his size might not be as much of a factor as he once anticipated.
How is Brown going about gaining his weight?
"My meal plan. Just eating in the mornings, eating breakfast," he said. "That was my biggest problem I think. I love sleeping, so I don't really like waking up early enough to eat breakfast, but that's become my regimen, and eating more consistently throughout the day, little snacks, like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and things like that."
Brown's full interview is here from Waiss David Aramesh:
• Fessler, the Lions' holder, has a brother Charlie who is a wide receiver for Northwestern. Much like Blake Gillikin's parents who will support both of their specialist sons on Saturday, Fessler said he expects to have 40 family members and friends in attendance.
"Charlie, he's always been my best friend," Billy said. "Growing up, a lot of the time we were on the same team playing sports together. So that was really special for us and a huge part of my childhood. As we got older, we both really started to get into football and liked that along with playing basketball and baseball and just playing in the backyard with our other two young brothers, Henry and James."
Fessler said his parents had shirts made that read "A house divided" that they plan to wear for the game. Franklin said Gillikin's mom will spend half the game on the Northwestern side and the other half on the visitors' side.
"I remember going to Blake's house for the official visits and there was scuff marks and holes and everything all over the walls because his brother, Tyler, used to snap it to him and he would drop it and do a light punt in the house," Franklin said. "That should be pretty cool."