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It is easy to see why Penn State has lost four of the last five games. Explosive plays or clutch plays just have not been there when Penn State needed them, and they have been there for the opponents. And Penn State head coach James Franklin knows it.
Franklin was left searching for some answers following Penn State’s most recent setback, a 21-17 loss to Michigan in Week 11.
“We have played hard, but we haven’t made enough big plays,” Franklin said following Penn State’s loss to Michigan on Saturday. “You take Jahan Dotson out, and we’re not making enough big plays or explosive plays.”
Penn State could have used one more big play from Dotson on the final offensive snap Penn State took on Saturday, but Penn State’s top receiver had to leave the field after getting banged up on the play prior to a fourth down with the game on the line.
“We’ve done that for a really long time, and I don’t know if we’ve had very many explosive runs all year long, so that is something we’re going to have to look at hard, but I think that’s the biggest issue,” Franklin explained. “We just don’t have enough explosiveness besides Jahan Dotson and the offense.”
Penn State is tied for sixth in the Big Ten in plays of 10 or more yards this season (133; Ohio State leads the Big Ten with 203), and Penn State ranks in the top half of the Big Ten in plays of 20, 30, and 40 or more yards this season. But as Franklin notes, a big part of that has been courtesy of Dotson. Dotson has 38 plays of 10 or more yards this season, tied for third-most in the Big Ten. Dotson is also third in the Big Ten in play of 30 or more yards (9; Purdue’s David Bell leads the Big Ten with 11).
Jahan Dotson's last three catches:
17 yards on 3rd-and-7
5 yards on 4th-and-4
15 yards on 4th-and-2— Tyler Donohue (@TDsTake) November 13, 2021
KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Parker Washington have a handful of similar explosive plays for big gains, and they have at times come at clutch times as well. And Washignton had four receptions for 92 yards against Michigan in the loss last weekend.
Unfortunately for Penn State, it’s not necessarily just picking up big chunks of yardage that is the biggest problem, but just picking up any yardage on fourth down that has become an issue. Penn State is converting just 45.0% of their fourth-down attempts this season, which ranks the Nittany Lions 11th in the Big Ten in fourth-down success rate. This problem was highlighted in the nine overtime loss to Illinois with failed two-point conversion after failed two-point conversion in the most infuriating loss of the season.
Penn State’s issues start with the offensive line, as it fails to get any kind of push against a formidable defensive front. No matter how much talent is at the other positions like receiver, tight end, running back and quarterback, the old familiar story for Penn State has been not getting the kind of work from the offensive line it needs to win enough key battles.
Folks, I'm doing the defense first this week. pic.twitter.com/WaIAzAW45M
— Seth M. Fisher (@Misopogon) November 14, 2021
The good news for Penn State is this week’s opponent, Rutgers, has been known to give up some big plays this season. Rutgers has given up the third-most plays of 20 or more yards this season among Big Ten teams. however, Rutgers actually has one of the best third-down defenses in the Big Ten, allowing just 28.79 third-down conversions by opponents this season, second-best only behind Wisconsin.
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