Penn State preparing differently for running QBs -- now and in the future

Published Nov. 5, 2015 3:40 p.m. ET

Marcus Hartman

After giving up a combined 226 rushing yards to J.T. Barrett and Perry Hills of Ohio State and Maryland, respectively, in back-to-back weeks, the Penn State coaching staff altered its approach to preparing for Northwestern this week.

The change?

"In practice we're going to do a period where our second offense with (backup quarterbacks Trace McSorley and Tommy Stevens) running (zone-read) plays against our first team defense to make sure that they're getting the speed that is hard to get from the scout team," head coach James Franklin told reporters Tuesday. "On top of that, we'll call our offensive plays so they're not reading a card. They'll run those plays that we have in our system to allow those guys to get that look in practice. I think that will be really helpful."

Franklin described Northwestern quarterback Clayton Thorson as "big, strong and athletic," but he noted the Wildcats have dialed back their zone-read game as the season has worn on.

But with it being in the package at one point and the existence of film of the Nittany Lions struggling to stop it, PSU coaches fully expect a return.

"We anticipate and are preparing all week long that they are going to run the zone read, so that's what we'll be working on all week long for these guys," Franklin said. "We think that's what they're going to do against us based on what they've shown and on them studying our film. We'll be working on that heavily this week."

They did not make the change last week because they were preparing for an Illinois offense that relies mostly on the drop-back passing game.

If the Wildcats don't resurrect their zone-read plays, Penn State might not need to worry about them in its final two games of the season, either. Michigan and Michigan State have shown a willingness to do a little bit of everything on offense, but their offenses lean much more toward what is generally described as "pro-style."

Franklin still decided the preparation will be worthwhile at some point as mobile quarterbacks have proven to be problematic for defenses across the country.

“That’s just something I think is really, really important to our team as a whole, and to our defense," Franklin told reporters Wednesday. "For us to win the type of games that we want to win, we’re going to have to stop those styles. And just like you guys have seen across the country and here at Penn State, that can cause some problems.

"So I felt like it was the right thing to do.”