Nov. 17, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Following a bye week, head coach James Franklin addressed the media on Tuesday afternoon to preview Penn State's home finale against Michigan.
The Nittany Lions (7-3, 4-2) will meet the Wolverines (8-2, 5-1) on Saturday at 12 p.m. (ABC) inside Beaver Stadium. Franklin reviewed Penn State's off week and looked ahead to the Senior Day clash against Michigan.
The 2015 senior class may be small in number (19 players will be recognized on Saturday prior to kickoff), but this is a group of Penn State student-athletes who have demonstrated unrivaled commitment and passion for the University and the football program.
It's a group that has seen more during the past four or five years on campus than most programs see in several decades. The seniors have forged a bond with one another and the football program that has truly made the situation incredibly unique.
"You just think about everything that these guys have been through, and they're kind of the glue," said Franklin. "They're the glue that kept this program together. They're the glue and the foundation that stood strong when Penn State needed them the most."
No group is more deserving than a proper sendoff on Saturday. The Senior Day ceremony is always a special occasion, but the Penn State fans should treat this day a little different than most. Without this senior class, it's hard to envision where the program might be right now.
"For us to go into that stadium with a sellout on Senior Day and it to be a whiteout and for this community and our students and our fans and the alumni to come together more than anything to support these young men and let them know how much we mean to them, how much they mean to us, I think is important," said Franklin.
On the field, the Lions will be well rested when they take the field for Saturday's contest against Michigan. The team practiced on an abbreviated schedule during the bye week to ensure the group could get proper rest to remain as fresh as possible for the final two games of the regular season.
The bye week was a productive one, though. The Lions implemented corrections following the last outing and began looking forward to preparing for Michigan. The players had an opportunity to go home over the weekend, and most of the squad spent Saturday watching Michigan play Indiana.
"I think the fact that the players were able to watch Indiana play Michigan and it went to overtime, that was a heck of a game," said Franklin. "That was a heck of a game as a fan of football to watch. And then once we got all that information, we were able to finalize our game plans. We're probably a little bit more ahead than obviously in a normal week."
Franklin and the Nittany Lions know what type of challenge Saturday's matchup will be. The Wolverines rank among the nation's top defensive units in numerous statistical categories, and they have been consistent throughout the season. Offensively, the Wolverines have been red-hot of late. Michigan also boasts one of the most experienced teams in the country with 18 senior starters.
"They're big and physical on both fronts. I think some of those numbers are a little bit skewed whenever you're playing an overtime game. It skews the numbers a little bit," said Franklin. "But, yeah, they are playing with a lot more confidence right now. They're much more explosive on offense. And they're doing a nice job."
The Nittany Lions will have the advantage of playing in the confines of home. Like Franklin noted on Tuesday, the crowd has been a huge factor in Penn State starting the season 6-0 at home. The Lions need another standout crowd in what should be a terrific Penn State White Out atmosphere on Saturday afternoon.
"It's going to be a tremendous challenge," Franklin said. "There's no doubt about it. But I'm looking forward to being at home, where we've played pretty good, and we're gaining confidence with those things as well. So should be a great college game. It should be a great college atmosphere. Looking forward to it."
The Nittany Lions will practice in shells on Tuesday and Wednesday before the final game week session on Thursday. Saturday's game inside Beaver Stadium will kick at 12 p.m. with a national telecast on ABC.
Press Conference Notes:
- Coach Franklin on what stands out about the senior class.
"I think probably one of the things that jumps out to me as much as anything is how our older players, our juniors and seniors, have embraced the younger guys and helped them. A lot of times, it may be at a same position where the younger guy may be playing ahead of them, and that's not always the case. That's not always the case.
"Our guys really have that spirit of doing what's best for Penn State and doing what's best for the program as well as, kind of like we talk about all the time, their spirit of service, serving others. I think that kind of trickles down into our program as well. What our guys are doing in the community, what they do for each other, those go hand in hand. I'm really proud of them."
- Seniors Anthony Zettel and Matt Baney were in attendance at Thursday's press conference and reflected upon their time at Penn State. Additionally, each guy selected his favorite Penn State moment.
"For a particular moment, it was probably the interception, pick six versus Ohio State, how it just changed the game," Zettel said "I think just from an overall team win, when we went to Wisconsin - no. Probably the four overtime against Michigan. That was the best moment."
"I would say my favorite moment was probably the Michigan game in (Coach) O'Brien's last year," Baney said. "It was an incredible season. We had a lot of games that kind of went like that, but watching that comeback, and the sideline never had a doubt that we were going to win that game. Everyone was behind each other 100 percent. That was a special time for me and for the rest of our teammates."