Sept. 22, 2016
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Nittany Lions hit the road this week travel to Michigan to open the Big Ten schedule on the road Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (ABC).
Leading up to the conference opener, co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Tim Banks spent time with the media on Thursday. Check out a few updates from the Q&A with Coach Banks.
On the assessment of a dynamic Michigan offense …
Banks: I think just the overall perimeter speed and athleticism. It starts with Jake Butt, obviously an All-American type player, and he has shown it throughout the first couple of games. That will be the biggest challenge, having the ability to defend him at in the zone and defend him in some man situations. He's a big strong kid who runs routes very similar to a wide receiver. He's definitely a big threat that will have our antennas up.
Can you speak to the challenge that the safeties face Saturday in balancing and defending the run and the pass?
Banks: It's always a challenge. We have to be really disciplined with our eye, concentration and reading our keys and reacting accordingly. They make it difficult on you. They do a lot of things well in terms of how they run the ball and how again, as I mentioned earlier, getting Butt involved in the pro-game. We'll have our work cut out for us. It's definitely a balancing act and we have some things in our arsenal to be able to hopefully help our safeties with some eye discipline, putting them in some spots that we feel will make them even more effective.
Could you take us a little more in depth into the decision to move Koa Farmer to linebacker and as someone who has coached him, what kind of skills does he bring to the table?
Banks: The decision, just like every decision, was just in the best interest of our team and our defense as a whole. We're trying to get our best 11 out there in situations where they can help the team, being the quickest and the most efficient and he was definitely someone we felt brought value in that regard. He's also a kid who has played some linebacker in the past. We have some packages where he slid into that position and during certain situations in some of the earlier games, so it was really a smooth transition in that regard.
As far as what he brings to the table, he's a really strong kid. He was actually a big safety. He's anywhere from around 215 to 220, but still obviously one of those fits extremely well at that size so hopefully he'll bring us some added speed and definitely a kid who is happy to be able to get some more playing time and help this defense and this team in any way possible.
From the coach's perspective, what do you see in Michigan's Jabril Peppers and what makes him so special?
Banks: Just super competitive, that's the first thing that jumps out to me. The way he goes about his business, whether it's kick return or whether I see him running the ball on offense or on the few snaps that I've seen maybe on TV with him playing on defense - just ultra competitive. Obviously his skill set speaks for itself, but just all the things they have asked him to be able to do to help their team. He just seems to be ultra competitive and you love to have those kids. It will be a challenge defending him when he comes out there on offense and we'll have our hands full, even on special teams.
As a Michigan native and then playing later at Central Michigan, what did you think of the Michigan program? Were you ever a fan and what was it like growing up there?
Banks: I don't think you can live in the state of Michigan without being affected by their brand and just their overall tradition. I've had numerous cousins and relatives who have graduated from there and I'm very, very familiar with the tradition. It's great and any time we get the chance to go there and compete against them, you know you're on the same field with a lot of great players who have come and having the chance to compete in that area is always exciting. I'm looking forward to the challenge, I really am. There will be a lot of fans there, they have a big stadium as we do and we're just looking forward it. For me personally, being back home and having the chance to to compete against a storied program.
How are some of your redshirt freshman doing, like Jarvis Miller, Johnny Petrishen and Ayron Monroe?
Banks: They are coming along, I'm super excited about the direction they are headed. They're big strong safeties who I think, in the future, will actually be exactly what we were looking for in the recruiting process. Jarvis Miller is doing a good job on special teams for us right now. He made a couple of tackles and is going hard. I think they're coming well. Ayron Monroe is practicing well and we expect to see some really good dividends out of him. JP is going to develop so we're really pleased with where they are now and the direction those guys are headed.
Can you talk a little bit about, you mentioned the strong safeties, being so big and strong - are they the type of guys who could possibly grow into linebackers at some point?
Banks: We have some big safeties. Obviously, Marcus Allen is a bigger safety and I mentioned Jarvis Miller earlier. We like to keep them at safety if we can, we like big size and pick fast guys if they can run, but again, we're going to do what's best for our team and what's best for our defense. So at some point if Coach Franklin or Coach Pry thinks that the best thing to do is to move some guys around to bring more value to our team, I'm definitely open to it and I'm sure those guys will be as well. We talk a lot about doing what's best for our family and understanding what your roles are and I think our kids have embraced that. Right now as it relates, we don't see any of those moves on the horizon.
How would you evaluate Malik Golden and his play so far this season?
Banks: I think he's playing well. I think he has gotten better each day and as I stated earlier, I think he has gotten better. I think he'll be the first to tell you that he's playing at a more consistent rate, even from what he played last year. So I'm pleased, I really am. We ask a lot of our safeties in terms of communicating not only to the corner, but communicating to the linebackers and he's done a marvelous job of quarterbacking our defense.
I'm wondering if Marcus Allen is one of the more unique personalities that you've ever been around as a coach?
Banks: Yes, he's fun to be around. He loves to play the game and the way he practices is exactly how he plays the game on Saturdays. Just having fun, flying around, always laughing - he's great. He's a pleasure to be around and you love guys that not only do they play hard on Saturday's but they play hard during the week of practice and that becomes contagious to the rest of the guys, particularly if you have a young group.
Mike Gesicki said yesterday that Nick Scott was someone who kind of pumped him up, helping him play his best and has been someone has helped him be his 'Best Mike.'
Banks: He is an energizer bunny. He's always up, he's always smiling and when you step between those lines he has great energy and great juice. On our special teams, he's always the first one down and he takes a lot of pride in his role on the team. He's a guy who went from running back to corner to safety and we feel like he has found a home at safety but just his overall energy that he brings, as I mentioned with Marcus, it just becomes contagious. He's great. That doesn't surprise me. I had not heard that, but it doesn't surprise me that he's that type of young man.