COLLEGE PARK, Md. — It's no secret James Franklin is a stickler for details and that trickles all the way down to No. 10 Penn State's bowl scenarios.
"Probably nine different variations right now that we think could play out," Franklin said following the Lions' domination of Maryland.
Well, expect that to be a bit of hyperbole, but Franklin sent those details to the players and their parents, wanting no one left in the dark about what could transpire next Sunday when the bowl invitations are announced and the Lions figure out how the rest of their month plays out. Maybe it's a trip to Dallas for the Cotton Bowl or perhaps another visit to sunny Florida, but until then, there's a recruiting trail for the coaches to get back out on and less than a month to go until the new early signing period.
That's why turning the page after Saturday's game was so critical. After blowing the doors off the Terrapins there was a bus to board and for the last time this regular season corrections to make. They'll put the regular season to rest by Sunday and then the players will rest up ahead of the 15 allotted bowl practices, zeroing in on that opponent to be named later while also working on key program developmental workouts.
The Lions will even hold a developmental scrimmage in Beaver Stadium in the coming weeks, a chance for their redshirt and younger players to show off what they've been working on all year behind the scenes. In many ways part of Saturday's game looked like a developmental scrimmage, or even like the Blue-White Game came a few months early as the Lions pulled many starters during the third quarter, showing glimpses of the future at several positions.
With under six minutes left in the third quarter Trace McSorley and Saquon Barkley's nights were done, with the Lions already having the win in hand. It's the earliest Franklin pulled the two starters all season and potentially the earliest he's pulled anyone during his Penn State tenure.
It gave Tommy Stevens and Miles Sanders an increased workload for the second time in as many weeks and what they've shown in spurts has been more than enough to raise eyebrows. Stevens, with four touchdowns, might be the biggest question mark after the bowl game as teams have to be salivating over the backup quarterback.
"He's a quarterback, but he runs like he's like a running back," Barkley said of Stevens. "He's a big body and he's capable of making you miss with speed, power. He can do it all. He can catch the ball and yeah, it never surprises me to see him make a play."
2. Tommy time knows no bounds.
Quarterback Tommy Stevens continues working his way into the offense in the Lions' special two-quarterback package that was designed just for him. While it's typically been used in the red zone, Stevens got a few reps when the first-team offense was out of the red zone, one of which resulted in a four-yard reception for Barkley.
While the Lions used the two-quarterback package, they also were able to get Stevens in the game in mop-up duty with under 6 minutes remaining in the third quarter.
"It's typically a high redzone package for him as well and in down and distance situations that make sense," Franklin said of when they use Stevens. "We got a pretty good quarterback in Trace McSorley and we got a damn good quarterback as well in our backup in Tommy Stevens. You have to be careful. Sometimes when you get into a two-quarterback system it can mess up the flow of the game. I think we've handled it pretty well this year and I could see this package continuing to grow for us."
Perhaps Stevens' 21-yard score wasn't even his most impressive play of the day as he danced around the Maryland pass rush, eluding defenders and delivering a pass to Sanders who dropped it. That, much like the play Stevens had last weekend where he scampered along the sideline before stepping out of bounds, was the type of play that opened a lot of eyes. That's a glimpse of what he could do either here or elsewhere next season.
"We have something in each game and depending how the game is going Joe (Moorhead) feels comfortable putting him in," Franklin said. "Obviously when we were in control like we were tonight typically that helps. It's typically a high redzone package for him as well and in down and distance situations that make sense. We got a pretty good quarterback in Trace McSorley and we got a damn good quarterback as well in our backup in Tommy Stevens. You have to be careful. Sometimes when you get into a two-quarterback system it can mess up the flow of the game. I think we've handled it pretty well this year, and I could see this package continuing to grow for us."
The part about the package continuing to grow is interesting given there's only one game left this season. So, perhaps that's a nod to what Franklin wants to accomplish next season, but that's a big if given what Stevens has put on film this season.
Stevens, who played safety, running back, cornerback, quarterback and linebacker as a kid, won't rule out how he can impact this team. I asked Stevens if he'd be open to a position switch next season should he want to go that route.
In typical Stevens fashion he said he's all about helping the team win and wherever they want him, that's where he'll play.
3. The Mackey Award winner might be in the house.
Tight end Mike Gesicki posted four touchdowns in the past two games, giving him nine for the season. Those are lofty numbers for a receiver and the manner in which he did it against Maryland, including this spectacular one-handed touchdown grab could have locked up the award given nationally to the nation's top tight end.
That award would certainly mark a miraculous career transformation for the senior whose sophomore slump was plagued with drops and while Gesicki's blocking still has a lot of flaws, with plays like the one-handed snag and this he could be in line to make quite a bit of money here within the next six months.
That pitch actually could've gone to Barkley or Gesicki, a detail Stevens shared after the win. And, with Pancoast catching a touchdown from Stevens and with tight end Nick Bowers getting one last week -- plus highly-touted pledge Zack Kuntz ready to sign in the 2018 class -- the Lions have a lot of tight ends in the pipeline. Add in Jonathan Holland, Danny Dalton and Pat Freiermuth, the latter whom is ready to sign with the 2018 class, and the depth at the position is through the roof.
Sure, losing Gesicki is going to hurt because his athleticism can't be matched, but between all those options they have, someone will have a big role to take on next season. And, should Gesicki close his career named the nation's top tight end -- a title that was bestowed upon him as a high school prospect who hadn't played a down with his hand in the dirt -- it would in many ways make for a storybook ending.
4. Lions' fourth-down magic was on display.
Maryland converted zero of three fourth-down tries, an eye-popping stat, especially given the fact that the Terrapins trailed the entire time. Perhaps even more bizarre was that Maryland opted for two long field-goal tries, including one that went wide right in the first half when they already trailed.
"I thought the fourth-down stops were huge," Franklin said. "I don't know if I've ever seen three fourth-down stops like that in short-yardage situations."
It was bizarre, but certainly a highlight for a Penn State defense that after letting up as the team's reserves entered the game one week ago, played much better this time around. Keep in mind the defense pitched a shutout in the first half without starting safety Troy Apke, who was suspended for the first half due to targeting in the Nebraska game. Nick Scott got the start and while the Lions surrendered a few chunk plays, all in all this was one of the best showings by the defense all season.
Now, Maryland certainly had issues on offense, especially at quarterback, and star wide receiver DJ Moore still had an impact with eight catches for 100 yards, but the pass rush was present, they created takeaways and equally important, they got off the field regardless of the down and distance.
QUICK HITS
• Ryan Bates and Ryan Buchholz both dressed for the second consecutive game and went through warm ups. Buchholz did not play until late in the game and Bates checked in early in the fourth quarter at right tackle. Will Fries stayed at left tackle, Bates' usual spot. It was the first game action for both since the Ohio State game.
• Center Connor McGovern was hurt in the second quarter and limped off with the help of trainers. McGovern was ruled out for the rest of the game, per the TV broadcast, and in his place walk-on Zach Simpson came on. However, McGovern did return to the field later on. Again, with at least a month until the Lions' next bowl game they could get that o-line back to full health for one final go around.
• Barkley was the Lions' kick returner after Brandon Polk held those duties one week ago. Polk did misjudge one ball in the fourth quarter that bounced in front of him right around the goal line.
• Wide receiver Irv Charles did play after being a game-time decision and not dressing for the game last week. Charles dropped two passes. Linebacker Manny Bowen missed his third consecutive game with a suspension for a violation of team rules. It's unclear if he'll be available for the bowl game or not.
• Wide receiver Dae'Lun Darien, a usual special teams contributor, also got in on offense and defense where he lined up at cornerback late in the game.
• Brothers Josh and Zech McPhearson combined to force and recover a fumble on special teams, a neat moment for the two siblings. They celebrated after the game with some of their family members who greeted them from the stands before they hit the locker room. One of their older brothers, Gerrick, played for Maryland back in the early 2000s when Franklin was a coach for the Terrapins.
Franklin let Josh, just a boy at the time, in the Maryland locker room after the Terps beat Florida State. That moment stuck with Josh for the rest of his life, he said. Now, the senior who walked on at Penn State has his own memory to cherish.
"It's amazing," he said of forcing the fumble that his little brother recovered. "It's a really special moment. It's probably the highlight of my Penn State career."
• Franklin was asked if this game could develop into a rivalry. Again, it's rivalry weekend in college football and the Lions have ended the regular season against Wisconsin, Michigan State and Maryland all within the past few years.
"It just seems like since we've been here people have been trying to pound down our throats what games should be this or what games should be that," he said. "And to me that's not how it works."
