The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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THE WOLVERINE 2016 FOOTBALL PREVIEW ■ 135 BY RYAN TICE Former Penn State quarterback Christian Hackenberg never really looked like a future second‑round pick on the field in Happy Val‑ ley. He had a promising freshman campaign, but never could top those numbers (58.9 completion percentage, 2,955 passing yards, 20 touchdown throws, 134 passer rating) un‑ der head coach James Franklin, who enters his third year at the helm. Although he denied it, some reports in the lead‑up to the NFL Draft claimed the signal‑ caller, who committed to and played his fresh‑ man year under current Houston Texans head coach Bill O'Brien, blamed Franklin for the regression. Some of Hackenberg's weapons put up incredible numbers during his time un‑ der center, but this year will reveal how much — or little — of it was the quarterback's doing. Redshirt sophomore Trace McSorley is expected to take the reigns of Franklin's of‑ fense, and the dual‑threat is supposed to be a better fit for it. He didn't play much but was named PSU's MVP in the TaxSlayer Bowl after Hackenberg left with an injury, going 14‑of‑27 passing for 142 yards with two scores and no interceptions while rushing seven times for 31 yards. He rallied the team with two fourth‑quar‑ ter touchdowns, but the Nittany Lions could not dig themselves out of a 17‑3 halftime deficit. He will be surrounded by some of the best skill position players in the Big Ten on a unit that loses only Hackenberg and the starting center from last year. Redshirt junior wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton debuted in 2014 by leading the Big Ten with 82 catches, and then was sup‑ planted as the go‑to target last fall by junior Chris Godwin (69 catches for 1,101 yards and five touchdowns in 2015). Hamilton still posted 45 catches for 580 yards and six scores, while big‑play junior Saeed Blacknall added 248 yards through the air on just eight catches. All three are listed at 6‑1 or taller. At running back, sophomore Saquon Bar‑ kley is primed for a huge year after debuting with 1,076 rushing yards and a 5.9‑yard aver‑ age. He finished with 1,237 all‑purpose yards, ranked third on the team with 20 catches and also scored seven touchdowns. The four returning starters he'll run behind have com‑ bined for 77 career starts, but they have also allowed 83 sacks the past two years (though some of that total may be attributed to Hack‑ enberg holding onto the ball too long). The defense must replace a trio of outstand‑ ing linemen that combined for 171 tackles, 45.5 tackles for loss, 26 sacks and eight forced fumbles last year alone, but the most productive pieces at the other position groups are back. Junior linebacker Jason Cabinda should lead the front seven after posting 100 tack‑ les. Senior Brandon Bell is another thumper in the middle, and he produced 65 stops, 12.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, one intercep‑ tion and three forced fumbles. Junior safety Marcus Allen leads the second‑ ary after garnering All‑Big Ten honorable men‑ tion honors last year. Junior cornerback Grant Haley, who led the team with nine passes de‑ fended, and sophomore counterpart John Reid, who started two games last year and proved he's ready for an expanded role, should form a formidable duo on the outside. The pair tied for the team lead with two interceptions, and both are dangerous with the ball in their hands. The kicking and punting duties were both split between two players in 2015, and all four return this fall so the competition will be high. Whether PSU can end their string of con‑ secutive 7‑6 seasons and break through un‑ der Franklin comes down to the new quar‑ terback. McSorley might not be the talent NFL teams are drooling over — at least, not yet — but all of the pieces are in place for him to have the college success that evaded his predecessor. It's tough to envision the Nittany Lions eclipsing division rivals Ohio State, Michigan or Michigan State — who they are 0‑6 against under Franklin — in the standings, but they possess the firepower to possibly surprise one on a single‑game basis. Notes After opening last fall 5-1, Penn State went 2-5 down the stretch, losing its last four contests by a margin of 130-70 … Sixty-six percent of Penn State's 4,529 offensive yards were accounted for by three returning players (running back Saquon Barkley, and wide receivers Chris Godwin and DaeSean Hamilton) — no other player totaled more than 290 yards from scrimmage … The coaching staff has a new offensive coordinator, co-defensive coordinator and offensive line coach. ❑ Explosive Weapons Surround Unproven QB In Crucial Year Three For James Franklin PENN STATE • SEPT. 24 • GAME 4 2016 SCHEDULE Date Opponent 2015 Result Sept. 3 Kent State — Sept. 10 at Pittsburgh — Sept. 17 Temple L, 27-10 Sept. 24 at Michigan L, 28-16 Oct. 1 Minnesota — Oct. 8 Maryland W, 31-30 Oct. 22 Ohio State L, 38-10 Oct. 29 at Purdue — Nov. 5 Iowa — Nov. 12 at Indiana W, 29-7 Nov. 19 at Rutgers W, 28-3 Nov. 26 Michigan State L, 55-16 QUICK FACTS All-Time Series: U-M leads 12-7 First Meeting: U-M 21, PSU 13 (Oct. 16, 1993, at University Park, Pa.) Last Meeting: U-M 28, PSU 16 (Nov. 21, 2015, at University Park, Pa.) Head Coach: James Franklin, 14-12 at PSU (3rd year) and 38-27 overall (6th year) Off./Def. Systems: Multiple/Multiple 2015 In Review: 7-6 overall, 4-4 Big Ten (4th East) Final 2015 Ranking: Unranked Returning Starters: 16 (9 offense, 5 defense, 2 specialists) Last Bowl Appearance: 2015 (TaxSlayer, vs. Georgia, L 24-17) Big Ten Conference Championships (last): 3 (2008) RETURNING LEADERS Passing: Trace McSorley (185 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT) Rushing: Saquon Barkley (1,076 yards, 7 TD) Receiving: Chris Godwin (1,101 yards, 5 TD) Tackles: Jason Cabinda (100) Sacks: Brandon Bell (5.5) Interceptions: John Reid and Grant Haley (2) PLAYERS TO WATCH Offense: Chris Godwin, Jr., WR — Just the third 1,000-yard receiver in program history … Finished sec- ond in the Big Ten with 1,101 re- ceiving yards … Has at least one grab in 25 of 26 appearances, in- cluding four or more in 12 of his last 14 games, dating back to 2014 … Already owns the school record for receiving yardage in bowl games (273). Defense: Jason Cabinda, Jr., LB — Honorable men - tion All-Big Ten pick by coaches and media last year … Led PSU and ranked 15th in the league with 7.7 tackles per game … Totaled 100 stops, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, an interception, five additional passes broken up and a forced fumble. Despite missing two full games, being limited to one carry in the season opener and missing three quarters of another contest, running back Saquon Barkley finished second nation- ally among true freshmen with 1,076 rushing yards. PHOTO COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS