In the next few months or years, when everyone looks back on Penn State’s win over Michigan State on Saturday, they’ll probably remember it as the game played in a monsoon.
That’s because, by the time the second half came around, the Nittany Lions had a three touchdown lead, and the Spartans never looked capable of mounting a serious comeback. So the memorable scenes of the second half were not notable plays or touchdowns, they were things like these sad-looking fans:
Or this guy, dancing while collecting raindrops in souvenir cups:
As for the actual game action, despite the previous paragraphs, there were happenings on the field, too. So let’s get into it:
Freiermuth shines
On Saturday, Pat Freiermuth tied former Nittany Lion Mike Gesicki for the most career touchdowns by a Penn State tight end, and he’s done it in 25 fewer games played.
By this point, Freiermuth has proven to be a valuable weapon, and against the Spartans, he showed the variety of ways that he can get things done.
He started early. On Penn State’s second drive, he got things going with a simple-looking slant route for a first down:
The play itself isn’t all that interesting, but when you add context from past games, it reveals some of the calculus that the Nittany Lions are playing with on offense.
Penn State likes to get drives moving with quick throws on early downs, and often times that manifests in quick out routes, as seen here against Michigan:
Now go back to the Michigan State play, and you’ll see that the Spartans might have scouted to protect against that quick out route. Freiermuth gives the linebacker a little shimmy to the outside, and the defender bites on it, opening up all the space in the middle for quarterback Sean Clifford to hit Freiermuth for the nice gain.
The rest of Freiermuth’s bigger, more memorable plays showcased the many options he has to hurt a defense.
His first touchdown came on a wheel route:
He wasn’t all that open, but it’s good enough, and Clifford throws a heck of a ball to find him in the end zone.
Freiermuth’s second touchdown was a post route off what looked like a run-pass option:
The linebacker moves up when he sees the run fake, Clifford reads it perfectly and hits the big man in between the linebackers and safeties. Freiermuth does the rest. (He said after the game he remembered being called short on a similar play against Iowa and wanted to make sure he was in the end zone this time).
And Freiermuth’s third touchdown was his simplest route of the day, a flat route off a play fake that sprung him wide open.
Individually, none of these routes or plays are spectacular, by any means. But you’ll notice that all of them came with Freiermuth lined up in the same position, and that’s what makes it tough for defenses.
We’ve seen Freiermuth run block from that spot a million times in the first eight games. On that third touchdown, his route makes it look like he’s pulling around to block for a potential run. Then he slips around the end and has an easy score.
And now, we’ve seen Freiermuth run wheel routes and post routes. We’ve seen him run fade, slant and out routes from the slot.
Over 20 career games, Freiermuth has an impressive body of work. That’s enough to keep defenses guessing, and his ball skills and ability to run after the catch make things even tougher on opponents.
Parsing Parsons
It is long overdue that this weekly article takes a look at linebacker Micah Parsons, as he has been very good all season.
But this week feels appropriate to do so, because last Tuesday, Penn State coach James Franklin said he doesn’t think Parsons is “anywhere close” to hitting his ceiling as a player.
That’s a scary thought, since Parsons is already extremely good. The idea was that Parsons is an athletic specimen, which is what makes him potentially exceptional, but there is still a level of schematic understanding that can unlock the rest of Parsons’ ability.
Take, for example, this play:
Parsons takes a step in the wrong direction at the snap, biting inside. It’s enough to spring Michigan State running back Elijah Collins for four yards and a first down.
The tantalizing part of Parsons is the fact that he makes the play at all. Even with his misstep, he still outruns Collins to the edge and prevents him from gaining the corner. That is an unteachable skill.
And the positive news is that Parsons’ instincts are already good.
Here, he sees the Spartans’ pulling blockers, steps up, uses his lateral quickness to dodge the block and blows up the run before it begins.
On this one, Parsons bites on the play fake from the toss we saw earlier, realizes what’s happening and still has enough time and speed to cover the tight end like a blanket.
This should have been an interception, but Parsons was, in a way, in two places at once.
Say this wasn’t a fake and it had been a toss play. Sure, the blocking would have been different, but Parsons was there. And when it turned out to be a pass, Parsons was there, too.
That’s the kind of stuff that spurs one’s imagination when Franklin says Parsons isn’t anywhere near as good as he might be one day.
Speaking of speed…
If it seems like the Nittany Lions have been great in punt coverage this season, it’s because they have.
On average, Penn State is allowing 2.38 yards per punt return, which is the eighth-best mark in the country.
Much of that has to do with punter Blake Gillikin, but gunners Dan Chisena and Drew Harlaub also have a great deal of responsibility for the Nittany Lions’ elite punt coverage.
The book on them is that they’re both extremely fast. Both have past experience as elite track runners, and both get mentioned frequently when the fastest Penn State player discussions arise.
There must be something more than speed, though, for Chisena and Hartlaub to consistently be in returners’ faces as quickly as they are, right?
Turns out, no, it might mostly just be the speed thing.
The wet camera doesn’t help the viewer, here, but Chisena and Hartlaub are on opposite perimeters of the formation, and neither does anything all that special off the line on these punts. They’re just a lot faster than the person who is supposed to be blocking them, so they get around them originally and they stay beyond them the rest of the way.
Obviously, Chisena and Hartlaub have good instincts and are solid tacklers, which rounds out their gunning expertise. Still, it seems the main factor here is speed, and that’s good enough to play a huge role in what is, statistically, the eighth-best punt team in the country.
Mike Persak: mpersak@post-gazette.com and Twitter @MikeDPersak
First Published: October 29, 2019, 1:56 p.m.